In the summer of 1661, Helen Mathie found herself ensnared in the witch trials that punctuated 17th-century Scotland's landscape, specifically those centered in Edinburgh. Helen was identified in historical documents as residing in the vicinity of Liberton or Duddingston, areas on the outskirts of the city, known for their small communities and close-knit parish structure. This rural setting, combined with the fervent religious and social anxieties of the time, may have played a significant role in the events leading up to her trial.
On the 7th of August, 1661, Helen's case, referenced in historical records as case number C/EGD/418, was formally recognized, marking the commencement of her legal proceedings. Helen's trial was later documented under the trial record T/LA/386. Although the specifics of the accusations leveled against her are absent from the surviving records, the mere initiation of a trial indicates that she had been suspected of engaging in practices deemed as witchcraft, a serious offense in that era often intertwined with accusations of maleficium, or harmful magic, and a presumed pact with the Devil.
The trial of Helen Mathie unfolded against a backdrop of heightened paranoia and disciplinary zeal within the Church and the local populace, a period when accusations of witchcraft were often tools wielded in disputes or as responses to unexplained hardships. These trials, carried out in Edinburgh's rigorous judicial system, were sometimes seen as both a procedural and moral undertaking to root out supposed heretical influences from the community. Helen's ordeal is a testament to the pervasive atmosphere of fear and the severe social and judicial consequences faced by those accused of witchcraft during this time in Scottish history.