In the mid-17th century, during an intense period of witch-hunting in Scotland, a peculiar case unfolded in the town of Tranent in Haddington. Jon Kincaid, recognized primarily as a professional witchpricker—a person tasked with identifying witches by pricking their skin—found himself on the other side of the accusatory finger. On April 17, 1662, records indicate that Jon stood accused of witchcraft, an ironic twist of fate for someone involved in the witch trials process himself.
The details surrounding Jon's accusation are sparse, yet the reversal of roles highlights the pervasive paranoia and fear that permeated this era. Given his occupation, Jon would have been intimately familiar with the procedures and repercussions of such accusations. His case, documented under reference C/EGD/503, appears to have culminated in a formal trial, indicated by trial record T/LA/1336. The nature of the evidence against him, or the outcome reached by the judicial authorities, remains undisclosed in these records, leaving us to consider the treacherous complexities and ironies of the witch hunts. The fact that a witchpricker could be accused of practicing the very sorcery he was employed to root out serves as a poignant example of the fear-driven atmosphere that characterized this turbulent chapter of Scottish history.