Marie Johnestoun, a resident of West Linton in Peebles, finds her name recorded in the annals of Scottish history under the ominous guise of a witch trial that took place on the 11th of June, 1629. Her name appears alongside twenty-six others, a testament to the widespread nature of the witch-hunts during this turbulent period. These records, though sparse, situate Marie within the larger context of a community in the grip of fear, suspicion, and upheaval, characteristic of the era’s witch trials which followed the Witchcraft Act of 1563.
Despite the gravity and implications carried by her inclusion in the list of accused individuals, the available trial records (file T/JO/559) provide no further details regarding the specifics of Marie's case. The absence of elaboration in trial notes leaves her story fragmented, suggesting that the proceedings may not have been fully documented, or perhaps that the extent and nature of the evidence presented against her were considered too insubstantial or complex to be captured in surviving documents. This laconic entry, devoid of elaborations, highlights both the bureaucratic nature of record-keeping at the time and the precariousness of Marie’s situation, sharing her fate with many other women of the time embroiled in similar accusations.