In the autumnal days of 1678, amidst the tumult of the Scottish witch trials, Elizabeth Wood of Overkeith, a village nestled in Humbie, Haddington, found herself ensnared in the turbulent accusations of witchcraft. The records succinctly place her at the heart of a legal pursuit that played out in Edinburgh on September 13, 1678. This era was notorious for its fervent suspicion and fear, where tales of malevolent witchcraft often spiralled into full-blown legal proceedings, leaving many individuals scrambling to defend themselves against nebulous claims.
On the day of her trial, the records reveal that Elizabeth did not present herself before the court. Such absence was not uncommon in a period when attending trial could lead to dire consequences, including imprisonment or worse. Her non-appearance resulted in her being declared a fugitive—a term which designated her as a person who was outlawed, often noted by the phrase "put to the horn," an expression stemming from the symbolic blowing of a horn to announce one's status as a legal outcast. This declaration implied not only her evasion but also set the tone for her subsequent life, under another shadow of social and legal exclusion.
While no further details are provided about Elizabeth's life post-trial, the label of "fugitive" under the witchcraft accusations would have cast a long shadow over her existence. Individuals in such a position were often cut off from societal and familial safety nets, and the charge would have indelibly marked her within the broader community. The record leaves us with questions unresolved, as was the fate of many during this enigmatic and fraught chapter of Scottish history.