In the late 17th century, amidst the height of the Scottish witch trials, John Hislop, a weaver from Crichton near Edinburgh, found himself swept into the torrent of superstition and fear that defined the era. Accused alongside two women sharing his surname, likely his sisters, John was ensnared in the complex web of charges often laid upon those suspected of witchcraft. The charges, as documented in the records, included not only practicing witchcraft but also the renunciation of baptism and the ultimate pledge of allegiance to the Devil. These accusations echoed the familiar refrain of a society gripped by the belief that malevolent supernatural forces were at play.
In August 1679, John Hislop's name appeared on the Edinburgh Porteous Roll, a muster of individuals charged with various misdemeanors and felonies, which in his case, revolved around the deeply serious charges of sorcery and necromancy. Yet, as the judicial proceedings unfolded, there is an intriguing note of absence documented in the records. The marginalia of the trial notes from that year indicate that John, along with the others accused in his group, was listed as 'all absent and resited.' This suggests that they were not present at the trial, a factor that could have complicated the pursuit of any further legal action against them.
By 1683, John's name resurfaced in the judicial records on another Porteous Roll. However, the precise outcome of these subsequent proceedings remains elusive in the records. This enduring presence in legal documentation without a clear resolution underscores the tangled and often indeterminate nature of witch trial records, where fear and reputation could echo long after the proceedings themselves. John Hislop's case remains a testament to the uncertainty and peril faced by those entangled in accusations of witchcraft during one of Scotland’s most tumultuous historical periods.