In the late 17th century, Isobell Hislop, a 60-year-old widow residing in Crichton, Edinburgh, found her life abruptly entangled in the fervent witch hunts that swept through Scotland. Her late husband, James Wilson, had left her to navigate the complexities of early modern Scottish society alone, and in this environment, accusations of witchcraft were perilously common. The official records from September 8, 1679, detail Isobell's entanglement with the legal system, noting her presence on the Edinburgh porteous roll—a grim ledger listing individuals charged with serious offenses such as witchcraft, sorcery, and necromancy.
During Isobell's trial at the circuit court, it was alleged that she, along with three others from Crichton, had not only engaged in witchcraft but had renounced their baptism and pledged themselves to the Devil, surrendering both body and soul. These charges were severe, characteristic of the social paranoia surrounding witchcraft during this period. However, a marginal note adds another layer to the proceedings: it remarked that "all absent and resited," indicating that neither Isobell nor her co-accused appeared for the hearing.
The continuation of Isobell’s indictment on the Porteous Roll in 1683 suggests that legal actions against her persisted, despite the apparent absence or resistance noted earlier. These records portray a snapshot of Isobell Hislop’s trials, reflecting the omnipresent fear of witchcraft that pervaded 17th-century Scotland and ensnared many, particularly vulnerable individuals such as widowed women, in its rigorous judicial webs.