Marion Hislop, a resident of Crichton near Edinburgh, found her name inscribed in the annals of Scotland's witch trials in the late 17th century. The records indicate that Marion was married, though little else about her personal life is known from the surviving documents. What remains are the echoes of an accusation that tied her fate to the rigid and unforgiving judicial system of the period, one that was consumed by a fervent fear of witchcraft.
In August of 1679, Marion was enshrined on the Edinburgh Porteous Roll, a document that cataloged those accused of various crimes, notably including witchcraft, sorcery, and necromancy. The charges were severe, suggesting not just simple acts of witchcraft but elaborating traditional accusations of renunciation of baptism and pledging oneself to the Devil—a motif common in the trials of this era. Her case, bundled with others from Crichton, was revisited in July 1683 during a session of the circuit court. This document notes her indictment, sharing this grim company with a certain G. Penman and others, all accused of similar claims.
Nonetheless, an intriguing marginal note appended to the records from 1679 reveals that Marion, along with her co-accused, was marked "all absent and resited." This phrase suggests they did not appear for trial and therefore resisted the jurisdiction of the court. The absence of their physical presence in court proceedings leaves a gap in the narrative, a silent testament to the uncertainty and unpredictability of life for those accused of witchcraft in this tumultuous period. While the specifics of Marion's ultimate fate remain elusive, her case remains a stark reminder of the turbulent interplay between superstition, fear, and the law in early modern Scotland.