In the summer of 1683, Marion Hislop found herself embroiled in the turbulent witch trials that swept through Scotland during the late 17th century. A resident of Crichton, near Edinburgh, Marion was among those marked out for accusation in a case recorded in the Edinburgh Porteous Roll, a documentation of criminal charges. Her charges were both severe and common for the era: witchcraft, sorcery, and necromancy. These accusations included renunciation of baptism and giving oneself over to the Devil, body and soul, highlighting the fear and suspicion that characterized these witch hunts.
Marion's case was brought before the circuit court alongside three others from Crichton, including an individual named G. Penman, during a time when the Scottish authorities were keen to clamp down on any activities perceived as witchcraft. Per records dated August 9, 1679, she had already been cited on a porteous roll of delinquent dittays, indicating earlier allegations of witchcraft that lingered unresolved. Despite the weighty accusations, a marginal note from her trial records suggests that all implicated parties, including Marion, were 'absent and resisted' from the proceedings. This absence left the formal allegations hanging, with no trial conclusion apparent in the documentation saved, which leaves us without a clear resolution in the judicial sphere for Marion and the others involved.
The incomplete and sparse nature of records from this period means much about Marion's life and the ultimate impact of these accusations remain veiled in mystery, but her experience serves as a testament to the pervasive and often indiscriminate nature of witch trials that left indelible marks on communities and individuals alike.