In the year of our Lord 1683, amidst the rolling borders of Berwick, an individual by the name of John Black found himself ensnared in the complex web of the Scottish witch trials. Historical records tie his case tenuously to the significant legal document known as the porteous roll, indicating its designation for trial at a circuit court. However, the trail of John's case remains notably elusive, as his name does not surface in some records that contemporary scholars scrutinized, including the documented transcriptions housed in archives such as JC26/62. This absence leaves elements of his story shrouded in the mists of time, yet the inklings we have offer a compelling focal point for study.
It is suggested in various scholarly sources that John Black might have been accused not as a traditional witch, but rather as a "charmer." In the early modern Scottish context, charmers were individuals reputed to possess certain knowledge or abilities to heal, influence, or utilize unseen forces, possibly positioning John in a unique intermediary space between societal accepted practices and feared witchcraft. The details of Black’s precise circumstances, motivations, or the public perception that led to his being brought forth for trial, however, remain lost to history. What stands clear from the surviving notes is the ambiguity and uncertainty surrounding the proceedings' outcome, offering a glimpse into the often haphazard and opaque processes that characterized the witch trials of that era.