In the district of Haddington in 1591, Malie Geddie came under the scrutiny of the law amidst the period's notorious witch trials. Her name appears in the records in connection with a case documented as C/EGD/89. This case was noted during what is known as Napier's trial, though further specifics of her own trial proceedings or charges are not detailed in the extant documentation. Haddington, like much of Scotland during this turbulent era, was an environment steeped in religious and social tensions that often found expression through these witchcraft accusations.
Malie's trial is recorded as taking place on the 8th of May, 1591 (Case T/LA/990), though the brief notes do not provide information on the outcome or specific allegations brought against her. The date draws a connection to the broader context of Napier's trial—a series of events that were part of the larger North Berwick witch trials, which were characterized by a series of sensational accusations involving pacts with the devil and conspiracy against the monarchy. Malie's presence in the records reminds us of the multitude of individuals, often women, caught in the sweep of these prosecutions, who faced formidable forces of fear and superstition in early modern Scottish society. These trials paint a stark picture of the dangers that communities perceived in their midst, leading to trials that have echoed through history for their intensity and frequency.