In the latter part of the 17th century, amidst the tense and often perilous atmosphere of post-Reformation Scotland, Geils Harley found herself enmeshed in one of the era's most infamous occurrences—an accusation of witchcraft. Residing in Fisherrow, Inveresk, near the bustling city of Edinburgh, Geils was married, an indication of her integration into the community and family life. Yet, in 1679, she was named in a "porteous roll"—essentially a register of those accused of various crimes—on charges extending beyond mere misdeeds to include the grave accusations of witchcraft, sorcery, and necromancy, as well as the renunciation of her baptism.
On September 8, 1679, Geils's trial unfolded in Edinburgh, a city no stranger to the machinations of witchcraft trials during this period in history. Her name appeared in the records among others who faced similar allegations, condemned through a routine compendium of charges that often served as a grim prelude to conviction. The charges against her included the renunciation of her Christian baptism and a claim that she had surrendered both body and soul to the Devil—a common accusation aimed at individuals deemed to have forsaken societal and religious norms.
While the historical record is sparse, revealing nothing of the outcome of Geils's trial, it serves as a somber reminder of the anxious spirit of the times. The underlying fear and superstition, coupled with a rigorous legal system, held the potential to unravel the lives of those considered suspect. In Geils Harley's presence on the porteous roll, we find a snapshot of early modern Scottish life where suspicion alone could drastically alter the course of one's fate.