In the autumn of 1679, amidst the rolling hills of Peebles, a small town in the Scottish Borders, James Stewart found himself embroiled in the turbulent world of witchcraft accusations. James resided in the parish of Stobo, an area not unfamiliar with the fear and suspicion that swept across Scotland during this era of witch trials. With records marking the date of the proceedings as September 26th, 1679, James's case represents a moment when societal anxieties and the judicial process intersected.
On the day scheduled for his trial, the official records indicate that the course of action known as his "diet was deserted." In the legal parlance of the time, this meant that the proceedings were abandoned, and any charges leveled against him were essentially dropped without conclusion. Consequently, James Stewart was released, leaving behind few details in the annals of history. The reasons for the desertion of his trial are not recorded, leaving historians to preserve the facts as they stand. James's case serves as a testament to the complexities and eventual dissolution of certain witch trials, highlighting an instance where the accused was allowed to return to his life in Stobo, unburdened by the weight of judicial condemnation.