In September 1679, James Stewart of Stobo in Peebles found himself enmeshed in the machinery of the Scottish witch trials, a dark and often perilous aspect of early modern life characterized by suspicion and fear. James's brush with the judicial system was recorded under case number C/EGD/825, revealing the serious nature of such accusations during this turbulent period. The records show that he appeared for trial on the 26th of September, 1679, in Peebles, a region simmering with the remnants of witch hysteria that had gripped Scotland over several decades.
The trial records, indexed as T/LA/1184, note a significant outcome for James: the charge against him was deserted, resulting in his release. This legal jargon, indicating a cessation of proceedings due to insufficient evidence or procedural anomalies, suggests that whatever led to James finding himself accused of witchcraft was not substantial enough to warrant further legal action or punishment. While this outcome provided him with an escape from the harsh penalties often associated with such trials, the experience of being entangled in accusations of witchcraft still would have cast a lingering shadow over his life in Stobo.
James's reprieve, highlighted by the deserted diet, showcases the occasionally capricious nature of the witch trials, where outcomes could vary drastically depending on the evidence at hand, societal pressures, and the disposition of local officials. His release without sentence left him legally unscathed, yet it’s conceivable that the social and personal ramifications of such an accusation lingered, a reminder of a fraught era in Scotland’s past where fear sometimes eclipsed reason.