In the summer of 1615, the community of Dalmeny in Linlithgow was gripped by the case of Katherine Hill, a resident whose life would take a dramatic turn due to the charges of witchcraft brought against her. At this time, Queensferry had not yet become a parish of its own, being under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Dalmeny, a community deeply rooted in religious observance. On the 20th of July, a record from the local ecclesiastical authorities, designated as Case C/EGD/878, explicitly named Katherine as the central figure in an investigation, setting the stage for a swift and public examination of the allegations.
The following day, the momentum of this grim process continued with Katherine's trial being convened in Linlithgow. Historical trial records, as noted under Trial T/LA/233, confirm that the presbytery made it a point to request the presence of its brethren, indicating the importance of community and ecclesial involvement in such serious matters. This note suggests a gathering of clergy and possibly other notable figures, underscoring the gravity with which such accusations were treated. Katherine found herself at the heart of an event that would not only scrutinize her actions but also engage the broader spiritual and judicial community in an affair that was both a personal and public ordeal.
Throughout this period, Katherine Hill's story unfolded within the fabric of early 17th-century Scottish society, where beliefs in witchcraft mingled with fears of the supernatural, often leading to swift legal proceedings. Her tale, like many others of the time, reflects the pervasive atmosphere of suspicion and the potent combination of ecclesiastical and civil authority in addressing accusations that could dramatically alter, or end, a person's life.