In the early months of 1617, Patrick Rid, a 50-year-old married man residing in Bathgate, Linlithgow, found himself at the center of a troubling episode in Scottish history—the series of witch trials that gripped the nation. The records denote Patrick as having grown children, suggesting a life lived with typical familial responsibilities, until accusations of witchcraft disrupted the semblance of his daily existence. The specifics surrounding the allegations against Patrick are scarce in the surviving documentation, yet they are significant enough to have propelled him towards a formal trial.
The trial of Patrick Rid was scheduled for April of the same year, as noted in the records of the Linlithgow presbytery. This notation, dated April 23, 1617, sets the scene for the proceedings that were to take place, casting a shadow over Patrick and potentially his family. While the details of the trial's outcome are not captured in these records, the mere act of being called to trial would have been a moment of intense scrutiny and peril for Patrick, as accusations of witchcraft in early modern Scotland could bear severe implications. The records reflect a moment in time when societal fears and legal systems converged in a manner that often left accused individuals with little recourse.