In the year 1591, Donald Robinson, a resident of Haddington, found himself embroiled in the turbulent witch trials of early modern Scotland, a time when fear and suspicion of witchcraft reached feverish heights. At 60 years old, Donald was sharply thrust into the public eye, accused of attending a witches' meeting—a serious charge that encapsulated the era's prevailing anxieties about malevolent forces and conspiracies. The records indicate that although he initially confessed to the crime, he later retracted his admission, a not uncommon occurrence, reflecting the intense pressures faced by those on trial and the brutal methods often employed to extract confessions.
Donald's name arose amid the trials of several high-profile individuals, including Agnes Sampsoune, Robert Grierson, Thom Cockburn, and notably, Francis Stewart, the Earl of Bothwell—a notable figure whose involvement added further complexity and notoriety to the proceedings against Donald. Being mentioned as an accomplice by others implicated in witchcraft could amplify suspicion and guilt by association, another testament to the interconnectedness of such accusations during this period. His linkage with figures like the Earl of Bothwell, who was embroiled in claims of treason and witchcraft against King James VI, underlines the politically charged nature of these trials, where local grievances, societal fears, and high politics intersected dramatically.
The records do not detail the outcome of Donald’s trial or the specific acts he was accused of committing at the alleged witches’ meeting, yet they provide a poignant glimpse into the predicament faced by those swept up in the witch-hunting hysteria. Donald’s story illustrates the perilous nature of life in late 16th-century Scotland for those accused of witchcraft, where any association with supposed malevolent gatherings could spiral into a nightmarish ordeal fueled by fear and the spirit of the times.