Christian Lindesay, a resident of Dalkeith near Edinburgh, found herself embroiled in the turbulent witch trials that swept through Scotland in the early 17th century. The scant historical records that survive tell us only fragments of her story, but they are enough to place her in the unsettling context of her times. On the 17th of May, 1632, Christian's case was officially recorded under the designation C/JO/2794, marking the commencement of a formal accusation against her for witchcraft, a charge that could carry dire consequences.
Unfortunately, details about Christian's trial proceedings are sparse, with the trial notes, denoted as T/JO/342, offering no further elaboration. Such omissions were not uncommon, reflecting either a loss of documentation over the centuries or the quietness with which some of these proceedings were held, especially in less sensational cases. Despite this, Christian's notation within these records places her among the many Scots who faced the severe scrutiny and suspicion of witchcraft during a period of intense religious and social anxiety. Her fate, like that of many accused, remains obscured by the passage of time, captured in history only by a brief mention in judicial notes.