In the midst of the fervor surrounding the witch trials of the late 16th century in Scotland, Beatrix Robbie of Mariewell, Aberdeen, found herself ensnared in this perilous web of suspicion. On April 24, 1597, she stood trial in Aberdeen, a city that, like many others, was caught up in the fear and paranoia of witchcraft. Beatrix's case was catalogued under the case number C/JO/3036, and while the specifics of the accusations against her remain sparse, the records denote her as having been found guilty by a jury, not explicitly of witchcraft, but rather of being a "suspicious person." This suspicion was heightened by her association with her mother, whose identity and implication in similar matters are not detailed in the surviving documents.
The court ruled that Beatrix's actions, though they did not warrant the more severe punishments of the period, merited her expulsion from the community. The trial, noted as T/JO/1316, concluded with a sentence of banishment, exiling her from the Aberdeen sheriffdom and extending to a distance of 12 miles beyond its borders. This sentence was guided by the jury's decision, which, rather than call for corporal punishment or execution, deemed that removal from her community was sufficient in maintaining the peace and order of the region.
Beatrix's infamy seemed to permeate other trials of the time, as she was mentioned in the proceedings of Margerat Bane and Margrat Og, with Bane reportedly denouncing her. While the records do not expound further on these connections, they suggest a network of suspicion and accusation that typified the witch hunts of this era. Despite the paucity of detailed evidence against her, Beatrix Robbie's trial reflects a fragile legal system predicated on fear, where mere association and reputation could lead to dire social consequences.