In the spring of 1597, Beatrix Robbie of Mariewell, near Aberdeen, found herself at the heart of a witchcraft trial reflective of the suspicions and tensions that rippled through early modern Scotland. On the 24th of April, the records reveal that Beatrix stood accused not for distinct acts of witchcraft, but rather for being a "suspicious person" with ties to her mother—an association that seemingly cast a long shadow over her character and associations. The trial, held in Aberdeen, concluded with a decision that was both severe and merciful: Beatrix was found guilty, yet instead of a death sentence, she faced banishment from the Aberdeen sheriffdom and a stipulated distance of twelve miles beyond, as denoted by the local justice and the noted chronicler, Spalding.
Beatrix Robbie's trial did not occur in isolation. Her name surfaces in the context of other cases, notably mentioned by Margerat Bane, possibly as a figure of caution or denouncement, and within the trial records of Margrat Og. Such references hint at a network of suspicion where women's reputations and connections could render them vulnerable to accusations of witchcraft. The mention in these other legal documents suggests that Beatrix’s predicament was enmeshed in wider social and communal associations, where neighborly disputes or rivalries might have escalated into formal accusations during a period marked by heightened fear and instability.
The case of Beatrix Robbie is evocative of the period's ethos—where familial ties and communal perceptions could converge to shape one's fate dramatically. The outcome of banishment illustrates that, while not all accusations culminated in execution, the repercussions of being associated with witchcraft could still lead to profound alterations in one’s life course. Beatrix's enforced departure underscores the power of stigma and community judgment in the seventeenth century, casting her into an uncertain path beyond her hometown and the life she had known.