In the late summer of 1678, an unnamed henwife from the village of Woodhead in Haddington found herself at the center of a troubling witchcraft accusation. This married woman, whose name has not survived in the historical records, held a position of modest social standing; she was known as a henwife, a role that entailed the care of poultry and contributed to the household economy. Her husband was a wobster, a weaver by trade, and together they formed a part of the middling class in their community.
The case, documented under the reference C/LA/3063, marks a significant point in her life as she faced trial in what remains known to us simply as the "Unknown, Henwife" case. The trial proceedings, noted as T/LA/1445, offer a glimpse but not a full account of the circumstances surrounding her arraignment. It was an era marked by social tensions and a fervent zeal to root out witchcraft, yet the specifics of the charges or the outcomes have been lost to time. This woman's experience encapsulates the uncertain nature of life at a time when accusations could disrupt the rhythm of daily life and place ordinary individuals under the weight of suspicion and fear.
The historical context of her trial provides a lens into the complexities of early modern Scottish society, where beliefs in witchcraft, combined with socio-economic pressures, could lead to the upheaval of lives. While the details of her case do not survive, the record of her trial stands as a testament to the precarious nature of existence during one of Scotland's most tumultuous periods for those accused of witchcraft.