Isobell Robeson, a married woman residing in Lauder, Berwick, found herself at the heart of a judicial process that encapsulated the fraught and perilous atmosphere of 17th-century Scotland during the witch trials. Isobell's name emerges from the annals of history on September 16, 1679, when she was summoned to appear before the circuit court at Berwick. Her case, documented in court records under reference C/LA/3091, identifies her as a "delinquent," a term used at the time to describe individuals accused of witchcraft or related offences.
The trial records, listed as T/LA/1490, indicate that Isobell was expected to present herself before the court once again upon request. However, the notes take a somber turn, containing the word "dead" next to her name in the delinquents' porteous roll. This notation suggests that Isobell Robeson passed away around the time of her trial, leaving her case unresolved and casting a shadow over the circumstances of her death. The absence of further details in the record means that Isobell's story is captured in these sparse lines, marking the trail of countless individuals ensnared in the wave of witch hunts during this tumultuous period in Scottish history.