INTRODUCTION

These trials took place before the central justiciary court in Edinburgh in September 1678. The prosecutor was the lord advocate, Sir George Mackenzie of Rosehaugh. The accused persons came from several parishes in Haddingtonshire, where a massive wave of witchcraft accusations swept over the area in a short time. Most of the accused were women, of widely varying ages. Twelve death sentences were passed, all upon women.

The first group of convictions included nine women from the parishes of Ormiston, Crichton and Humbie: Margaret Dodds, Peaston (Ormiston parish); Margaret Douglas, Crichton (Crichton parish); Isobel Elliot, first Peaston (Ormiston parish) and then Templehall (Pencaitland parish); Helen Forrester, Crichton (Crichton parish); Helen Laing, Peaston (Ormiston parish); Margaret Lowes, Humbie (Humbie parish); Isobel Shanks, Crichton (Crichton parish); Margaret Small, Humbie (Humbie parish); and Marion Veitch, Keith (Humbie parish). One of the women accused in this group, Christian Hogger (residence not recorded), had her case dropped. The second group of convictions included three women all from Fala, in the parish of Fala and Soutra: Bessie Gourlay, Agnes Somerville and Margaret Souness.

A further group of accused witches, eight women and one man, were declared fugitive: Margaret Anderson, Ormiston (Ormiston parish); James Campbell, Winton (Pencaitland parish); Marion Campbell, Peaston (Ormiston parish); Margaret Dalgleish, Keith (Humbie parish); Elspeth Knox, Keith (Humbie parish); Margaret Russell, Peaston (Ormiston parish); Agnes Thomson, Over Keith (now called Upper Keith; Humbie parish); Grisell Walker, Keith (Humbie parish); and Elizabeth Wood, Over Keith (now called Upper Keith; Humbie parish). Another fugitive recorded was Gideon Penman, the deposed former minister of Crichton. Other sources mention him as a suspected witch and master of witches; various stories were told about him, but he was never brought to trial.