Thomas Shanks, a weaver of middling status residing in Peebles, first drew the attention of ecclesiastical authorities on March 23, 1643, when he appeared before the presbytery to answer accusations of charming and witchcraft. The initial inquiry into his conduct did not immediately culminate in a formal trial, but the suspicion surrounding his activities persisted in the community for several years. By the autumn of 1649, the legal scrutiny intensified, and he was formally linked to others accused of similar transgressions. During the judicial proceedings of that period, both Marion Watsone and Bessie Eumond identified Thomas as an accomplice, placing him within the orbit of those suspected of participating in clandestine meetings associated with witchcraft.
Following these allegations, Thomas provided a formal confession to the authorities on October 23, 1649. This admission served as a pivotal element in the subsequent legal process, leading to a trial held in Peebles on November 21, 1649. The presbytery records confirm that the trial took place on this date, concluding a six-year period during which he had remained under the shadow of the kirk’s investigation. Through these documents, the record of Thomas’s experience remains preserved as a reflection of the judicial and social anxieties prevalent in mid-seventeenth-century Peebles.
