In the autumn of 1679, William Stewart, a resident of Stobo in Peebles, found himself drawn into the machinery of the Scottish legal system on an accusation of witchcraft. On the 26th of September, William appeared before the authorities in Peebles to answer the charges brought against him, an experience that would have placed him under immense personal and social strain during a period when such allegations frequently carried the gravest of consequences.
However, the judicial proceedings reached an abrupt conclusion. According to the extant records (C/EGD/814 and T/LA/1185), the legal diet against William was deserted on the very day of his trial. Consequently, the case was dismissed, and William was released, effectively ending the state’s pursuit of the matter against him.