In the autumn of 1591, the ecclesiastical and judicial authorities in Haddington directed their attention toward Donald Robinson, a man then sixty years of age. His involvement in the proceedings was deeply entangled with the infamous North Berwick witch trials, one of the most significant series of such prosecutions in early modern Scotland. During these turbulent months, Donald was identified as a key participant in a series of alleged witches’ meetings, a charge that linked him to a wider network of individuals suspected of similar activities across the region.
Donald’s case was defined by his connections to several prominent figures accused during the same period, including Agnes Sampsoune, Robert Grierson, Thom Cockburn, and even the powerful Francis Stewart, Earl of Bothwell. All four of these individuals named him as a direct accomplice in their testimonies. While Donald provided a confession to the charges against him in 1591, the historical record notes that he subsequently retracted this statement. His case remained a persistent fixture in the legal record for decades, with later trial references surfacing in 1647, long after his initial encounter with the law.
