In May 1628, Christian Aitkenhead, a married woman residing in the Rottinraw area of Dumfries, became the subject of formal legal scrutiny regarding allegations of witchcraft. The records of her case, indexed as C/EGD/1011, indicate that the legal process initiated against her moved swiftly through the administrative systems of the period. By the 6th of May, 1628, the matter had progressed to the point of a documented trial, recorded under T/LA/485.
The proceedings took place within the burgh of Dumfries, a center of judicial activity during this era of heightened concern regarding maleficium. As the case unfolded, Christian remained defined in the court records by her domestic status and her specific place of residence within the town. The documentation surrounding her trial serves as a stark reflection of the intersection between local governance and the judicial standards applied to those accused of witchcraft in early seventeenth-century Scotland.