In the spring of 1628, the legal apparatus of Dumfries focused its attention on Janet Ireland, a widow residing in the Rottinraw district of the burgh. On the 6th of May, she was formally entered into the judicial record under case number C/EGD/1012, marking the beginning of a process that would ultimately bring her before the courts. As a widow, Janet occupied a precarious social position in early modern Scottish society, existing outside the direct household protection of a husband at a time when local authorities were increasingly vigilant regarding accusations of maleficium.
Following the initial registration of her case, Janet was brought to trial under the reference T/LA/486. The proceedings took place within the burgh of Dumfries, a location that served as the administrative and judicial hub for the surrounding region. The documentation confirms that her experience within the Scottish legal system was concentrated within this short window in 1628, reflecting the broader patterns of local jurisdiction that defined the witch trials during this period. Through these administrative fragments, Janet remains a recorded participant in a somber chapter of Scottish history, her life briefly illuminated by the formal scrutiny of the court.