On December 18, 1629, the formal legal proceedings against William Stevinsoun commenced, marking a significant moment in the ecclesiastical oversight of the Berwickshire region. At the age of fifty, William was a married man residing in Hirsell, a location that placed him firmly within the administrative reach of the local kirk authorities. The historical record indicates that he was subjected to the formal process of denunciation, a procedure whereby he was brought before the presbytery of Duns to answer for the allegations levelled against him.
The documentation surrounding William—catalogued under case reference C/EGD/1165—highlights the intersection of local community life and the judicial scrutiny characteristic of early modern Scotland. As the matter moved toward the trial phase (T/LA/720), the presbytery became the central forum for addressing the charges brought against William. Through these records, we observe the structured application of 17th-century legal protocols, detailing the transition from his initial denunciation to the formal hearing before the church court in Duns.