In the autumn of 1642, the legal machinery of the Kirkcudbrightshire judicial system turned toward Jean Barbour, a woman residing in the parish of Tongland. Her case, documented under the reference C/EGD/1281, represents a singular entry within the wider context of the mid-seventeenth-century witch trials in Scotland. On October 12, 1642, Jean appeared before the local authorities to face charges pertaining to witchcraft. The proceedings concluded with a formal verdict of guilty, marking a definitive turn in her legal entanglement.
Following the conviction, Jean was not immediately sentenced by the court of first instance. Instead, the legal record dated November 15, 1642, indicates that the court issued a mandate requiring Jean to report back to the Privy Council to await her final sentencing. This procedural step reflects the administrative oversight common in trials of this period, where capital cases often necessitated higher-level review before the imposition of a final punishment.