In the spring of 1661, the legal machinery of the Scottish state focused its attention upon Issobell Cairnes, a resident of the burgh of Haddington. The historical record indicates that Issobell was brought before the authorities on May 9, 1661, marking the commencement of a formal judicial process. Her case, documented under reference C/EGD/1356, initiated a period of scrutiny that would involve multiple levels of legal proceedings within the established frameworks of the seventeenth-century Scottish judicial system.
Following her initial appearance, the matter progressed through the rigours of the courts, as evidenced by the supplementary records of her trial, catalogued under references T/JO/1817 and T/LA/1039. These entries confirm that the case against Issobell was not a singular event, but rather a protracted series of hearings held across different legal jurisdictions. By documenting these proceedings, the records provide a testament to the administrative gravity with which the Haddington authorities approached the accusations brought against her during this tumultuous era of witch-hunting in Scotland.