In January 1662, James Murray, an indweller of Innerleithen in Peebles, became the subject of a judicial inquiry into the crime of witchcraft. As an individual of middling socioeconomic status, James occupied a position within the community that suggests he was likely a settled and recognized member of the parish. His case, cataloged under the reference C/EGD/1424, moved swiftly through the legal apparatus of the period, reflecting the heightened anxieties and rigorous administrative scrutiny that characterized the Scottish witch trials during the seventeenth century.
Shortly after the initiation of the proceedings, James provided a confession in January 1662. While the surviving records—specifically trial note T/JO/860—do not offer a detailed account of the testimonies or the specific allegations brought against him, the existence of this formal confession remains the central component of his legal file. The intersection of his social standing and the swift progression of his case from accusation to confession offers a brief but significant insight into the operation of the law in Peebles during this turbulent era.