In January 1662, Helen Wentoun, a resident of the burgh of Newburgh in Fife, became the subject of formal legal proceedings regarding the charge of witchcraft. The records of the Justiciary Court (C/EGD/1438) indicate that the process against Helen was initiated during a period characterized by a notable surge in witch-hunting activity across Scotland. As the judicial machinery of the seventeenth century turned toward her case, she was subjected to interrogation, which resulted in a recorded confession dated to that same month.
The trial notes associated with her case (T/JO/850) remain sparse, offering little insight into the specific accusations or the particular acts Helen was alleged to have committed. Despite the lack of surviving detail regarding the trial’s proceedings or final outcome, her case remains a documented entry in the broader historical archive of the 1563–1736 period. The formal documentation confirms that Helen was processed through the legal systems of the time, beginning with an initial accusation and culminating in the procurement of a statement from her while in custody.