In January 1633, Johnne Colquhoun, a married laird residing in Luse, Dunbarton, became the subject of a legal case that entangled his high-ranking social position with allegations of illicit supernatural practice. Johnne, who was married to Lady Lillias Graham, the eldest daughter of the Earl of Montrose, was accused of orchestrating a conspiracy involving his sister-in-law, whom he had been fostering within his household. According to the case records, these accusations centered on the use of love magic intended to coerce the young woman into a sexual relationship.
When the matter came before the court in Edinburgh on January 11, 1633, Johnne failed to appear to answer the charges. The judicial response was immediate and severe: the court ordered that he be "put to the horn," a formal declaration of outlawry that stripped him of his legal protections and resulted in the escheat—or forfeiture—of all his property to the Crown. Despite the gravity of the sentence, Johnne successfully evaded the reach of the law by fleeing to London with the sister-in-law he had allegedly targeted. By securing his departure, he remained beyond the jurisdiction of the Scottish courts, leaving behind a forfeited estate and a case defined by the intersection of familial duty, perceived enchantment, and an eventual escape from justice.