In September 1649, Janet Gibb, a resident of Borthwick in the county of Edinburgh, became the subject of legal proceedings concerning the charge of witchcraft. Her case, documented under the reference C/EGD/1654, progressed from initial accusation to a formal trial, recorded in the archives as T/LA/1988. The mechanisms of the Scottish judicial system during this volatile period in the mid-17th century necessitated a rigorous examination of the accused, often centering on the production of a statement from the defendant herself.
During the course of these proceedings, Janet provided a confession that was formally documented for the court. While the surviving records do not detail the specific nature of the allegations brought against her or the content of her testimony, the existence of this confession marks a critical point in her legal encounter with the authorities of Borthwick. This record remains a part of the historical testimony reflecting the socio-legal landscape of 1649, documenting the process by which Janet was integrated into the complex judicial machinery of the era's witch trials.