On July 28, 1662, Elspeth Jonstoun, a resident of Methven in Perth, became the subject of a formal legal proceeding under the reference C/EGD/1681. Within the context of the Scottish witch trials of the mid-seventeenth century, Elspeth was brought before the authorities to answer to accusations of witchcraft. The legal machinery of the period moved with deliberate procedural focus, documenting her arrest and the subsequent interrogation process that characterized the administration of justice in post-Reformation Scotland.
Central to the records of her case is the existence of a formal confession. While the trial notes identified in T/JO/1002 do not survive to provide the specific narrative of her testimony or the testimonies of her accusers, the documentation confirms that Elspeth provided an account that was transcribed and entered into the court record. This confession remains the singular, definitive historical marker of her ordeal, serving as the basis upon which the judicial process in Methven proceeded during the summer of 1662.