In August 1662, the legal machinery of the Scottish state focused its attention upon James Bog, a resident of the parish of Inverkip in Renfrewshire. At this time, the judicial pursuit of those suspected of diabolical pacts or the practice of maleficium was reaching a period of heightened activity, frequently facilitated by local kirk sessions and commissions issued by the Privy Council. The historical record C/EGD/1689 documents the formal initiation of his case, marking the commencement of a process that would ultimately bring James into the purview of the central criminal courts.
While the archival documentation for his subsequent trial, registered as T/JO/1007, lacks descriptive notes detailing the specific testimonies, confrontations, or eventual sentencing, the mere existence of these entries situates James within a broader, rigorous administrative framework of mid-seventeenth-century justice. The records confirm his identity and geographic origin, providing a stark trace of a man whose life became entangled with the complex religious and legal anxieties that defined early modern Scottish society. Despite the silence of the records regarding the outcome of his proceedings, the documentation remains a testament to the structured, albeit devastating, nature of the witch trials during this era.