In 1662, Elizabeth Dempster, a resident of the Crook of Devon within the parish of Fossoway and Tullibole in Perth, became caught within the machinery of the Scottish legal system concerning the crime of witchcraft. Her case, documented in the records as C/EGD/1697, emerged during a period of intense judicial scrutiny in Scotland, where local communities and kirk sessions frequently initiated proceedings against those suspected of maleficium or diabolical pacts.
As the legal process unfolded, Elizabeth found herself subject to the rigorous formal inquiries typical of late seventeenth-century Scotland. While the precise nature of the accusations brought against her remains tethered to the brevity of the surviving entry, her inclusion in the records highlights the vulnerability of individuals residing in rural parishes during this era of widespread witch-hunting. The documentation serves as a stark testament to the administrative reality of her prosecution, marking the point at which Elizabeth passed from a private life in the Crook of Devon into the public and perilous arena of the criminal courts.