On January 21, 1650, Alleson Patersone, a resident of Dumfries, became the subject of a formal inquiry conducted by the presbytery of Dumfries. This investigation was not an isolated event, but rather part of a collective judicial process in which Alleson was processed alongside six other individuals. These records, cataloged under C/EGD/211, document the initial ecclesiastical scrutiny that brought her before the religious authorities of the burgh during a period of heightened concern regarding witchcraft in the region.
Following the initial investigation by the presbytery, the legal proceedings against Alleson transitioned into a formal trial, referenced under T/LA/1504. While the specific evidentiary details of the charges remain brief in the surviving documentation, the transition from local church oversight to a trial setting reflects the standard administrative progression for those accused during the mid-seventeenth century. Throughout the duration of these proceedings, Alleson remained within the jurisdiction of the Dumfries court system, marking her place in the historical record as one of the many individuals caught within the rigid judicial framework of 1650.