In the spring of 1597, the judicial authorities in Aberdeen turned their attention toward the Leyis family, an investigation that culminated in proceedings on 22 March. Among those brought before the court was Elspet Leyis, whose case was formally recorded amidst a wider period of intense legal scrutiny regarding witchcraft and sorcery. The records, adjusted to reflect the calendar shift of the era, place Elspet at the heart of a familial inquiry that drew connections to the testimonies of other local trials. She was specifically identified in the records of both Johnnet Wischert and Thomas Leyis, who named her as an accomplice during their own legal examinations.
Ultimately, the verdict delivered against Elspet was complex, reflecting the legal nuances of "airt and pairt"—being complicit through association. While she, along with her father and sisters, was found not guilty of the primary charges of practicing witchcraft and sorcery, the court determined that their proximity to the activities of their mother, Johnnet, and brother, Thomas, warranted a punitive measure. Consequently, the court sentenced Elspet to banishment. This outcome highlights the reach of seventeenth-century judicial oversight, where the mere association with those accused of illicit supernatural practices was sufficient to necessitate the permanent removal of an individual from the community.
