In the spring of 1597, the judicial machinery of Aberdeenshire turned its attention toward Malye Fynnie, a resident of the small settlement of Blairtoun in the parish of Belhelvie. As recorded in the legal archives of the period (Case C/EGD/2152), the proceedings against Malye were initiated on the 21st of April. This was a time of heightened anxiety and intense scrutiny across the region, as local authorities and ecclesiastical bodies actively sought to identify and prosecute those suspected of involvement in occult practices during a period of significant social and religious upheaval.
Following the formal entry of her case, Malye was brought before the court to face the grave allegations leveled against her. Her trial, documented under reference T/JO/1296, reflects the standard legal processes applied to those caught within the widespread witch hunts of the late sixteenth century. While the surviving records capture the administrative trajectory of her prosecution, they remain a stark testament to the vulnerability of individuals like Malye when confronted by the rigorous, inquisitorial protocols of the early modern Scottish legal system.