In the spring of 1624, Christian Gow, a woman of lower socioeconomic standing residing in Westray, Orkney, found herself at the centre of a formal inquiry regarding witchcraft. Employed as a servant within a minister’s household, Christian occupied a position that would have placed her under the close observation of local religious authorities. On 24 April 1624, her case was officially recorded under reference C/EGD/2235, marking the beginning of a legal process that would eventually lead her to appear before the court.
The archival trail regarding Christian’s ordeal remains notably sparse, with trial records (T/JO/2214) offering no specific narrative details concerning the testimonies or evidence brought against her. Despite the gravity of the accusations typically associated with such proceedings in seventeenth-century Orkney, the historical record for Christian concludes abruptly, leaving the specific nature of her alleged crimes and the ultimate resolution of her trial unrecorded.