In 1628, the burgh of Dunbarton became the site of a legal proceeding involving a married woman named Janet Weill. Captured in the records under the reference C/EGD/2242, the case remains a brief but distinct entry in the history of early modern Scottish judicial activity. While the broader archival context for the Dunbarton trials of this period often reflects the intense scrutiny placed upon the social and spiritual conduct of local women, the existing documentation for Janet focuses specifically on the formal initiation of these proceedings against her.
Though historical research—including the cross-referencing of Christina Larner’s foundational scholarship on the subject—has not yet integrated the full scope of the printed secondary sources pertaining to this individual, the record confirms her status as a married woman within the community. The case of Janet provides a concise glimpse into the administrative mechanics of the seventeenth-century Scottish legal system, marking a moment where her life intersected with the rigors of the witch trials. As a subject of record in Dunbarton, she stands as one of the many lives documented during this period of significant social and judicial upheaval.