In the rural parish of Glass in Aberdeen, the life of Issobell Malcolme came under the scrutiny of the ecclesiastical and judicial authorities during the seventeenth century. By the time her case reached its formal conclusion in November 1644, Issobell was forty-five years old, having cultivated a long-standing reputation within her community as a practitioner of charming. According to the records, this reputation spanned two decades, suggesting that her activities were known to her neighbors as far back as 1637, when she was approximately twenty-five.
The proceedings against her were marked by the recording of a formal confession, a document that documented her alleged involvement in these clandestine practices. Despite the weight of the investigation, the legal resolution of her case was ultimately overtaken by external circumstances. The trial records indicate that Issobell had already passed away by November 1644, the same month her case was processed. Consequently, the final judgment issued against her was one of excommunication, a posthumous marking of her standing within the parish church.