In 1703, the legal machinery of Dumfries turned its attention toward Janet McMurray, a woman whose life became irrevocably entwined with the judicial records of the period. Identified in the surviving documentation under case reference C/EGD/2440, Janet’s experience serves as a stark point of intersection between the social landscape of early eighteenth-century Scotland and the persistent, if waning, ecclesiastical and civil preoccupation with witchcraft.
While the primary documentation for Janet remains brief, the archival notation indicates that her involvement in the legal system was formally processed within the broader context of the late-stage Scottish witch trials. Though the specific allegations brought against Janet are not preserved in these summary records, her case file stands as a testament to the administrative rigor applied to such accusations during this era. Her history remains a distinct entry in the historical record of Dumfries, marking a moment where Janet was compelled to answer for the charges laid against her before the authorities of the day.