In the spring of 1658, the judicial machinery of Ayrshire turned its focus toward a group of individuals known collectively as the "Dunlop witches," a designation that drew together residents from across the local parishes. Among those brought to account was John Guillieland, a man whose movements across the landscape are noted in the records as bridging the communities of Kilbirnie and Dalry. His legal journey commenced in the final days of March, when a porteous roll was issued to summon him and his co-accused to appear before the court.
On April 6, 1658, John faced the formal proceedings of the Ayr court. As part of this significant local cluster of witchcraft cases, his appearance was documented in both the general court lists and the specific trial records, catalogued under the reference C/EGD/249 and T/LA/1599. These documents preserve the procedural reality of the day, marking John’s involvement in a legal process that sought to address the collective anxieties of the region during that period.