In the early months of 1659, the judicial machinery of the Scottish state turned its attention toward Janet Wood, a resident of the burgh of Haddington. Recorded under case file C/EGD/314, Janet was formally brought before the authorities on February 8, 1659. At this juncture in the mid-seventeenth century, the prosecution of witchcraft was a matter of significant concern for both local magistrates and the central legal apparatus, reflecting the profound anxieties of the period regarding the influence of the supernatural within the community.
Following her initial identification and appearance, the legal proceedings against Janet moved toward a formal trial, documented under reference T/LA/1619. This process placed her squarely within the institutional frameworks of the Scottish witch trials, which sought to adjudicate the allegations leveled against her through the rigid protocols of the period’s criminal law. By documenting the specific dates and administrative classifications of her case, the archival record preserves the trajectory of Janet’s encounter with the Scottish justice system during this era of intense scrutiny.