Janet Crooks, a widow and indweller of the East Lothian town of Tranent, was drawn into the machinery of the Scottish witch trials during the late seventeenth century. Her formal involvement with the legal system began on May 28, 1659, when she was processed under case file C/EGD/350. The charges brought against Janet were severe, centering on her alleged participation in a meeting of witches, a common accusation during this period of intense judicial scrutiny regarding diabolical gatherings.
The progression of Janet’s case suggests a protracted ordeal within the Scottish legal framework. Records indicate that her trial proceedings spanned several decades, with entries appearing in the legal registers in both 1680 (T/LA/1680) and 1700 (T/LA/1700). Throughout these years of investigation, Janet was further implicated by the testimony of another accused woman, Anna Naismith, who identified her as an accomplice. Eventually, the archival evidence confirms that a confession was obtained from Janet, marking the culmination of the proceedings against her.