In the summer of 1661, Bessie Moffat, an indweller of the town of Dalkeith, found herself caught within the expanding dragnet of the Scottish witch trials. A woman of middling socioeconomic status and married life, Bessie was first drawn into the judicial process on July 11, 1661, when she was denounced by another local woman, Jonet Watsone. In the records of the period, Jonet explicitly named Bessie as an accomplice in her own alleged activities, a denouncement that quickly led to Bessie’s interrogation. By July 15, Bessie had provided a formal confession, the contents of which documented her involvement in a witches' meeting.
Following this confession, Bessie was transported to Edinburgh, where she appeared alongside a group of other accused individuals from Dalkeith on August 3, 1661. Although the proceedings were underway, her legal journey took an unusual turn during this collective trial. While her associates faced the full weight of the judicial system, the records indicate that Bessie’s case did not progress to the High Court trial held in Dalkeith. Instead, a contemporary side note assigned to her file—*pro loco et tempore*—signified that the proceedings against her were adjourned for the time and place, effectively halting the immediate prosecution of the charges against her.