In the spring of 1662, the judicial authorities in Haddington were swept up in a series of legal proceedings precipitated by the accusations of a youth named James Welch. Among those named in his testimony was Helen Birks, whose involvement in these events was inextricably linked to the boy’s extensive denunciations. Although Welch was considered too young to face a formal trial and was consequently held in imprisonment, the records indicate that the magistrates treated his confession and the subsequent naming of individuals like Helen with considerable institutional gravity.
The legal record, filed under case C/EGD/489, formally documents the proceedings against Helen as they unfolded on April 17, 1662. Her trial, cataloged as T/LA/1353, reflects the period's rigorous adherence to investigative procedures during the heightened climate of the 17th-century witch hunts. By documenting her case alongside the broader testimonies provided by Welch, the authorities integrated Helen into the extensive legal machinery that defined the judicial response to allegations of witchcraft in early modern Scotland.