In the spring of 1591, the ecclesiastical and judicial authorities in Haddington directed their attention toward the wife of John Ramsay. As a married woman residing within the burgh, she was subject to the scrutiny of both her neighbours and the kirk session during a period of heightened judicial activity regarding suspected maleficium. On the 8th of May, 1591, official records formally documented her case under the reference C/EGD/67, marking the beginning of a legal process that would eventually move into the courtroom.
The progression of the proceedings against the wife of John Ramsay culminated in her appearance before the relevant legal tribunal, recorded under reference T/LA/939. This trial placed her within the broader framework of the Scottish witch trials, a period during which local communities and the state engaged in the rigorous investigation and prosecution of individuals accused of supernatural interference. By following the standard legal procedures of the late sixteenth century, the authorities in Haddington oversaw her trial, ensuring that the accusations levied against her were formally addressed within the institutional structures of the time.