In the spring of 1699, the burgh of Paisley became the center of a grave legal inquiry concerning Jean Ross, a forty-five-year-old schoolmistress of middling social standing. Jean, who did not merely teach but operated her own school within the community, found herself at the heart of local unrest when witnesses began to come forward with accounts linking her to the suffering of others. By the time depositions were collected in Paisley between the 19th and 21st of April, it was noted that she had been reputed to be a witch for two decades. The testimony against her focused heavily on the physical fits experienced by those around her, as well as their explicit denunciations, which framed her presence as the source of their distress.
The judicial path that followed was protracted and marked by uncertainty. While a trial was initially scheduled to take place in Glasgow on 19 May 1699, that proceeding appears not to have occurred. Instead, the legal process shifted to Edinburgh, where a dittay was prepared and witnesses gave further testimony. After the proceedings moved to the High Court, the case eventually concluded on 12 March 1700 when the diet was deserted. Following this final legal turn, Jean was released, bringing an end to the formal scrutiny that had surrounded her for the preceding year.