Jean Gilmore, a married woman of middling social status residing in Govan, Lanark, found herself caught within the gravity of the legal system in the spring of 1699. Her standing in the community was tethered to her husband, who served as a beadle, a position that typically afforded a degree of local respectability. However, this stability was disrupted when she was denounced by Margaret Murdoch, the daughter of John Murdoch of Craigtown. While in the throes of what were described as fits, the younger Murdoch implicated a number of individuals in the parish, claiming she was being tormented by witches.
The allegations against Jean were formalised through a series of witness testimonies gathered in Glasgow on 21 and 22 April 1699, primarily from individuals who had observed the fits and subsequent accusations made by Margaret. Although a trial was initially scheduled to take place in Glasgow on 19 May 1699, it does not appear to have proceeded as planned. Jean’s case eventually moved to the High Court in Edinburgh, where, on 12 March 1700, the diet against her was formally deserted. Following these proceedings, she was released, marking the conclusion of her involvement with the court.