Janet Hairstains, a widowed woman, appears in the historical record as a figure of remarkable mobility during a period of intense scrutiny in early eighteenth-century Dumfries. Her legal struggles began in 1700 when the Dumfries Presbytery conducted an investigation into her activities, which included allegations regarding the harm of animals. The proceedings concluded with Janet agreeing to a sentence of banishment from both the Presbytery and the Synod of Dumfries. Rather than fading from the record, Janet’s name reappeared across various parishes; she was noted in Kirkcudbright, identified in the parish of Troqueer, and later recorded as residing in Rockhall. The movement between these jurisdictions suggests a woman living on the periphery of established ecclesiastical control, with records from 1708 noting her presence in the porteous rolls—lists of individuals slated for criminal prosecution in the circuit courts.
The legal process culminated in May 1709, when Janet faced a formal trial. Despite having been previously banished and subsequently placed under caution in 1708, the circuit court heard the charges brought against her. By 4 May 1709, the proceedings concluded with a verdict of not guilty. Following this judgment, Janet was released from the court’s custody. Her case remains a documented example of the complex administrative and judicial processes—involving both presbyterial authority and the circuit courts—that shaped the lives of individuals caught within the regulatory systems of the era.