In 1655, Gilbert Mowat, a married man residing in the northern burgh of Wick, Caithness, became the subject of formal legal scrutiny regarding allegations of witchcraft. The records of his involvement, indexed under case C/EGD/763, emerge from the administrative machinery of the period, specifically documenting his status within the judicial system. Unlike many accused individuals who faced local kirk sessions or central commissions, the documentation concerning Gilbert is inextricably linked to the Circuit Court, an institution reflecting the efforts of the Scottish state to manage the legal processes surrounding these grave accusations.
Rather than appearing for trial, however, Gilbert was classified as a fugitive. His name appears on a Caithness fugitive list—a record noted in JC17/1—which signifies that he did not submit himself to the court’s jurisdiction. Consequently, while his name remains preserved in the historical archives, the proceedings against him were halted by his absence. As a result, the outcome of the accusations leveled against him remains unknown, leaving his historical profile defined by his status as a fugitive from the reach of the 17th-century judiciary.