In January 1650, William Cockburn, a resident of Borthwick in Edinburgh, became caught in the mechanisms of the Scottish judicial system during a period of intense legal scrutiny regarding witchcraft. Records indicate that William was apprehended alongside three other individuals, suggesting a collective judicial proceeding rather than an isolated investigation. While the surviving documentation remains sparse, the archival evidence confirms that his case was processed under the reference C/JO/2821, leading to a trial documented under T/JO/382.
During the same month as his initial appearance, William provided a formal statement to the authorities. His confession, recorded in January 1650, serves as the primary extant window into his experience. Despite the lack of surviving descriptive notes detailing the specific nature of the allegations brought against him or the circumstances surrounding his testimony, the preservation of this confession alongside his trial records marks his place within the broader history of the 1563–1736 witch trials in Scotland.