In the autumn of 1662, Mary Muarn Vic Innish, a resident of Inverness, became a subject of the Scottish judicial system amidst the height of the seventeenth-century witch trials. Her legal proceedings, catalogued under reference C/JO/2901, were initiated on September 4, 1662. While the surviving trial notes (T/JO/999) offer no insight into the specific allegations or the testimony brought against her, the administrative record provides a stark account of the methods employed by authorities to elicit information during the pre-trial phase.
In June 1662, prior to the formal date of her trial, Mary was subjected to a series of physical interrogations. The records indicate that she was bound with ropes and experienced prolonged sleep deprivation. Further measures recorded during that same month included being whipped, having her feet burned, and being suspended by her thumbs. These practices were consistent with the judicial rigour applied in cases of suspected witchcraft during this period, serving as a documented precursor to the formal hearing that would eventually take place in Inverness.