In the spring of 1597, the judicial machinery of early modern Scotland turned its attention to Elspet Smith, a married woman residing in the settlement of Tullilair, located in the parish of Coull, Aberdeenshire. Her entry into the legal record occurred on April 6, 1597, at a time when the North East of Scotland was experiencing a period of intense scrutiny regarding allegations of maleficium and diabolical pacts. As a resident of Tullilair, Elspet’s daily life within this rural community became the subject of formal inquiry under the procedural classifications of the Scottish courts, cataloged under case number C/JO/3092.
Following her initial identification, the process moved toward formal adjudication, as indicated by the subsequent trial entry recorded under T/JO/1506. The transition from the identification of the accused to the specific legal proceedings reflects the standardized, yet rigorous, approach of the era’s kirk sessions and sheriff courts in addressing charges of witchcraft. While the records provide a clear map of Elspet’s encounter with the judicial system during the peak of the 1597 witch hunt, they remain silent on the specific nature of the accusations brought against her, leaving her involvement in these proceedings as a distinct, documented moment in the complex legal history of Aberdeenshire.