On 26 March 1662, the judicial authorities in Bute initiated proceedings against Alester McNiven, a resident of the island, under the register reference C/JO/3269. The documented legal process against Alester began during a period when the Scottish courts were deeply preoccupied with the perceived threat of maleficium, as evidenced by the formal recording of his case within the broader context of the 17th-century witch trials.
The historical record for Alester concludes with the notation of a trial, documented under reference T/JO/1927. While the surviving archives provide only the essential administrative markers of his appearance before the court, they serve as a testament to the structured legal mechanism applied to him during this volatile era of Scottish history. Through these brief but significant entries, the administrative trail of Alester remains preserved within the official records of the Bute judiciary.