In the late summer of 1597, the judicial machinery of Fife turned its attention toward a resident of Kirkcaldy named Janet Coik. On the 17th of August, the proceedings against her were formally documented within the records of the Kirkcaldy Burgh Court. According to the court books, the legal process began with a procedural summons; Janet was formally cautioned and ordered to appear before the magistrates to answer to the accusations leveled against her.
While the surviving documentation of her case is concise, it provides a vital window into the mechanics of the Scottish witch trials during this period. The entry, cataloged under reference C/JO/3315, notes that the oversight of these records by historians—specifically Julian Goodare—has preserved the memory of Janet’s involvement in the burgh’s judicial system. As the court records indicate, Janet was compelled to submit to the authority of the Kirkcaldy Burgh Court, marking a significant moment in her life under the scrutiny of the early modern legal apparatus.