The historical records concerning Janet Luny are sparse, yet they place her firmly within the intense climate of the 1661 Scottish witch trials. On July 29, 1661, Janet was identified in case records (C/LA/2765) as the subject of legal proceedings. This period was marked by a significant escalation in judicial activity following the Restoration, as local courts and the central authorities sought to address allegations of maleficium and diabolical pacts with renewed fervor.
The subsequent entry in the judicial archives (T/LA/271) confirms that Janet was formally brought to trial. While the specific nature of the accusations levied against her remains unstated in these administrative documents, her case serves as a point of entry into the broader legal framework of the mid-seventeenth century. Like many others processed through the Scottish courts during this turbulent year, Janet became a figure caught in the formal machinery of the state’s ecclesiastical and civil pursuit of witchcraft.