In the spring of 1591, the legal machinery of early modern Scotland turned its attention toward the wife of Archie Henillis, a married woman residing in the burgh of Haddington. Her encounter with the judicial system is recorded under case reference C/LA/2900, which documents the initial proceedings brought against her on the 8th of May. At this time, the legal environment regarding accusations of maleficium was intensifying, as the period between 1563 and 1736 saw the Scottish courts increasingly preoccupied with the investigation of supernatural influence.
Following the opening of her case, the wife of Archie moved into the formal trial phase under reference T/LA/968. Within the context of Haddington’s local jurisdiction, she became one of the many individuals subjected to the rigorous scrutiny of the Scottish criminal courts. While the records for Henillis remain sparse regarding the specific nature of the charges brought against her, they serve as a distinct testament to her experience within a society where such accusations were processed with significant bureaucratic and judicial formality.