The case of Jean Ewing, a resident of Renfrew, highlights the persistent reach of accusations within late seventeenth-century Scottish communities, even when the accused was no longer living to answer for them. On April 21, 1699, Jean was formally denounced as one of the supposed tormentors of Margaret Laird. The records indicate that this denunciation emerged during a period of heightened scrutiny in Paisley, where witness testimony was gathered between April 19 and April 21, 1699.
Despite the gravity of the accusation, Jean was already deceased at the time her name was brought forward. The historical record suggests that while she was implicated in the suffering of Margaret through the testimony of at least one man, the inquiry did not lead to formal legal proceedings against her. Consequently, the archival trail for Jean ends abruptly, leaving no evidence of a trial or an official resolution to the claims made against her name posthumously.