In late August 1679, Bessie Berk, a married woman residing in Lakeheid, within the parish of Kirkmahoe, found herself subject to the formal machinery of the Scottish legal system. Her name appeared on a *porteous* roll—a list of persons indicted to stand trial—circulated in Dumfries. Such rolls were primary instruments of the period, used to summon the accused before the justices to answer for charges brought against them, which in Bessie’s instance, concerned the grave allegation of witchcraft.
The judicial process surrounding her case concluded with notable swiftness. Following her appearance on the *porteous* roll, a trial date was set for August 24, 1679. By September 24, 1679, the legal proceedings regarding the charges against her reached a final resolution. The court formally "deserted the diet," a technical Scottish legal term signifying that the prosecution had abandoned the case, effectively ending the proceedings against her. Consequently, Bessie was released, marking the conclusion of her involvement with the witchcraft tribunal.