In the spring of 1583, the legal machinery of early modern Scotland turned its attention toward William Gilmour, a resident of the burgh of Ayr. On March 4, William was brought before the authorities to answer for allegations of witchcraft, a process documented under case reference C/LA/3172. The proceedings against him reflect the administrative rigor of the period, as the charge was formally processed and recorded within the local jurisdiction of Ayr.
Following the initial filing of his case, William was subjected to the judicial protocols of the time, culminating in his appearance for trial under reference T/LA/1738. While the surviving records capture the administrative trajectory of his ordeal—marking the dates of his accusation and subsequent legal proceedings—they offer no further details regarding the specific testimonies brought against him or the eventual outcome of his case. William remains an illustrative figure of the era’s judicial scrutiny, representing the men caught within the complex and often obscure legal processes that characterized the Scottish witch hunts of the late sixteenth century.