In the summer of 1628, the coastal town of Prestonpans in Haddington became the setting for a dramatic trial involving Janet Darling, a married woman accused of witchcraft. Historical records reveal that Janet was among the many women swept up in the fervour of witch hunts that characterized early modern Scotland. Her case, filed under the record number C/EGD/1039, came to a head on the 8th of August that year, as suspicions and accusations culminated in a formal trial identified by the catalogue T/LA/502.
Janet's ordeal reached a critical point when a confession was recorded in 1628, a detail that significantly shaped the proceedings of her trial. Confessions were a common feature in witch trials, often obtained under duress or coercion, but they nonetheless had a powerful impact on the outcome of such cases. Due to the scarcity of surviving documentation, the specific content of Janet's confession remains unknown, yet its existence suggests that it played a pivotal role in the judicial process she faced. Janet's story, while unique in its particulars, echoes the broader context of a tumultuous period in Scottish history, marked by fear and superstition, which led to the tragic persecution of many individuals.