In the early autumn of 1628, Alesoun Dempstar found herself amidst the storm of accusations that swept through the Scottish town of Leith, a bustling port suburb of Edinburgh. As a married woman of middling status, Alesoun occupied a societal rung that neither afforded her the full protection nor the complete vulnerability characteristic of her socio-economic bracket. Yet, it was in this turbulent atmosphere, rife with suspicion and mistrust, that she faced the grave charges of witchcraft.
On September 27, 1628, records indicate Alesoun stood accused in a case formally documented as C/EGD/1042. This trial, registered under T/LA/489, exemplifies the intense scrutiny that individuals suspected of witchcraft endured during this era. Within the community discourse, her name emerged again in connection with another case; Alesoun was mentioned by Marion Mitchell, who identified her as an accomplice. This association with Mitchell hints at the complicated network of accusations and interpersonal relationships that underpinned many witch trials of the time. Alesoun's ordeal would have unfolded in a climate of fear, where the threads of alleged deeds and whispered rumours wove into the broader tapestry of witch paranoia that marked Scotland during the period from 1563 to 1736.