In the mid-17th century, Janet Lowrie resided in the small but bustling port town of Queensferry, Linlithgow. Known within the community, Janet was a married woman at the time when Scotland was in the grip of heightened anxiety and suspicion due in part to the witch trials sweeping through Europe and deeply anchored in Scottish soil. In 1644, she became embroiled in a legal tempest that would forever mark her name in the annals of history, captured within the constraints of record C/EGD/2340.
The exact details of the accusations levied against Janet are not preserved in the surviving documentation, yet it is clear that they were severe enough to culminate in a trial, designated as T/JO/517. The outcome of this trial was dramatic and final. Janet Lowrie was one of the unfortunate individuals sentenced to execution, a fate not uncommon in the fervor of the witch hunts during this period. Her case reflects the turbulent era of Scottish history where fear and superstition could rapidly seal the fate of many women like her, leaving a legacy of cautionary tales for the generations that followed.