Jean Weir, born in Kirktown and a long-time resident of Dalkeith, was a school teacher whose life took a tragic turn in April of 1670 in Edinburgh. Jean, who remained single throughout her life, belonged to the lower socioeconomic strata and devoted her adult years to education. Her quiet existence was upended when she became embroiled in a scandal involving her brother, who faced charges of incest, bestiality, and adultery. Importantly, while his trial records make no mention of witchcraft, it was this connection that ultimately ensnared Jean in the witch trials that marked this tumultuous period in Scottish history.
The trial of Jean Weir was held in Edinburgh on the 6th of April, 1670. Her case, primarily linked through her brother's confessions, resulted in a guilty verdict despite the absence of direct evidence of witchcraft in his trial record. The societal fears and prejudices of the time may have exacerbated her unfortunate circumstances, highlighting the precarious position of women and those on the fringes of society during the witch hunts. Just six days after the trial, Jean was executed by hanging at Mercat Cross, a public space infamous as the site of many such sentences. Her death serves as a poignant reminder of the era's harsh justice and the complex intersection of personal and communal fears that fueled the witch trials.