In the early 17th century, Janet Bowmaker found herself at the heart of a witchcraft trial in the Scottish town of Duns, located in Berwickshire. As a resident deeply embedded in the everyday fabric of her community, Janet's life took a dramatic turn when accusations thrust her into the perilous world of the witch trials that plagued Scotland between 1563 and 1736. Her ordeal formally commenced on June 2, 1629, as recorded under the case number C/EGD/629, marking the beginning of a legal battle that would scrutinize her actions and associations under the harsh light of suspicion and fear of maleficence.
The trials, catalogued under the numbers T/LA/2220 and T/LA/678, serve as crucial markers of Janet's journey through the judicial system of the time. With little information surviving regarding the specifics of the accusations against her, the records do note a significant denunciation made by a fellow resident, Alexander Hammilton, roughly a month later on July 13, 1629. These denunciations were not uncommon during the period, as they often reflected the personal vendettas, grievances, or the genuine fears of those who believed in the pervasive power of witchcraft.
Janet Bowmaker's story is a microcosm of the broader Scottish witch trials, illustrating the anxieties of a society caught in the throes of socio-religious upheavals. Her case encapsulates the tension between established judicial practices and the often capricious nature of witchcraft accusations, which could pivot on the testimony of neighbours and acquaintances. Through these surviving records, we glimpse a chapter in which local dynamics and personal interactions shaped the course of justice, reflecting a precarious balance between suspicion and evidence in early modern Scotland.