In the early days of the year 1700, Janet Boyd found herself ensnared in the currents of a witch-hunting fervor that swept through Scotland. As a humble servant residing in Craigtoun, Govan, Boyd's life was dramatically upended when she was accused of witchcraft, a charge brought against her by the young Margaret Murdoch. Murdoch was the daughter of John Murdoch, Janet’s employer, a man of some local standing, which added weight to the accusations. Margaret claimed she was tormented by witches, and amidst fits and convulsions, she denounced several individuals, including Janet.
The details of Janet Boyd's trial provide a glimpse into the intense social and judicial pressures of the time. Postponed from an anticipated trial in Glasgow in May 1699, the proceedings eventually moved to Edinburgh, where they were heard on March 12, 1700. Despite the gravity of the accusation, Janet’s trial culminated in her release, as the high court deserted the case. Witness testimonies, recorded almost a year before in April 1699, largely pivoted on observations of Margaret’s convulsions and the alleged supernatural curses she proclaimed amidst them.
Janet Boyd’s ordeal encapsulates the volatile atmosphere of suspicion and fear that characterized the Scottish witch trials of the era. Though she was released, the mere accusation carried significant social stigma and personal anguish. The case underscores the precarious position of those, like Janet, whose fate hung on the mercurial tide of public suspicion and the erratic denunciations of those who claimed to be victims of witchcraft.