Jean Woodrow found herself ensnared in the infamous web of witchcraft accusations in the waning years of the 17th century. A widow residing in Bridge End, Kilmacolm, in Renfrewshire, Jean had known hardship, her late husband having worked as a baxter or baker, a trade that afforded neither great wealth nor prestige. However, despite this association, she was of lower socioeconomic status, struggling to make ends meet as evidenced by the frequent denial of alms which she had sought. Jean’s world turned drastically more precarious when she was named by Margaret Laird, a young girl from Paisley, who during fits claimed to be tormented by witches and pointed fingers at numerous individuals, Jean among them.
The echoes of witchcraft trials that had haunted Scotland for decades resonated once more as the case proceeded to the legal system. Witnesses, many of whom had seen Margaret Laird’s fits and heeded her declarations, provided testimony against Jean in Paisley between April 19th and 21st of 1699, which were recorded into a detailed document known as a dittay. Accusations included alleged causations of unexplained damages to a dairy and a mill, mysterious events which stoked local fears of maleficence. The trial was scheduled for May 12th, 1699; however, an abrupt twist came when the High Court intervened, and Jean’s trial was delayed, eventually leading to its dismissal in 1700. Jean Woodrow was thereby released, her diet deserted by order of the High Court, exiting the court's grasp but forever marked by the haunting specter of the accusation.