In the spring of 1659, Jean Thomson stood trial in Dumfries, accused of participating in witches' meetings—a charge both serious and grave within the context of early modern Scotland. Jean was 39 years old at the time; she was married and occupied a middling socioeconomic status, indicated by her ownership of a significant number of sheep and recognition as "mistress." Her roots lay in Borgue, Kirkcudbright, a detail underscored by the witnesses against her, all hailing from her community. Her long-standing reputation, spanning 14 years, precedes the trial, placing her under scrutiny long before formal charges were brought.
Throughout the proceedings, Jean unequivocally maintained her innocence, pleading not guilty to the accusations against her. Unfortunately, her protestations did little to sway the court. A significant figure, the provost of Kirkcudbright, appeared to testify in the case, potentially lending credence to the charges she faced. The court ultimately found Jean guilty. The harsh sentence pronounced upon her was execution by strangulation, followed by burning, a method commonly reserved for those condemned of witchcraft during this period.
The trial of Jean Thomson intersected with other cases of alleged witchcraft in the region, most notably Jonet Miller, who was noted to have implicated Jean as an accomplice. This connection illustrates the tightly woven web of accusations that often characterized the Scottish witch trials, where suspicion and allegations could easily entangle multiple individuals from the same community. Jean's fate was a tragic chapter in the community histories of Dumfries and Kirkcudbright, emblematic of the era's fervent witch hunts and the intense fear that drove them.