Janet McGown, a widow of 37 years, found herself at the center of a witchcraft trial in April 1659 in Dumfries, though connotations pointing to her origins lead back to Borgue, Kirkcudbright. For twelve years, whispers and accusations circulated around Janet, labeling her with a nefarious repute marked by labels of "pyker and a thief." Despite these damaging allegations, the presence of a servant in her household suggests that Janet might have occupied a position more middle in status than the derogatory terms implied. It's recorded that she once lived with her husband, named McGuffic, and together, they faced a shift in their household's fortunes, following the confiscation of their possessions. This context of social decline might have played into the perception of her character by those in her community.
Charged with witchcraft, Janet's trial commenced on the 2nd of April in 1659. Summoned witnesses from Kirkcudbright, presumably individuals acquainted with her for years, appeared to offer testimony against her in Dumfries, where cases of her peers were likewise adjudicated. Despite maintaining her innocence, the jury reached a guilty verdict, sealing her fate to a typical execution method of the time—being strangled and then burned. Her case appears to overlap with another person potentially identified as Janet McGoane, illustrating how records of such trials sometimes suffer from inconsistent naming conventions, which complicates the understanding of individual histories. Additionally, Janet's name surfaced in the trial of Jonet Miller, though the specific context of this mention remains, unfortunately, undocumented, hinting at interconnected social dynamics and perhaps shared burdens of communal suspicion. Janet McGown's story, as scantily documented, reflects the intersections of gender, societal roles, and fervent fear during the Scottish witch trials of the period.