In the coastal town of Ayr, within the bounds of early 17th-century Scotland, Janet McAlexander stood accused of witchcraft, a charge that carried severe consequences during this turbulent period. The historical records do not embellish her story with details of the specific accusations she faced, leaving us only with the date of her trial on the 12th of July, 1618. Janet's trial, as part of the overarching wave of witch persecutions that swept Scotland between 1563 and 1736, reveal the climate of fear and suspicion that characterized the era.
Janet was found guilty of the charges brought against her, as recorded in the trial documentation coded T/JO/635. The verdict of guilty, unfortunately, left her with a grim fate that was all too common for individuals accused of witchcraft during this period. As the trial notes, underscored by the annotation "KS," indicate, her sentence was execution by burning. This bleak conclusion, though lacking in the narrative details of her life and the proceedings, echoes the tense and perilous environment of witch trials in early modern Scotland, where accusations, fear, and a strict adherence to perceived justice intertwined fatally.