On July 3, 1628, Margaret Young, a resident of the coastal town of Prestonpans in Haddington, became the subject of formal judicial proceedings regarding the crime of witchcraft. Her case, documented under reference C/EGD/1014, emerged during a period of heightened sensitivity to supernatural allegations within the Scottish legal system, where local ecclesiastical and civil authorities frequently collaborated to identify those perceived as threats to the spiritual and social order of the parish.
Following the initial filing of the case, Margaret was brought to trial under the designation T/LA/164. The transition from the local records of Prestonpans to a formal trial indicates the seriousness with which her community and the courts approached these accusations. As these proceedings unfolded, the focus remained on the evidence presented against her, marking her experience as a distinct entry in the extensive historical record of the Scottish witch trials that spanned from 1563 to 1736.