On 25 November 1628, the legal proceedings against Margaret Jo were brought before the court in Edinburgh. Margaret, a resident of Musselburgh in the parish of Inveresk, found herself at the centre of a formal inquiry as the judicial system sought to address the charges levelled against her. The documentation of her case, recorded under reference C/EGD/1057, reflects the gravity with which the Scottish authorities approached accusations of witchcraft during this period.
In accordance with the formal protocols of the time, the trial—conducted under the reference T/LA/509—was overseen by centrally appointed advocates. These officials were specifically tasked with ensuring that the judicial proceedings remained consistent with established legal standards. By mid-autumn of 1628, Margaret’s status as a defendant was firmly set within the administrative framework of the Edinburgh courts, highlighting the intersection of local community life in Musselburgh and the centralized oversight of the early modern Scottish justice system.