In late 1628, the judicial machinery of Leith, Edinburgh, turned its attention toward Elspeth Baird, a widowed woman of lower socioeconomic standing who moved through the community as a beggar. Often referred to as the "wyfe of Totmuir," Elspeth appears in legal records alongside the case of Margaret Burges. The tension surrounding her presence became evident when she approached Margaret’s household seeking sustenance—specifically meat, milk, and bread. This request was met with a pointed refusal, as Margaret justified her rejection of the widow by citing Elspeth’s "evil brint," a local descriptor suggesting a reputation for malevolence or harmful influence that preceded her movements within the district.
The legal proceedings culminated on November 25, 1628, under the registration of case C/EGD/1059. Following the formal inquiry, the court delivered a verdict of guilty against Elspeth. In accordance with the statutes of the period governing such convictions, the sentence mandated execution by fire. Historical records confirm that the sentence was carried out, and she was executed by burning. Subsequent archival references suggest that she may be the same figure later identified in 1643 accounts as "Elizabeth the spae wife," an individual whose reputation for divination or supernatural insight continued to circulate in North Leith long after her death.