In the late summer of 1630, Margaret Ritchie, a resident of Boddome near Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, found herself brought before the legal authorities to answer for serious allegations concerning her involvement in the practice of witchcraft. The records of her case, cataloged under C/EGD/1248, center on accusations that she had participated in a meeting of witches, an activity that carried grave implications under the legal and religious frameworks of early modern Scotland. The gathering, viewed through the lens of contemporary judicial suspicion, marked Margaret as a figure of significant concern to her local community.
Beyond the charge of attendance at a clandestine assembly, the accusations leveled against Margaret included specific instances of property damage. The indictment cited her involvement in the destruction of boats, an act that directly impacted the economic livelihood of the coastal community at Boddome. As the trial progressed under the reference T/LA/792, these charges formed the basis of the proceedings against her, documenting a moment in 17th-century Aberdeenshire where the anxieties regarding the supernatural and the preservation of local property intersected within the courtroom.