In September 1630, Margaret Whyte, a resident of the coastal town of Peterhead in Aberdeenshire, was formally brought before the authorities to answer for grave allegations of maleficium. According to court records (C/EGD/1251), the charges leveled against Margaret included the grave accusation of attending a witches’ meeting, an assembly believed to be convened for the purpose of practicing diabolical arts. Within the social and legal framework of early 17th-century Scotland, participation in such illicit gatherings was viewed as a direct challenge to both divine and civil order, positioning those accused at the center of intense judicial scrutiny.
The proceedings against Margaret, documented under trial reference T/LA/795, further expanded the scope of her alleged crimes to include the destruction of property. Specifically, she was accused of causing direct damage to local boats—a charge that, in a maritime community like Peterhead, struck at the essential livelihoods of her neighbors. As the legal process unfolded, these accusations of supernatural interference and tangible wreckage intertwined to form the basis of the case against her, reflecting the period’s prevailing anxieties regarding the intersection of hidden, malevolent forces and the visible misfortunes of the community.