In the summer of 1605, the legal mechanisms of the Scottish state focused their attention upon Margaret Duncane, a resident of Lomes in the parish of Dundonald, Ayrshire. On the 23rd of July, the proceedings against her were formally recorded under case file C/EGD/138. Within the context of early modern judicial practice, this archival documentation marks the point at which Margaret was brought under the scrutiny of the courts, setting into motion the procedural rigours of the legal system during a period of heightened concern regarding witchcraft.
Following the initial registration of her case, the legal process moved toward the subsequent trial, documented in the records as T/LA/878. As with many cases of this era, the transition from the initial accusation to the formal trial involved the testimonies and administrative oversight of local and regional officials. The records for Margaret provide a window into the institutional response of the time, documenting the movement of her case through the Ayrshire legal apparatus as the community and the court sought to address the charges brought against her in Dundonald.