In November 1644, Margaret Thomsone, a married woman residing in Calder Muir within the parish of Calder, Edinburgh, was brought before the authorities to face accusations of witchcraft. Her case, documented under reference C/EGD/1305, formalised a period of legal scrutiny that would culminate in a trial registered as T/LA/1074. The archival evidence surrounding Margaret’s involvement in this judicial process highlights the severe procedural measures employed by the local magistrates during this volatile period of Scottish history.
The records pertaining to Margaret indicate that her interrogation was marked by the use of physical and psychological coercion. During her detention, she was subjected to prolonged sleep deprivation and confined within the stocks, methods consistently utilised by commissions of the era to extract confessions or facilitate compliance with the inquisitorial process. These records provide a sobering glimpse into the intersection of seventeenth-century legal practice and the social pressures of the time, documenting the specific ordeal endured by Margaret as she remained under the jurisdiction of the court in Calder.