In the summer of 1649, Margaret Dicksone, a resident of Penston in the parish of Pencaitland, found herself ensnared in the intensifying legal scrutiny of Haddingtonshire. Her involvement in these proceedings began on June 8, when she was formally denounced by Agnes Hunter, an accusation that initiated a wider web of suspicion. Margaret, who records suggest was approximately 35 years old at the time—though her motherhood of a daughter already of working age implies she may have been older—soon became a central figure in the local investigations. Her name began to appear repeatedly in the depositions of others, including Agnes Broune, who identified her as an accomplice, as well as Grissell Anderson and John Weir, who both implicated her in the practices of the time.
By early July, the legal process against Margaret had formalised, with charges specifically including attendance at meetings of witches. Her experience culminated on September 8, 1649, when she provided a confession to the authorities. Within this statement, Margaret acknowledged that she had been in the service of the devil for a period of five years. This confession links her to a broader cluster of accusations within the region, as she was also involved in the denunciation of John Dicksone. Her case remains documented in the judicial records of the period, reflecting the interconnected nature of the witch trials that swept through the parish during this volatile era.
