In the spring of 1649, Margaret Somervell, a resident of Carriden in the shire of Linlithgow, found herself at the centre of a formal legal inquiry regarding allegations of witchcraft. The records indicate that the judicial process against her moved swiftly, with her case—formally identified under the reference C/EGD/1610—being processed on the 11th of May. This period was one of heightened sensitivity regarding such accusations within the Scottish judicial system, reflecting the broader social and religious climate of the mid-17th century.
As the proceedings advanced to the trial stage, designated by record T/LA/1955, the investigation culminated in a confession. While the surviving documentation does not elaborate on the specific nature of the activities to which she admitted, the existence of a recorded confession was a pivotal element in the legal proceedings of the time. This documentation serves as the final historical trace of Margaret, marking the conclusion of the formal process initiated against her in the parish of Carriden.