In June 1661, Margaret Allane, a married woman residing in the village of Longniddry within the county of Haddington, became the subject of legal proceedings regarding the crime of witchcraft. Recorded in the judicial registers under case number C/EGD/1613, Margaret was identified alongside her husband, Thomas Corsar (or Cosser). The initiation of this case occurred amidst a period of heightened judicial activity regarding such charges, and the records confirm that her involvement with the courts was substantial, as evidenced by two distinct trial proceedings, T/JO/1041 and T/JO/1706.
Central to the legal process against Margaret were the formal confessions extracted during her examinations. While the brevity of the surviving documentation leaves the specific nature of her alleged activities unelaborated, the existence of multiple recorded confessions underscores the gravity with which the local and national authorities approached her case. The repetition of these records across two separate trials indicates an extensive legal engagement, marking Margaret’s experience as a significant account within the historical landscape of the 1661 witch hunts.