In 1662, Margaret Fyfe, a resident of the Crook of Devon within the parish of Fossoway and Tullibole in Perth, became caught within the judicial machinery of the seventeenth-century Scottish witch trials. During this period, the legal landscape surrounding accusations of witchcraft was particularly volatile, as local authorities and ecclesiastical figures scrutinized the conduct and spiritual standing of those living within their jurisdictions. Margaret’s inclusion in the historical record, specifically under reference C/EGD/1696, marks her as one of the many individuals subjected to the rigorous legal examinations that characterized this era of intense moral and social regulation.
While the primary documentation for Margaret remains concentrated within specific archival and secondary indices, her case reflects the broader patterns of investigation occurring in the region during the mid-1660s. As was customary for those facing such grave charges, Margaret would have been the subject of formal questioning by local commissioners or kirk sessions, who sought to reconcile reports of supernatural interference with the established theological and civil statutes of the time. Though the granular details of her personal testimony have remained confined to these records, Margaret remains a distinct figure in the history of Fossoway and Tullibole, illustrating the reach of the Scottish courts during a time of widespread apprehension regarding the influence of witchcraft.