At the age of 75, Suna Voe, a resident of Howll in Shetland, found herself caught within the mechanisms of the Scottish legal system on January 16, 1673. The historical documentation surrounding her case, recorded under the Register of the Privy Council (RPC) and cataloged as C/EGD/1740, depicts an individual deeply embedded in a local network of kin. Within this familial structure, Suna was connected to her daughter, Margaret Bigland, and her granddaughter, Molphrie Porteous, both of whom were implicated alongside her during a period when accusations of witchcraft often reverberated through entire households and communities.
The surviving records, particularly the trial reference T/JO/633, reflect the complexities of judicial record-keeping in late 17th-century Shetland. The entry in the Register of the Privy Council suggests a degree of ambiguity regarding the precise nature of the relationships between the women brought forward in this group, yet the genealogical link between Suna, Margaret, and Molphrie remains the defining characteristic of her accusation. Despite the historical challenges in disentangling the specific testimonies or the final verdict of her proceedings, the case of Suna serves as a testament to the vulnerability of elderly women in Howll, whose domestic ties became the primary lens through which the authorities viewed their activities.