In September 1678, Margaret Bannyntyne—also recorded in historical documents under the spelling Ballentyne—became the subject of formal legal proceedings regarding allegations of witchcraft. A married woman residing in Paiston, within the parish of Crichton in Edinburghshire, Margaret had also been associated with the nearby location of Samuelston, a place noted in the *Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland* (1661) in connection to her residency. These records indicate a woman integrated into the social fabric of the Lothians, whose life was suddenly interrupted by the gravity of a judicial investigation.
The documentation of Margaret’s case is primarily preserved through two specific trial entries, T/JO/1039 and T/JO/1826, which sit within the broader context of the Scottish witch trials. While the specific nature of the accusations brought against Margaret remains contained within these administrative records, the existence of multiple trial entries reflects the procedural rigour applied to such matters in late 17th-century Scotland. Through these archival traces, we observe the legal intersection of Margaret’s life with the Scottish judicial system, marking her place in the historical landscape of early modern religious and social regulation.