In June 1719, the records of the presbytery in Thurso, Caithness, document the proceedings surrounding Margaret Nin Gilbert, an individual caught within the machinery of the Scottish witch trials. While the formal documentation of the presbytery remains somewhat cryptic, omitting the specific names of those entangled in the proceedings, Margaret is identified as a principal subject of this investigation. The archival fragments associated with her case, catalogued under C/EGD/2088 and T/JO/1276, point to a period of intense ecclesiastical and judicial scrutiny directed toward her community.
The nature of these records reflects the administrative complexity and the often-anonymised state of legal proceedings during this late stage of the witch-hunting era. Margaret appears as part of a collective group under suspicion, a common feature in the presbyterial records of the early eighteenth century, where accusations were frequently processed in clusters. Although the archival trail remains sparse, the existence of these distinct case files serves as a formal testament to the gravity of the charges Margaret faced and the rigour with which the authorities in Caithness sought to address perceived spiritual or social transgressions.