In the spring of 1644, 39-year-old Marion Peebles, a married woman residing in Hildiswick, Shetland, stood trial following a protracted period of suspicion that stretched back to 1630. According to the judicial records from March 21, 1644, Marion’s history in the community was marked by serious allegations concerning the destruction of property. Her influence was said to have extended to the failure of dairy production, the ruin of standing crops, and the damaging of boats—essential resources for life in the Shetland islands. These accusations were significant enough that she was also denounced by another individual, Juenit Fraser, in the context of a separate legal proceeding.
Following the conclusion of her trial in Shetland on March 21, the court returned a verdict of guilty. Consequently, Marion was sentenced to death. She was taken to the Hill of Berrie, a site associated with the administration of such sentences, where she was executed by the method of strangulation and burning. The archival record closes with the final confirmation that the sentence was carried out, marking the end of the legal proceedings initiated against her.