In the summer of 1661, Margaret Rammage, a widow residing in the village of Edmestoun in Newton, found herself at the centre of a significant legal proceeding within the Edinburgh circuit. Her entanglement in the judicial system began in early July, as evidenced by a series of confessions recorded in the Tolbooth on the 10th, 11th, and 12th of that month, with further statements taken subsequently. The investigation into Margaret’s activities was deeply interconnected with a wider web of accusations; she was repeatedly named as an accomplice by a host of other women, including Katherine Legget, Margaret Scot, Janet Luny, Jonet Buchanan, Bessie Stewart, Sara Young, Jonet Bell, Margaret Veitch, Elspeth Halliburtonn, and Jenet Howie.
These proceedings culminated on 29 July 1661, a date marked by both the formal recording of a final confession and the conclusion of her trial. In an unusual procedural move, the High Court took the Books of Adjournal directly to Musselburgh to facilitate the proceedings. Found guilty of charges that included attendance at a witches’ meeting, Margaret was sentenced to execution. Her case stands as a poignant record of the legal processes of the mid-seventeenth century, reflecting how the testimony of a network of accused women served to formalise the charges that ultimately led to the finality of her sentence.