Margaret Porteous, a widow residing in Edinburgh—with potential origins in the locales of Gilmerton or Liberton—found herself enmeshed in the legal machinery of the 1661 witch trials. Her case was significantly shaped by the testimony of others, as she was identified as a "known witch" by a wide circle of individuals, including Agnes Bowie, Cristine Bell, Gilbert Wynd, Agnes Brown, Margaret Watson, Bessie Wilson, Margaret Nidrie, and Margaret Reid. Pre-trial investigations further intensified the pressure against her, with two men and two women providing formal evidence for the court to consider.
On July 29, 1661, Margaret provided a confession to the authorities, though she would later retract this statement. Despite the gravity of the accusations, which included attendance at a witches' meeting, the legal proceedings ultimately stalled; the Books of Adjournal suggest that she did not pass to the assize, implying that the charges against her were formally dropped. On September 6, 1661, Margaret was released from prison under the specific legal condition that she provide caution—a financial or personal surety—to abstain from the future practice of charms, sorcery, or witchcraft.
