In the summer of 1671, the legal machinery of Restoration-era Scotland turned toward Mary Sommerveil of Grange, Roxburgh. As documented in case file C/EGD/590, Mary found herself caught within the procedural framework of the witch trials, a period characterized by rigorous judicial oversight regarding allegations of maleficium and diabolical pacts. The surviving records offer little insight into the specific accusations leveled against her, focusing instead on the bureaucratic maneuvers that defined her legal status during these uncertain months.
By May 24, 1671, the circuit court issued a determination regarding Mary's immediate future. Rather than facing summary imprisonment or execution, she was granted a conditional release, provided she remained under caution to appear for a formal trial in Edinburgh should the authorities summon her. This status was reaffirmed on July 3, 1671, as the legal system continued to hold Mary in a state of suspended anticipation. The records conclude there, leaving her caught in the tenuous space of being released yet perpetually answerable to the high court.