Elizabeth Hutcheson, a married woman of middling socioeconomic status residing in the port town of Bo'ness, was drawn into the judicial machinery of the Scottish witch trials in the late 17th century. As the wife of a local merchant, Elizabeth operated within the commercial sphere of the town, presumably managing the shop where her husband’s wares were sold to the community. Her involvement in the legal proceedings began in late 1679, a period marked by significant social tension in the region. By the time her case reached the official trial stage in April 1680, she had already been implicated as an accomplice by several other women facing similar scrutiny, including Bessie Gibb, Margaret Hewat, Eupham Harther, and Jonet Crystie.
On 29 November 1679, while held within the Bo'ness Tolbooth, Elizabeth provided a formal confession regarding her participation in a witches' meeting. Although the specific nature of the methods used during her interrogation remains unrecorded, historical evidence confirms that she was subjected to unknown forms of torture while in custody. Shortly thereafter, Elizabeth moved to formally retract the admissions she had made while detained. Despite this retraction, the legal process against her continued, cementing her place within the wider, interconnected network of accusations that characterized the trials in Linlithgow during this era.