In the spring of 1659, Margaret Clerk, a resident of Kirkcudbright, faced the rigours of the Scottish judicial system amidst a period of heightened scrutiny regarding witchcraft. Although the legal proceedings against her took place in the regional centre of Dumfries—a common venue for judicial matters originating from Kirkcudbright—the impetus for her prosecution was deeply rooted in her home community. Testimony provided against Margaret included a formal statement from the Provost of Kirkcudbright, indicating the significance of local authorities in navigating the accusations brought before the court. Her name was further implicated in the broader judicial context of the time, appearing in the trial records of Jonet Miller, who identified Margaret as an accomplice in her own alleged activities.
The formal resolution of Margaret's case was swift. Following the reading of her indictment on 4 April 1659, she stood trial and was found guilty of the charges brought against her, despite her persistent denial of all allegations. On 5 April 1659, the sentence was carried out in accordance with the customary legal practices for such convictions: Margaret was executed by strangulation, followed by the burning of her remains. Her case, documented under references C/EGD/790 and T/LA/1145, remains a stark reflection of the intersection between local testimony, regional judicial oversight, and the severe punitive measures that characterized the trials of the mid-seventeenth century.