In 1598, Margaret Hay, a married woman residing in the parish of Lasswade, near Edinburgh, became the subject of a judicial investigation regarding the crime of witchcraft. Her case, documented under reference C/EGD/842, emerged during a period of heightened legal focus on such matters within the Scottish judicial system. The proceedings against Margaret were formalised in the capital, where she faced trial under the statutes governing the prosecution of witchcraft (T/LA/173).
As the legal process unfolded in Edinburgh, Margaret was subjected to the rigorous scrutiny of the courts. The records delineate the specific administrative pathway of her case, marking her journey from her home in Lasswade to the seat of authority in the city. While the surviving documentation remains brief, it serves as a testament to the institutionalised response to allegations of witchcraft at the close of the sixteenth century, framing the experience of Margaret within the broader landscape of early modern Scottish jurisprudence.