In January 1616, the legal machinery of early modern Scotland turned its attention toward Marion Anderson, a resident of Dalmeny in the shire of Linlithgow. Her case, documented under reference C/JO/2844, proceeded to a formal trial (T/JO/511) during a period when the Scottish state and kirk were increasingly focused on the identification and prosecution of those suspected of maleficium. The administrative records of the time reflect the jurisdictional context of her home, noting that the parish of Dalmeny would undergo a significant division between the village itself and the burgeoning burgh of Queensferry less than two decades later.
The scrutiny Marion faced was not isolated, as her name appears as a point of reference within the records of other contemporary trials. Specifically, her activities were brought into the judicial sphere through the testimony of Sara Burne, who named Marion during her own proceedings. By cross-referencing these accounts, the courts of the seventeenth century wove a narrative of suspicion that entangled these women within a communal web of accusations, ultimately leading Marion to stand trial before the authorities of Linlithgow to answer for these grave charges.