In November 1649, Margaret Coruth, a woman of middling socioeconomic status residing in the burgh of Dumbarton, found herself drawn into the judicial machinery of the Scottish witch trials. As the wife of a local burgess, Margaret occupied a respectable position within the community, yet this status did not insulate her from the suspicion that gripped the region during this volatile period. The archival records indicate that proceedings against her commenced late in the month, specifically on the 27th of November, marking the formal initiation of the legal case registered under the reference C/JO/2936.
The progression of the case was notably rapid, as evidenced by the confession recorded earlier that same month. Following the initial accusation, Margaret underwent the prescribed process of interrogation that defined the ecclesiastical and civil handling of such matters in mid-17th-century Dunbarton. The trial, documented under T/JO/1138, captured the conclusion of these events. Through these surviving fragments, the records preserve the stark reality of Margaret’s confrontation with the judicial authorities of 1649, documenting the transition from her life as a married woman in Dumbarton to the finality of her recorded testimony.