In May 1644, the legal proceedings against Elspeth Culsetter—whose surname also appears in the records as Cursetter—concluded in Orkney with the finality of a capital sentence. Historical scholarship, including the work of Marwick, suggests that Elspeth was a wanderer or vagabond within the region, though the scarcity of surviving documentation makes further confirmation of her background difficult. Her case, indexed under the reference C/JO/3044, stands as a stark example of the judicial machinery operating in 17th-century Scotland, where the designation of "witch" carried the most severe consequences under the law.
The legal journey for Elspeth began well before her execution, as evidenced by a formal confession recorded on March 11, 1642. Following this recorded admission, she faced trial under references T/JO/1409 and T/JO/2193. The judicial process ultimately yielded a verdict of guilty, leading to the court-ordered execution. As dictated by the statutes of the period, the sentence was carried out by fire, and records confirm that the execution was indeed performed, marking the end of Elspeth’s life within the context of the early modern Scottish witch trials.