In the spring of 1697, Margaret Shearer, a widow residing in Erskine Green, found herself swept into the judicial maelstrom that defined the Renfrewshire witch trials. As part of a larger group facing scrutiny in the region, Margaret was formally indicted on April 13, 1697, in the burgh of Renfrew. The charges brought against her were grave, centering on the accusation of participation in a witches’ meeting—a criminalization of association that lay at the heart of the anxieties surrounding the Scottish witchcraft statutes of the period.
The judicial process surrounding Margaret was marked by significant administrative delay. Following her indictment, her case was revisited on May 19, 1697, at which time the court ordered that her trial be continued until May 28. Beyond this procedural note, the historical record for Margaret remains silent. There is no evidence confirming whether the proceedings continued to a final verdict or if she ever faced a formal conclusion to the trial, leaving the ultimate outcome of her legal entanglement obscured by the limitations of the surviving documentation.