On July 18, 1579, the Burgh Court of Edinburgh presided over the trial of Christine Douglas, a married woman residing in the port town of Leith. As an "indweller" of Leith, Christine occupied a position within the social fabric of one of Scotland’s busiest maritime hubs during the early years of the witch hunts that followed the legislative acts of 1563. The records indicate that the legal proceedings against her were swift, culminating in a recorded confession that formed the basis of the court’s judgment.
Following the verdict of guilty delivered on that same day, the court issued a sentence of execution. In accordance with the penal practices of the period, Christine was subjected to the method of "strangle and burn," a process in which the condemned were typically garrotted before the body was consumed by fire. The swiftness of the judicial process—from the trial to the final execution—reflects the gravity with which the court approached cases brought before them in this era, marking a definitive end to Christine's life in the community of Leith.