In the spring of 1650, the coastal town of Largs became the setting for the judicial examination of Sarah Erskine. Her case, documented under reference C/LA/3188, saw the accused brought before local authorities on the 22nd of April. As was characteristic of the period’s legal proceedings regarding witchcraft, the gravity of the scrutiny focused on the testimonies and the formal gathering of evidence necessary to move the case toward a trial (T/LA/1753).
The legal record for Sarah remains centered on the existence of a formal confession. In the climate of mid-seventeenth-century Scotland, the recording of such a statement was a pivotal juncture in the judicial process, carrying significant implications for both the court and the individual. While the specific content of her words has not been preserved in the surviving fragments, the act of documenting Sarah’s testimony indicates the conclusion of the investigative phase and the movement of her case into the final stages of the Scottish witch-trial system.