In the spring of 1631, the legal machinery of Caithness turned toward Marie Neill Mcconneill, marking the beginning of a judicial process that would culminate in her formal trial. Records from the period, filed under reference C/LA/3329, indicate that Marie, a married woman residing within the county, was brought before the authorities to answer for allegations of witchcraft. Her case was not an isolated incident within her household, as the legal documents reveal that her husband was simultaneously accused alongside her, suggesting a domestic entanglement in the accusations that defined the era's inquisitorial practices.
The subsequent trial, recorded under T/LA/2119, took place on 31 March 1631, drawing Marie into the formal court proceedings that characterized the Scottish witch trials. While the surviving records provide limited insight into the specific depositions or testimonies brought against her, they clearly document the intersection of marital status and criminal accusation. The involvement of both Marie and her husband in these proceedings highlights the specific jurisdictional focus of the Caithness courts during this period, leaving Marie’s historical footprint as a primary subject of seventeenth-century legal scrutiny.