Margaret Muirhead, a landless vagabond residing in Edinburgh during the early 17th century, became entangled in the turbulent witch trials that marked this era of Scottish history. Her case, catalogued under C/EGD/1047, finds her name listed alongside seven others, indicating the often communal nature of accusations which reflected societal tensions and fears. The record notes little about her personal life or activities, encapsulating the challenges that historians face when reconstructing the lives of marginalized individuals from this period.
In November 1628, Margaret's involvement in the witch trials took a pivotal turn with the recording of her confession, a common legal procedure at the time that was often obtained under duress or coercion. This confession, whose details remain unspecified in the records, would have contributed to the proceedings documented under trial records T/JO/77. The absence of comprehensive data leaves much about Margaret's experience to the shadows of history, but it illustrates the precarious position of those who, like her, lacked the security of land and stable status, making them vulnerable to suspicions of witchcraft. Without access to legal protections that many landholding citizens enjoyed, individuals like Margaret often bore the brunt of societal anxieties expressed through witchcraft accusations.