In the early 17th century, during a time when accusations of witchcraft could swiftly lead to dire consequences, Elspeth Baird's life came under harsh scrutiny. Residing in Leith, Edinburgh, Elspeth was identified primarily by her socioeconomic status as a widow of modest means, often described unsympathetically as a beggar. The records reveal a specific incident that involved Elspeth seeking charity from a certain Margaret Burges. When she sought meat, milk, and bread from Margaret, she was met with refusal due to Margaret's suspicion of her supposed 'evil brint'—a term that likely alluded to some perceived threatening presence or ill fortune associated with Elspeth.
Elspeth's case surfaces within broader documentation of the time, notably intertwining with another figure known as Margaret Clerk, from North Leith, who mentioned 'Elizabeth the spae wife'—a potential reference to someone who practiced divination or misrepresented by locals as a wise woman or soothsayer. Whether this was indeed Elspeth, the 'wyfe of Totmuir,' remains somewhat ambiguous. Nonetheless, what is patently clear from trial records is that Elspeth was found guilty of the charges against her. The sentence pronounced upon her was execution by burning—a common fate for those accused and convicted of witchcraft during this period. Her execution in 1628 marks a poignant and stark episode among the tumultuous years of the Scottish witch trials, underscoring the precariousness of life and reputation amidst the fear and superstition that characterized the era.