Margaret Small, a resident of Penicuik in the vicinity of Edinburgh, found herself ensnared in the web of one of the most tumultuous periods of Scottish history: the witch trials of the early 17th century. According to the sparse historical records that document her ordeal, Margaret's case surfaces in an entry dated the 17th of September, 1629. She is listed alongside two other unnamed individuals, their fates similarly overshadowed by the passage of time and the scant details that survive. These cases were part of a broader pattern of accusations during a time when fear of witchcraft permeated the societal fabric.
Later that year, Margaret stood trial in Edinburgh—a location that saw numerous such trials as part of Scotland's long and often harrowing history of witchcraft persecution. The records of the trial are frustratingly thin, offering no insights into the proceedings or the testimonies presented. What remains absent in the historical account speaks volumes of the silence surrounding the lives of those accused: we know neither the arguments posed by her accusers nor the defense Margaret might have mustered on her behalf. The lack of detail typifies the challenges historians face when attempting to reconstruct the experiences of individuals, particularly those like Margaret whose lives were upended during these fraught times. Her story, etched only faintly in the historical record, leaves modern readers with a glimpse of the precarious existence faced by many in 17th century Scotland.