Margaret Duncane, a resident of Lomes in the parish of Dundonald, Ayr, was a figure caught in the maelstrom of the early 17th-century Scottish witch trials. The accusation against Margaret was officially recorded on July 23, 1605, under case reference C/EGD/138. At this time, Scotland was in the grip of fervent witch hunts, driven by societal anxieties and the religious and political upheavals of the period.
Margaret's trial, documented under trial reference T/LA/878, captures a moment in which local tensions and fears manifested in the courtroom. The village of Lomes, like many rural communities, was a place where the complex webs of personal relationships, economic hardship, and traditional beliefs could suddenly unravel into accusations of witchcraft. Margaret found herself at the center of such societal pressures, as her trial unfolded in the shadow of deeply entrenched superstitions and legal proceedings that were, by then, routine in much of Scotland.
Although the details of the charges against Margaret are scant in the historical record, the proceedings would likely have followed the conventions of the time, with evidence potentially drawn from testimonies of maleficium or pact with the devil. Her trial was part of a broader sweep across Scotland, where hundreds of similar cases were heard, reflecting both local and national forces at play. The records cease to offer further detail on the outcome of her trial, but Margaret Duncane's case remains a testament to the historical reality of the Scottish witch trials that touched many lives during this turbulent epoch.