In the mid-17th century, a woman named Marget Bigland from the Shetland Islands found herself embroiled in the period's tumultuous and often deadly witch trials. According to the historical records from January 16, 1673, Marget was 50 years old at the time her case was noted. However, her initial accusation dates back to when she was 25, illustrating a lengthy period of surveillance or suspicion that dogged her life over the decades.
Marget’s case is nestled in a complex web of relationships that seem as tangled as the superstitions and fears fueling the witch hunts of the era. The official records suggest potential familial ties with other women named Sunna Voe and Molphrie Porteous, though the documents remain ambiguous. It appears that Marget may have been the daughter of Sunna Voe, while Molphrie might have been Marget's own daughter. These connections, if accurate, highlight a haunting aspect of the witch trials: the persecution of multiple generations within families, which served to fuel the cycle of accusation and fear.
Unfortunately, the trial records (T/JO/637) offer no further details about Marget's case. The absence of such information is a stark reminder of how numerous lives were overwhelmingly influenced by incomplete and often arbitrary legal proceedings. Marget Bigland's narrative, like that of many others accused of witchcraft, underscores the societal turbulence of the time, marked by fear, superstition, and the tragic intersection of these forces with women's lives.