Catharin Mactargett emerges from the historical records as a figure enmeshed within the tumultuous period of the Scottish witch trials in the late 17th century. Residing in Dunbar, Haddington, she lived a life that appeared to straddle the line between modest prosperity, as her husband was noted to be a weaver, and the edge of societal discontent, marked by accusations that she was an inappropriate recipient of charity. Despite having seemingly adequate means of support, Catharin’s inclusion on the begging rolls may have contributed to suspicion and ostracism, precursors to the graver charges she would eventually face.
Her initial brush with the courts occurred in the circuit court at Haddington in 1679, when she was accused alongside others in a widespread sweep common to the period. The charges laid against her were typical of the era: accusations of witchcraft, sorcery, necromancy, and forsaking her baptism to align herself with the Devil. Like many, she was declared a fugitive, escaping immediate punishment but branding her with infamy that would linger. Almost a decade later, Catharin’s evasion ended, and she was tried once more under a commission of justiciary in 1688. This time, she was found guilty, a verdict swayed perhaps by prior notoriety and the testimony of others who claimed her as a ‘known witch’.
The narratives we have are bolstered by her recorded confession in the Tolbooth of Haddington, a grim prelude to the final trial. Notably, the records indicate allegations that her actions led to damage, not only to specific possessions such as dairy, animals, ale, but to entire estates, illustrating the breadth of fear surrounding witchcraft’s potential impact. Her name also appeared in other trials, mentioned by Margret McClean and Annabell Stewart, which would have further implicated her within a network of accused witches, exacerbating the suspicion and paranoia that characterized this dark chapter in Scottish history.