In the late 17th century, Margaret Fulton found herself embroiled in the dangerous and tumultuous events of the Renfrewshire witch trials, a widespread episode of hysteria and suspicion in Scottish history. Residing in the community of East Kilpatrick, within the parish of Kilpatrick in Renfrew County, Margaret was considered a woman of middling socioeconomic status, which perhaps placed her under the public eye more than others in her humble village. Described in contemporary records as an "indweller," she was one of several individuals caught in the dragnet of accusations that beset the region in 1697.
Margaret's case, documented under the ominously catalogue number C/EGD/1774, indicates she was accused of attending a witches' meeting, a grave charge that aligned her with supposed networks of witchcraft prevalent in local lore. Alongside 27 others, she faced trial as part of what became known as the Renfrewshire cases of 1697, though only seven, including Margaret, were eventually brought to full trial. Her ordeal began with an appearance before the justice courts on April 13, 1697, but it was not until May 12 that her trial formally began, enduring a week of proceedings that ran until May 19.
The outcome of the trial was grim for Margaret. The court found her guilty, and she was sentenced to death by strangulation followed by burning— a common method intended both to punish and to send a strong message to the population regarding the perceived dangers of witchcraft. Her execution occurred on June 10, 1697, at Gallow Green, a typical site for such public spectacles. The tragedy of Margaret Fulton's end is a stark reminder of the fear and fervor that characterized this period of Scottish history, where accusation often led to swift and irreversible consequences.