In the late 17th century, Margaret Lang found herself ensnared in the infamous Renfrewshire witch trials, which would ultimately seal her fate. Residing in the town of Renfrew, Margaret was a married woman whose life turned suddenly from the mundane to the macabre as accusations of witchcraft swept through her community. The records indicate that Margaret, along with her daughter, was accused of participating in a "witches' meeting," a charge common during the fervor of the witch trials that characterized this period of Scottish history. Margaret was one of 28 or more individuals caught in this turbulent wave of suspicion, which ultimately saw seven people, including Margaret, tried in court.
Margaret's trial began on the 13th of April, 1697, proceeding amid a charged atmosphere and concluded nearly a month later on the 12th of May. Despite the complexity of her trial, the court reached a verdict of guilty. The legal proceedings of the time often involved intense scrutiny and coercion, making a defense against witchcraft charges particularly daunting. Margaret's sentence was execution by strangulation followed by burning, a grim fate she met on the 10th of June, 1697, at Gallow Green. Her execution was among the last acts in the witch hunt that gripped Renfrewshire, marking the culmination of fear, superstition, and societal upheaval that defined this dark episode in Scottish history.