In the records of the tumultuous Scottish witch trials of the 17th century, Marioun Little from Queensferry, Linlithgow emerges as a poignant figure amidst the fraught atmosphere of fear and superstition. The records, which also refer to her as Marione, chronicle a brief and tragic episode in 1644 when Marioun was swept into the merciless machinery of witch accusations that characterized the period. Her ordeal began on March 27th of that year, with the initial denouncement coming from Ephraim Melvill, whose motivations remain obscured by history. Affixed with the label of "known witch" in accusations by others such as Isobel Young, and further denounced by Margaret Young, the echoes of suspicion surrounded Marioun, effectively sealing her fate.
Though specific details of her trial remain absent from the surviving documents, it is noted that a confession was recorded in March 1644. The nature of these confessions, often obtained under duress or coercion, is a testament to the dire circumstances faced by those accused. Within the same year, Marioun was executed, her death marked by being burnt, a common method of execution for those condemned as witches. The brief notation of her case, lacking in detail yet heavy in finality, underscores the perilous environment women like Marioun faced during this dark chapter of Scottish history. Her story, though pieced together from scant records, reflects the grim realities and the swift, inexorable path from accusation to execution.