Margaret Allan, a resident of Newhall, Bathgate in Linlithgow, was swept up in the tumultuous events surrounding the witch trials that befell Scotland in the 17th century. The records indicate that Margaret's life was interwoven with the affairs of Newhall, where she was associated closely with the laird's household, suggesting that she worked for him and even resided in his abode. Details surrounding her socioeconomic standing remain murky. The mention of land transactions involving her husband's possessions points to a complexity in her domestic arrangements, hinting at possible connections to property that might have elevated her vulnerability in a climate of suspicion and accusation.
On November 14, 1661, Margaret faced serious charges associated with attending a witches' meeting, an accusation that firmly placed her within the alarming narrative of witchcraft persecutions of that era. Her prosecution was notably led by a local laird, whose motivations in pursuing such a case remain undocumented, adding a layer of complexity to the dynamics at play. Ultimately, the laird chose to withdraw the charges on the condition that Margaret leave the bounds of Newhall and conduct herself with propriety henceforth.
The terms of her banishment dictated during the trial in Edinburgh reflect a legal system willing to forgo punitive measures in return for expulsion, a fate arguably preferable to the harsher sentences handed down in similar cases. Her name arises again in association with other accused women—Anna Kemp, Bessie Davidsone, Bessie Dickson, Elizabeth Smyth, and Margaret Ker—as alleged accomplices, though any further involvement in the tumult of the witch trials is obscured by the passage of time. Such connections serve to underline the pervasive fear and the intricate web of allegations that defined this chapter of Scottish history.