In the context of the turbulent and fear-infested atmosphere of late 16th-century Scotland, the case of Meg Dow stands as one particularly tragic episode from the pervasive witch trials of the era. Meg, residing in Gilmerton, a village now part of Edinburgh, was only nine years old when she faced accusations of witchcraft—a rare circumstance even amidst widespread paranoia. Records mark the beginning of her ordeal on April 14, 1590, when she underwent her first questioning, followed by another session on April 20. Tragically, her young age did not spare her from the harsh scrutiny and severe expectations placed upon those accused of witchcraft.
Meg's trial officially commenced on April 28, 1590, in Edinburgh. The proceedings of the trial and the societal climate in which it unfolded left little room for defense, particularly for someone so young. Her indictment culminated in a guilty verdict, a decision that would have sealed her fate in the eyes of the court and the community. The records indicate that Meg's execution followed customary methods of the time: death by strangulation, followed by burning at Castle Hill, the locus of many such executions. This method was not uncommon for those convicted in the fervor of the witch trials, symbolizing a grim ritual purporting to cleanse the society from purported evils.
The mention of Meg in other trial transcripts, specifically by another accused individual named Janet Pook, indicates the interconnected nature of accusations during this period—a web of suspicion where one accusation could swiftly lead to another. Such references highlight the tragic ripple effect that the fear of witchcraft sowed across communities, often ensnaring the most vulnerable. Meg Dow's story, while situated in the distant past, echoes the broader narratives of fear, vulnerability, and the stark human costs of the Scottish witch trials during this period.