In the spring of 1680, Margaret Comb, a woman of middling socioeconomic status residing in the town of Bo'ness, Linlithgow, found herself ensnared in the perilous web of Scotland's witch trials. Margaret, a married woman, was accused of attending a witches' meeting, a charge that carried severe implications during an era when suspicion and fear of witchcraft permeated society. The official records from March 27, 1680, catalogue her involvement in the case under reference number C/EGD/704, highlighting the precariousness of her situation as accusations of witchcraft often led to dire consequences.
The gathered evidence against Margaret was not only based on the charge of attending such a meeting but was compounded by testimony from others implicated in witchcraft. Notably, Margaret Hammilton and Annaple Thomson both mentioned Margaret in connection to their own trials, identifying her as an accomplice. This association served to entangle her further in a network of suspicion. A confession was elicited from Margaret while she was detained at the Tolbooth on January 22, 1680. However, the reliability of such confessions is historically challenged, especially since Margaret later retracted her confession, possibly under duress, though the specific nature of any torture she might have endured remains unrecorded.
The final outcome of Margaret's trial is uncertain, though a secondary source, not directly verified in the primary record examined here, suggests the possibility of an execution in May of the same year. This potential resolution, hinted at by historian Christina Larner's work, underscores the grim reality for many accused of witchcraft during this turbulent period in Scottish history. Margaret Comb's case exemplifies the complex tapestry of fear, accusation, and interpersonal ties that so often led to tragic denouements in the witch trials of the time.