Margaret Logan, a resident of Crichton near Edinburgh, found herself enmeshed in the perilous web of 17th-century Scottish witch trials. By the late 17th century, these persecutions were a tragic refrain in the Scottish lowlands, as communities grappled with fear and suspicion, often scapegoating those who deviated from societal norms. Margaret, alongside three others from Crichton, stood accused of the gravest crimes of the age: witchcraft, sorcery, and necromancy. Such allegations often came with additional dramatic charges, such as renouncing baptism and pledging one’s body and soul to the Devil—assertions included in the witchcraft accusations recorded against them.
The records from the Edinburgh Porteous Roll detail that Margaret's case was part of a larger pattern of indictments. Initially cited in 1679, her situation resurfaced prominently in the Porteous Roll of July 1683, where she and her compatriots were named as delinquents. In this context, she was summoned to answer charges in a circuit court, often a venue for such trials, reflecting the regional dimensions of witch-hunting during this period. However, the marginal note on the record indicates that all accused, including Margaret, were 'absent and resited'—they did not appear when summoned. This absence left the accusations unresolved in the legal sense, a not uncommon outcome in a time when fear, rumor, and indirect evidence could severely impact lives even without a formal verdict.