In the early modern period, Scotland was a place where the fear of witchcraft ran deep, and accusations could alter lives irreparably. Among those caught in this tide of suspicion was Margaret Alexander. A woman without land and stability, she resided in the Scottish town of Paisley in Renfrewshire and appears to have led a transient life, possibly supported by begging as suggested by the records. Her circumstances, likely placing her on society’s fringes, made her vulnerable to the kind of allegations that came to define this dark chapter in Scottish history.
The case against Margaret Alexander was initiated by two young women, Margaret Laird and Margaret Murdoch, who lived in Paisley and Govan, respectively. Both girls, amidst fits believed to be caused by witchcraft, denounced Margaret along with others. These traumatic episodes, albeit not uncommon during this period of heightened paranoia, involved public declarations of torment at the hands of self-proclaimed witches. In April 1699, testimony supporting these claims primarily stemmed from those who had witnessed Laird's episodes in Paisley and Murdoch's in Glasgow.
A trial was initially set to occur in Glasgow in May 1699 but seemingly never convened. It wasn't until the following year, in 1700, that Margaret Alexander faced judicial proceedings at the High Court in Edinburgh. Here, witness statements and accusations collected from the previous year were weighed by the court. In a notable conclusion to her ordeal, contrary to so many others who met far graver fates, Margaret was released. Her diet, as recorded, was deserted – indicating that the prosecution failed to pursue the case further. This rare outcome in the annals of Scottish witch trials likely provided her a semblance of freedom, though it is unknown how her life unfolded thereafter in a society still prone to suspicion.