Ewfame Makcalzene was a woman of considerable social standing, hailing from the distinguished confines of Cliftonhall, Edinburgh. Her familial background was noted for its prominence, as described by Pitcairn, highlighting the illustrious nature of her lineage. Such standing, however, did not shield her from the suspicions and fears that gripped Scotland during the period of the witch trials. Ewfame was caught in the turbulent wave of the North Berwick witch trials, an infamous series of legal persecutions that underscored the intense paranoia surrounding witchcraft in the late 16th century.
The charges against Ewfame included maleficium, a term denoting harmful magic, and participation in witches' meetings, allegations that were feared to foreshadow dark powers capable of causing genuine harm. Her trial commenced in June of 1591 in Edinburgh, during which it was documented that delays occurred due to extensive objections. Throughout the proceedings, her supposed involvement with others accused of witchcraft—such as Katherine Campbell, Catheren Carutheris, Jonet Cunninghame, and Robert Grierson—was repeatedly underlined, marking her as a member of an alleged network of malevolent actors. The accusations extended further to claims of causing damage to boats and animals, an indication of the real-world anxieties attributed to her supposed otherworldly practices.
The jury, after extensive deliberation, reached a guilty verdict on June 14, 1591. Ewfame's punishment was execution, carried out in a manner typical of the time—by burning—at Castle Hill, marking a tragic end to her story. Tied to a pole, she faced this harsh fate, an outcome not uncommon in the era's fervent prosecutions of witchcraft. The grim conclusion of Ewfame’s trial reflects the intersection of societal fears, legal practices, and individual narratives that characterized the Scottish witch trials, leaving behind an indelible mark on the historical record.