Margaret Brotherstone, residing in the small community of Humbie in Haddington, became embroiled in the turbulent period of Scottish witch trials that swept through the country in the 16th and 17th centuries. On July 25th, 1649, Margaret's name appeared alongside twelve others in a request for a commission. The specifics of the accusations or the events leading to the case designation, C/JO/2677, are lost to history. What is documented, however, suggests that Margaret was not an isolated case; her situation was part of a broader sweep that implicated multiple individuals simultaneously, reflecting a common pattern in witch trials of the time, where mass accusations were often fueled by local tensions or broader societal fears.
On that same day, a confession was recorded, a crucial piece of evidence in witch trials where such documents often carried significant weight. Unfortunately, the details of Margaret's confession are not preserved, leaving us without insight into the nature of the allegations she faced or the circumstances under which she confessed. The lack of trial notes further obscures the outcomes of her trial, T/JO/115, leaving historians to piece together her story from scant information. Nevertheless, Margaret Brotherstone's inclusion in these records offers a poignant glimpse into the era's climate, where individuals like her were swept into legal processes that would shape their fates in profoundly life-altering ways.