In the early months of 1627, the presbytery records of Ellon in Aberdeen capture the precarious existence of Margaret King, a woman of very modest means noted as a "vagabond." This designation reflected her socio-economic challenges and lack of a fixed abode or stable livelihood. Her life, as documented, unfolded against the backdrop of a turbulent socio-political climate in Scotland, where the fear of witchcraft was pervasive. It was amid this climate that Margaret's name surfaced in conjunction with accusations of witchcraft, a situation that quickly escalated to a formal case against her, recorded as case C/JO/3007.
On April 11 of the same year, Margaret King stood trial, a date marked by entry T/JO/1260 in the judicial records. Trials of this sort were intense and often brief, heavily influenced by societal prejudices and the meager legal resources available to someone of Margaret's status. The records lack specifics of the proceedings or the evidence presented, but they mirror a common narrative where individuals on the fringes of society, like Margaret, found themselves vulnerable to such accusations, with poverty and vagrancy heightening suspicion and mistrust. Thus, Margaret's story, like many during the witch trials of 16th and 17th century Scotland, is one that underscores the perilous intersection of social marginalization and the era's fervent witch-hunting zeal.