Margaret Hamiltoun was a resident of Haddington, a town situated in East Lothian, Scotland. Her life took a tragic turn in the early 17th century, amid the Scottish witch trials that swept through the nation. On the first of August, 1629, Margaret stood accused in a case recorded as Hamiltoun,Margaret, bearing the case number C/LA/2872. The landscape of Scotland during this period was marked by fear and suspicion, as accusations of witchcraft were common and often led to severe consequences.
Her trial was held in Haddington itself, under the proceedings recorded as Trial T/LA/735. Following the trial, Margaret Hamiltoun was found guilty of witchcraft. It is noted in the records that the judgment for such a conviction at the time was execution, particularly by burning, a method then believed to both punish the accused and cleanse their sins as perceived by the society. The execution was indeed carried out, as Margaret’s name is noted in a Privy Council commission as having been burned. Her case exemplifies the tragic realities faced by many women during the Scottish witch trials, marked by harsh judgments and severe penalties that reflected the intense fear and moral dilemmas of the era.