In the spring of 1699, the community of Govan was gripped by a palpable tension as whispers of witchcraft circulated, following claims by a young girl named Margaret Murdoch. Margaret Murdoch, the daughter of the notable John Murdoch of Craigtown, alleged that she was tormented by witches, a charge that echoed with gravity in an era rife with fear of the supernatural. Among those named in her accusations was Margaret Temple, a widowed resident of Govan. This accusation emerged during a period when the heightened anxieties of the late 17th century led to a resurgence of witchcraft allegations across Scotland.
Margaret Temple’s situation was precarious, as she was named alongside several others by the young Murdoch. The record indicates that two men and two women came forward to testify against her in Glasgow on April 22, 1699. Despite this formidable testimony, there is no evidence suggesting that formal proceedings were pursued against Margaret Temple. Her story, as far as the surviving records reveal, ends without the grim conclusion so many others faced during the witch trials. This absence of record may imply that the case against her lacked the substance required to bring it to trial, or perhaps local authorities chose to exercise caution amidst the fervor of the times. Whatever the reason, Margaret Temple's tale stands as a testament to the volatility of the witchcraft accusations in early modern Scotland, embodying both the fragility of life for those accused and the role of community dynamics in shaping these ominous events.