Margaret Barclay

Margaret Barclay (died 1618), was an accused witch put on trial in 1618, 'gently' tortured, confessed and was strangled and burned at the stake in Irvine, Scotland. Her case was written about with horror (Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft, 1830) by the romantic novelist Sir Walter Scott, She was known to have a 'fiery temper' and poor relationships with her husband's family. She had a daughter, Isobel Insch,

Trial for witchcraft

Margaret Barclay was accused of being the leader of a witches' coven by her sister-in-law and others, involved in cursing the Irvine ship The Gift of God However, before the trial they had both died, possibly at their own hand, e.g. Isobel Inch fell from the prison belfry and John Stewart committed suicide by hanging, but another co-accused, Isobel Crawford, received the same treatment and execution as Barclay. A local historian started a campaign, four centuries later, for a memorial to her to be placed in the town. and their case is being pursued by Claire Mitchell, QC.

In 2023, Barclay was one of thirteen accused witches included in a display Witches in Word, Not Deed by Carolyn Sutton, exhibited in the Edinburgh Central Library.