In the remote parish of Scatt, nestled within the rugged and expansive bounds of Contin in Ross, the year 1662 bore witness to a particular episode in the broader tapestry of Scottish witch trials. This episode revolved around a woman named Jonet Neill Donald Vic William Vic More, whose life had become entwined with the pervasive suspicions and beliefs of an era marked by its fear of witchcraft.
Records of Jonet’s case, labeled under the prosaic title of CASE (C/EGD/1504), reveal that on the 7th of May, 1662, she was formally brought under scrutiny, accused of engaging in practices deemed malevolent by the authorities of the time. Unfortunately, the trial documentation, catalogued as TRIAL (T/JO/912), provides no specifics, leaving a conspicuous void regarding the substance of the accusations or the proceedings themselves.
However, it is known that Jonet's involvement with the courts culminated in a recorded confession in May 1662, though the records fall silent on the nature or content of this admission. The act of confessing, common in witch trials of the period, could have been extracted under duress or through more devastating means. Yet, it remains a documented part of her narrative, preserved in the annals of history, offering a glimpse into the grim reality faced by those ensnared by the witch hunts of 17th century Scotland.