In the mid-17th century, Jonet Martin of Nethergask in Findo Gask, Perth, found herself swept up in the tide of witchcraft accusations that surged through Scotland. The date was July 28, 1662, a time when the fear of the occult was woven deeply into the fabric of society. Jonet, as recorded in case C/EGD/1518, was tried for witchcraft—a charge that carried with it the gravest of consequences.
The trial records, listed under T/JO/934, reveal that Jonet faced a court that ultimately deemed her guilty. The sentence passed down was severe and final: execution. The nature of such trials often reflected the societal tensions and superstitions of the period, with the accused frequently subjected to intense scrutiny and suspicion. In Jonet's case, there was no reprieve, and the sentence was carried out as recorded. Her story, preserved in the annals of history, echoes the broader narrative of the witch trials in early modern Scotland, where fear and belief intertwined to tragic effect.