In the mid-17th century, amidst the turbulent backdrop of Scotland's witch trials, Jonet Hog, a married woman residing in the parish of Linton, found herself a figure of scrutiny. The historical record, while sparse, tells us that Jonet's ordeal began in earnest on the 13th of June, 1661. This was a period when accusations of witchcraft were rampant, often fueled by societal anxieties and local disputes. Linton, which could refer to either West Linton in Peebles or Linton in Teviotdale near Kelso, is where Jonet's life took a fateful turn. The exact parish remains ambiguous, complicating the understanding of her community's role in the proceedings. Records indicate further connection to the presbytery of Dunbar, potentially linking her story to Prestonhaugh in Prestonkirk.
The documented details of Jonet's case, marked under the reference C/EGD/1585, align with a broader series of trials swept across Scotland, peaking in severity during the 1661-62 witch hunts. Subsequently, the trial record marked T/JO/1675 suggests that formal proceedings continued or reconvened in 1675, a significant span of years that hints at prolonged legal entanglements or regional suspicions persisting over time. This extension could reflect the enduring nature of witchcraft allegations, deeply woven into the fabric of communal and legal systems of the era. Jonet Hog's experiences, captured only in these fragmentary archival traces, form a poignant reminder of the fraught and often perilous lives of those ensnared by the spectre of witchcraft accusations in early modern Scotland.