In the late winter of 1677, Jonet Mathie, a 50-year-old widow from Pollokshaws, Paisley, found herself ensnared in the web of fear and suspicion that characterized the Scottish witch hunts of the late 17th century. Widowed from an under miller, Jonet and her three children, who were also accused alongside her, were caught in one of the period's numerous waves of persecution. Jonet's position within society, neither affluent nor impoverished, allowed her to straddle the precarious divide between the judgments of her peers and the suspicions of witchcraft that could befall those deemed different or threatening.
Her charges of maleficium—meaning she was believed to have caused harm through magic—and participation in a witches' meeting were grave accusations within the context of the time. This was further compounded by the involvement of central authorities, evidenced by the presence of Edinburgh officials at her trial. Despite the Privy Council commission for her trial, Jonet's case was adjudicated locally in Renfrew, with the verdict deeming her guilty. Her alleged crimes reflected the fears and beliefs of the era, manifesting in a swift sentence of execution by strangling and burning, a fate met by many who stood accused of witchcraft.
Jonet's execution on February 20, 1677, at Gallow Green, marked the tragic conclusion of her ordeal. The records note the use of stocks as a means of torture, a stark reminder of the brutal methods employed during these trials. Her sentence and subsequent execution would have cast a long shadow over her surviving children and the community of Pollokshaws, embodying the pervasive dread and communal tensions spurred by the witch hunts. The trial's documentation in the circuit court minute books highlights the governance involved in these prosecutions, reflecting broader societal attempts to control and purge supposed malevolence within the populace.