In the latter part of the 16th century, the picturesque locale of Pitmurchie in Kincardine O'Neil, Aberdeen, bore witness to the turbulent witch trials that swept through early modern Scotland. Among those caught in the web of suspicion was Jonat Lucas. Very little is known about Jonat's life before her trial, but records suggest she may have worked as a servant, sharing quarters with the goodwife of Pitmurchie. This goodwife was also the primary source of the accusations against her, highlighting the often intricate personal relationships that fueled witch trials during this era.
Jonat’s trial was held on the 24th of April, 1597, in Aberdeen. The proceedings were part of a broader pattern of witchcraft prosecutions that ensnared many, driven by a mixture of fear, superstition, and local animosities. The jury found Jonat "half guilty," a peculiar verdict reflecting the complexity of the charges and perhaps the influence of prevailing doubts or the relative weakness of the evidence. While absolved from all charges save one, Jonat was convicted of using a thread as a charm—a practice commonly associated with folk magic. Though the jury suggested that such an act could warrant death, the judge deemed it insufficient for execution and instead ordered her banishment.
Her sentence dictated that Jonat Lucas be expelled from the region, never to return under threat of death if discovered within 12 miles of the Aberdeen sheriffdom's boundaries. This punishment mirrored the harsh realities for those accused of witchcraft, who were often cast out from their communities irrespective of the gravity of their supposed crimes. Mentioned in other trials by individuals like Margerat Bane, who denounced her, Jonat's story underscores the fraught atmosphere of the time—where fear of the supernatural and neighborly disputes could so dramatically upend lives.