Jonet Dynneis, a widow residing in the remote northern island of Fetlar in Shetland, became one of the many individuals embroiled in the witch trials that swept through Scotland between 1563 and 1736. Her case, recorded on October 2, 1616, underscores the deep-seated fears and suspicions that permeated early modern Scottish society. Jonet faced trial at the Court of Justiciary in Scalloway, the judicial seat of the Sheriffdom of Yetland, on charges of witchcraft. The trial records, minimal yet telling, attribute accusations of property damage related specifically to dairy—an essential part of the rural economy and daily life in Shetland.
At her trial, Jonet was found guilty of witchcraft, a verdict that would seal her fate. As was customary in such cases, she was sentenced to execution. The method prescribed by the court was particularly brutal: she was to be strangled and then her body was to be burned. This was a common practice in Scottish witch trials, symbolizing the eradication of witchery and its purported malevolent influence. The record of Jonet's trial and execution, maintained in the Sheriff Court books, serves as a stark reminder of the harsh realities faced by those accused of witchcraft during this volatile period in Scottish history.