The historical record concerning Jonet Hamiltoune identifies her as a widow residing in the parish of Dunlop, in Ayrshire. During the mid-seventeenth century, the mechanisms of the Scottish legal system were heavily engaged in the prosecution of witchcraft, and in the spring of 1658, Jonet was drawn into this judicial machinery. Her name appears on an Ayr Court list dated 6 April 1658, which also references two earlier *porteous rolls*—the formal documents issued by the Justiciary Court to summon accused individuals to stand trial. One of these rolls, dated 31 March 1658, specifically required Jonet and a wider group of individuals to appear and answer for their alleged involvement in witchcraft.
However, the documentation concludes with a significant notation regarding her status within the proceedings. Rather than appearing before the court in Ayr as commanded, Jonet was marked as "not to be found," categorizing her as a fugitive. Consequently, while she is recorded in the annals of the era as one of the "Dunlop witches," she effectively evaded the formal trial process scheduled for that April. Her disappearance from the jurisdiction ensured that, unlike many of her contemporaries, she did not face the final verdict of the court, leaving her ultimate fate beyond the reach of the surviving trial records.