In the spring of 1659, Jonnet Man, a resident of Stenton in Haddington, faced the formal scrutiny of the local Justices of the Peace regarding her participation in a witches' meeting. Jonnet lived in a state of extreme poverty, subsisting on alms, and was noted in the records for maintaining an irregular union, a domestic arrangement described as living outside of wedlock—a circumstance she herself linked to a life of sin. Her legal troubles began in earnest on March 2, 1659, when she underwent an examination and provided a confession to the charges laid against her.
Following this initial admission, Jonnet remained in custody while the legal process unfolded. Her involvement was further deepened by the testimonies of Alleson Fermor and Bessie Lacost, both of whom identified her as an accomplice in their own trials. By April 7, 1659, the Haddington Justices of the Peace had finalized their investigation, concluding that her earlier confession constituted sufficient proof of guilt. Having been indicted and examined, Jonnet was ordered to be transported to Edinburgh to receive a formal sentence, marking the culmination of a process that had seen her moved from local investigation to the capital’s judicial system.