In the summer of 1662, Jonet Whyte, an indweller of Largs in Ayrshire, found herself caught within the mechanisms of the Scottish judicial system during a period of heightened concern regarding the activities of those suspected of witchcraft. Official records from the Register of the Privy Council identify Jonet as a resident of the parish, though beyond her status as an indweller, little is preserved concerning her daily life or social standing. The formal proceedings against her commenced in late July 1662, a time when the legal infrastructure for such trials was active and the local authorities were particularly focused on investigating allegations of diabolism.
The historical documentation regarding the case remains brief, yet significant in its procedural progression. During that same month of July, Jonet provided a confession, a development that served as a pivotal element in seventeenth-century Scottish criminal trials. While the specific content of her statements and the subsequent trial notes (catalogued under reference T/JO/1006) have not survived, the existence of the confession record alongside her case file provides a clear witness to the legal actions taken against her in the summer of 1662.