In the spring of 1699, Jonet Kennock, a widow residing in the parish of Govan, found herself drawn into the web of a sensational witchcraft accusation. The impetus for the suspicion against her originated with Margaret Murdoch, the daughter of John Murdoch of Craigtown, who claimed to be tormented by a coven of witches. As Margaret’s accusations swept through the community and implicated numerous individuals, she identified Jonet as one of her tormentors. During this period of intense scrutiny, Margaret was subjected to examinations by a medical doctor and a gathering of ministers, underscoring the gravity with which local authorities and clergy treated such claims of supernatural affliction.
Despite these accusations, the archival record for Jonet remains strikingly incomplete regarding a formal judicial outcome. On April 22, 1699, in Glasgow, four individuals—one man and three women—provided testimony against her, solidifying her status as a suspected figure within the local investigation. However, while she was clearly identified and brought into the orbit of these proceedings, there is no evidence of formal legal action or a trial being carried out against her. Ultimately, Jonet’s case rests in the historical record as an example of the periphery of the witch trials, where individuals were named and investigated by neighbors and officials, yet escaped the documented conclusion of a state-sanctioned trial.