Confessions of Witches executed in Essex--The Witches of
Huntingdon--‘Wonderfull News from the North’--Trial of Six Witches at
Maidstone--Trial of Four Witches at Worcester--A Lancashire Witch
tried at Worcester--A Tewkesbury Witch.
A sickening story is told in ‘A true and exact Relation of the seuerall
Informations, Examinations, and Confessions of the late Witches, arraigned
and executed in the County of Essex. Who were arraigned and condemned at
the late Sessions, holden at Chelmesford before the Right Honorable Robert
Earle of Warwicke and severall of his Majesties Iustices of Peace, the 29
of July 1645,’ etc., London, 1645. In this veritable ‘bloody assize,’ the
rascally Matthew Hopkins appears, and it would almost seem as if the poor
women confessed anything in order to have the luxury of dying. The charges
against them were so frivolous, and the confessions so silly, that they
must have either been imbecile or reckless. The following is a list of
them:
Elizabeth Clarke confessed executed.
Elizabeth Gooding denied do.
Anne Leech confessed do.
Helen Clark confessed executed.
Rebecca West do. acquitted.
Mary Greenleife denied fate unknown.
Mary Johnson do. do.
Anne Cooper confessed executed.
Elizabeth Hare denied condemned, but reprieved.
Margaret Moon do. died on the way to execution.
Marian Hocket do. executed.
Sarah Hating do. do.
Rose Hallybread died in gaol.
Elizabeth Harvie confessed executed.
Joyce Boanes do. do.
Susan Cock do. do.
Margaret Landishe do. do.
Rebecca Jones do. do.
Joan Cooper do. died in gaol.
Anne Cate do. executed.
The confession (!) of this latter will serve as an example of the
puerility of them all.
‘This Examinant saith, that she hath four Familiars, which shee had from
her mother, about two and twenty yeeres since; and that the names of the
said Imps are _James_, _Pricke eare_, _Robyn_, and _Sparrow_; and three of
these Imps are like Mouses, and the fourth like a Sparrow. And this
Examinant saith, that to whomsoever shee sent the said Imp called
_Sparrow_, it killed them presently; and that, first of all, she sent one
of her three Imps like Mouses, to nip the Knee of one _Robert Freeman_,
of _Little Clacton_, in the County of _Essex_, aforesaid, whom the said
Imp did so lame, that the said _Robert_ dyed on that lamenesse within half
a yeere after: And this Examinant saith, that she sent her said Imp,
_Prickeare_ to kill the daughter of _John Rawlins_ of _Much-Holland_
aforesaid, which died accordingly within a short time after; and that she
sent her said Imp _Prickeare_ to the house of one John Tillet; which did
suddenly kill the said Tillet.
‘And this Examinant saith that shee sent her said Imp _Sparrow_, to kill
the childe of one _George Parby_ of _Much-Holland_ aforesaid, which child
the said Imp did presently kill; and that the offence this Examinant took
against the said _George Parby_ to kill his said childe, was, because the
wife of the said _Parby_ denyed to give this Examinant a pint of Milke;
and this Examinant further saith that shee sent her said Imp _Sparrow_ to
the house of _Samuel Ray_, which, in a very short time did kill the wife
of the said _Samuel_; and that the cause of this Examinant’s malice
against the said woman was, because shee refused to pay to this Examinant
two pence which she challenged to be due to her; And that, afterwards, her
said Imp _Sparrow_ killed the said Childe of the said _Samuel Ray_: and
this Examinant confesseth, that as soon as shee had received the said four
Imps from her said mother, the said Imps spake to this Examinant, and told
her, shee must deny God and Christ, which this Examinant did then assent
unto.’
In ‘The Witches of Huntingdon, their Examinations and Confessions,’ etc.,
London, 1646, we have eight cases of witchcraft which were tried at
different times early in 1646. Among these eight, two were men; but there
is no record of the fate of any of them. They are the same old story, the
one with the most originality being that of Jane Willis, of Keiston, in
the county of Huntingdon.
‘This Examinate saith, as she was making of her bedde in her Chamber,
there appeared in the shape of a man in blacke cloaths, and blackish
cloaths about six weeks past, and bid her good morrow, and shee asked what
his name was, and he said his name was _Blackeman_, and asked her if she
were poore, and she said I:[47] then he told her he would send one
_Grissell_ and _Greedigut_ to her, that shall do anything for her: Shee
looking upon him, saw hee had ugly feete, and then she was very fearfull
of him, for that sometimes he would seem to be tall, and sometimes lesse,
and suddenly vanished away.
‘And being demanded whether he lay with her, shee said hee would have lain
with her, but shee would not suffer him: and after _Blackeman_ was
departed from her, within three or 4 dayes, _Grissell_ and _Greedigut_
came to her, in the shape of dogges, with great brisles of hogges haire
upon their backs, and said to her they were come from _Blackeman_ to do
what she would command them, and did aske her if shee did want any thing,
and they would fetch it: and shee said she lacked nothing. Then they
prayed her to give them some victuals, and she said she was poore and had
none to give them; and so they departed: Yet she confessed that
_Blackeman_, _Grissel_ and _Greedigut_ divers times came to her
afterwards, and brought her two or three shillings at a time, and more
saith not.’
Another type of witchcraft is to be found in ‘Wonderfull News from the
North; or, a true relation of the sad and grievous torments inflicted upon
the Bodies of three Children of Mr. George Muschamp, late of the County of
Northumberland, by Witchcraft,’ etc. London, 1650. It begins thus:
‘First in harvest, some two Months before _Michaelmas_, about four or five
of the Clock in the afternoone, Mistris _Margaret Muschamp_ suddainly fell
into a great Trance; her Mother being frighted, called Company, and with
much adoe recovered her; as soone as the childe looked up, cryed out,
deare Mother, weepe not for me; for I have seene a happy Sight, and heard
a blessed sound, for the Lord hath loved my poore Soule, that he hath
caused his blessed Trumpet to sound in my eares, and hath sent two blessed
Angels to receive my sinfull soule. O weepe not for me, but rejoyce, that
the Lord should have such respect to so sinfull a wretch as I am, as to
send his heavenly Angels to receive my sinfull soule: with many other
divine expressions.’
After this she continued pretty well till Candlemas Eve, when she was
taken very bad indeed, losing the use of her limbs and speech, ‘and such
torments, that no eyes could looke on her without compassion.’ For 16
weeks she refused all food, saying ‘that God fed her with Angel’s food:
for truely all the 16 weekes fast she did not appeare to diminish her
fatness or favour anything at all.
‘On Whitsun Eve in the morning, she had eight hours bitter torment. In the
afternoone, her mother being abroad, left her Husband’s Brother’s
Daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Muschamp with her, who made signes to her to
carry her into the Garden, in her mother’s absence; her Cozen, casting a
mantle about her, gave her her desire, and sate in the Garden with her on
her knee; who, in the bringing down, had so little strength in her neck,
that her head hung wagging downe; but was not set a quarter of an houre,
till showing some signes to her Cozen, bolted off her knee, ran thrice
about the Garden, expressing a shrill voyce, but did not speake presently:
she that was brought down in this sad condition came up stairs on her owne
legs.’
However, this improvement did not last long; she had more illnesses, and
in one of them she made signs that she wished to write; so ‘they layd
paper on her brest, and put a pen with inke in her hand, and she, not
moving her eyes, writ, _Jo. Hu. Do. Swo. have been the death of one deare
friend, consume another, and torment mee_.’ The wiseacres puzzled over
this, and at last came to the conclusion that Mistress Dorothy Swinnow,
then wife to Col. Swinnow, who subsequently died, had bewitched her. At
another time this Margaret Muschamp wrote the same words with the
addition, ‘_two drops of his or her bloud would save my life; if I have it
not, I am undone; for seven yeares to be tormented before death come_.’
On this they sent to one John Hutton, a reputed wizard, who told them that
it was Mistress Swinnow who was the culprit, and he gave them two drops
of his own blood, which he wiped off his arm, with the paper on which the
girl had written. Returning home, they applied this remedy, in some way
unstated, and ‘On Munday night she fell into a heavenly rapture, rejoycing
that ever she was borne, for these two drops of blood had saved her life.’
The girl was afterwards very ill, and Dorothy Swinnow, now a widow, was
arrested, and committed to prison, where the narrative leaves off, with
the addition of the confession of one Margaret White, who ‘Confesseth and
saith, That she hath beene the Divells servant these five yeares past, and
that the Divell came to her in the likenes of a man in blew cloaths, in
her owne house, and griped her fast by the hand, and told her she should
never want, and gave her a nip on the shoulder, and another on her back;
and confesseth her Familiar came to her in the likenesse of a black
Gray-hound. She also Confesseth upon Oath that Mrs. _Swinnow_ and her
sister _Jane_, and herselfe were in the Divels company in her sister
_Jane’s_ house, where they did eate and drinke together, and made merry.
‘And Mrs. _Swinnow_, and her the sayd _Margaret’s_ sister, with her selfe,
came purposely to the house of Mr. _Edward Moore_ of _Spittle_, to take
away the life of _Margaret Muschamp_ and _Mary_, and they were the cause
of the Children’s tormenting, and that they were three several times to
have taken away their lives, and especially upon St. John’s day at night
gone twelve moneths: and sayth that God was above the Divell, for they
could not get their desires perfected; and saith that Mrs. _Swinnow_
would have consumed the childe that Mrs. _Moore_ had last in her wombe,
but the Lord would not permit her; and that after the childe was borne,
Mrs. _Swinnow_ was the occasion of its death; and that she and her sister
were also the occasion, and had a hand in the death of the sayd child; and
further confesseth that she and her sayd sister were the death of _Thomas
Yong_ of _Chatton_ (by reason) a kill full of Oates watched against her
sister’s minde; And further saith that the Divell called her sister _Jane_
(Besse); She confesseth that her sister _Jane_ had much troubled _Richard
Stanley_ of _Chatton_, and that she was the occasion of his sore leg.’
In ‘A Prodigious and Tragicall History of the Arraignment, Tryall,
Confession and Condemnation of six Witches at Maidstone in Kent, at the
Assizes there held in July, Fryday 30, this present year 1652,’ a new
feature is introduced.
‘The said _Anne Ashby_ further confessed, that the Divell had given them a
piece of flesh, which whensoever they should touch, they should thereby
effect their desires.
‘That this flesh lay hid amongst grasse, in a certain place which she
named, where, upon search, it was found accordingly.
‘The flesh was of a sinnewy substance, and scorched, and was seen and felt
by this Observator, and reserved for publique view at the sign of the Swan
in _Maidstone_.’
They were duly hanged, but ‘Some there were that wished rather they might
be burnt to Ashes; alledging, that it was a received opinion amongst
many, that the body of a witch being burnt, her bloud is prevented thereby
from becomming hereditary to her Progeny in the same evill, which by
hanging is not.’
However, in the case of four witches tried at Worcester on March 4,
1647,[48] they ‘received Sentance to be Burnt at the Stak all Four
together.
‘When being come to the Place of Execution, they made a strange and
lamentable Yeling and Howling, after which they Confessed the Crimes for
which they Suffered, and also declared how they had kill’d abundance of
Cattle for several years past, and that it was extream Pride, Malice, and
Revenge, that caused them to enter into such a curssed and Hellish League
with the Devil, who told them to the last, that he would secure them from
Public Punishment, but now, too late, they found him a Lyer, as he was
from the beginning of the World. _Cock_ and _Landish_ seemed penitent,
desiring all young Women to take Warning by their Devilish Lives, and
Shameful Deaths, assuring the Spectators, that as Satan in the first
Infancy of the World, prevail’d on the Woman to bring his Hellish attempts
to pass, so he still strives with that Sex, as the weaker Vessels, to Work
their Distructions; they both said the Lord’s Prayer very distinctly, but
_Rebecca West_ and _Rose Hallybread_ dyed very Stuburn and Refractory,
without any remorss, or seeming Terror of Conscience for their abominable
Witch-craft.’
‘A RELATION OF A LANCASHIRE WITCH, TRYED AT WORCESTER, IN THE YEAR
1649.[49]
‘At _Droitwich_ in the County of _Worcester_, a poor Woman’s Boy in the
Month of _May_, looking for his Mother’s Cow, espied some Bushes in a
Brake to shake; and, supposing the Cow to be Brousing there, went to the
Place, where he found no Cow, but an Old Woman, who, upon his approach,
said _Boh_ to him: whereupon he presently lost his speech, and could only
make a Noise, but could not speak any thing articulately, so as could be
understood. In this condition he came home to his Mother, made a great
Noise, but no body could understand what ailed him, or what he meant. A
while after, he ran out, and, at Sir _Edward Barret’s_ door, found, about
One a Clock, amongst other poor People, the same old Woman supping up a
Mess of hot Pottage, and ran furiously upon her, and threw her Pottage in
her Face, and offered some other Violence to her. Whereupon the Neighbours
wondering at the condition of the Boy, and his rage against the old Woman,
and suspecting that she had done him some hurt, Apprehended her, and she
was committed to the Prison, which they call the _Checker_. At Night the
Boy’s Mother Lodged him in a Garret over her own Lodging; and, in the
Morning, hearing a great Bussle over her, ran up, and found the Boy gotten
out of his Bed, with the Leg of a Form in his hand, striking furiously at
something in the Window; but saw nothing there that he should strike at.
The Boy presently put on his Cloaths, and ran downe into the Street
towards the Prison; and, as he was going, endeavouring to speak, found his
Speech restored.
‘When he came to the Prison, he asked for the old Woman, and told the
Gaoler how she had served him, and how his Speech came to him again in the
Way. The Gaoler, in the mean time, suspecting that she had Bewitched the
Boy, would not let her have either Meat or Drink, unless she would first
say the Lord’s Prayer, and bid God bless the Boy: which, at last, her
Hunger forced her to do; and it appeared to be at the same instant, as
near as can be guessed, that the Boy had his Speech restored to him. The
Boy asked the Gaoler, why he did not keep her faster, but let her come
out, and trouble him? The Gaoler answered, he had kept her very safe. The
Boy replied No, he had not; for she came and sat in his Chamber Window,
and grinned at him; and that, thereupon, he took up a Form Leg, and
therewith gave her two good bangs upon the Back, as she would have scutled
from him, before she could get away. Whereupon the Gaoler caused some
Women to search her, who found the Marks of two such Strokes upon her, as
the Boy said he had given her. All this was Sworn upon her Tryal by the
Boy, his Mother, the Gaoler, and the Women. Upon Examination she was found
to be a _Lancashire_ Woman; who, upon the Scarcity in those Parts, after
the Defeat of Duke _Hamilton_, wandred abroad to get Victuals.’
‘ANOTHER RELATION OF A TEUKSBURY WITCH, TRYED AT GLOUCESTER ABOUT THE SAME
TIME.
‘At _Teuksbury_, about the same time, a Man, who had a Sow and Pigs,
observing his Sow to have great store of Milk, and yet the Pigs to be
almost Famished, and consulting with his Neighbours about it, they all
concluded that she must needs be Sucked by something else, and so the Pigs
be robbed of their milk. Whereupon he resolved to watch till he found out
the Matter: and, having placed himself conveniently for that purpose, at
last he saw a black Four footed Creature, like a Pole Cat, come and beat
away the pigs, and having a pitchfork in his Hand, he ran the Prongs into
the Thigh of it, and ran it to the ground. Yet it struggled so as to get
off from him at last. There were some Neighbours not far off, but they saw
no such creature, but saw a Wench go away, and that Blood fell from her as
she went: whereupon they searched her, and found her so Wounded, as the
Man said he had wounded the thing which he found Sucking: And, thereupon,
she was Apprehended and Tryed at _Gloucester_ Assizes, where this Matter
was given in Evidence against her.’