A Case of Vomiting Stones, etc., at Evesham--Anne Bodenham--Julian
Cox--Elizabeth Styles--Rose Cullender and Amy Duny.
Baxter, in his ‘Certainty of the Worlds of Spirits,’ etc. (London, 1691),
gives what he considers an indisputably authentic case of witchcraft, as
follows:
‘But the certaintest and fullest Instance of Witchcraft that ever I knew,
I shall here give you in the words of others: Only adding that about
twenty years ago, at the time it was doing, my worthy and dear Friend, Mr.
_George Hopkins_, the then Faithful Minister of the Gospel at _Evesham_,
told it me himself, and told me of their Care and Watchfulness, to see
that there were no Fraud committed in it. And the Witch was hanged at
_Worcester_, and the Woman herself is yet living in _Evesham_, and the
thing never there doubted of: But, having occasion lately to instance the
fact against some Unbelievers, I sent to _Evesham_, to a Godly, Credible
Friend to send me word, whether any doubt had, in these years past, risen
concerning it, and to send me some of the Flint Stones which were voided
by the Girl; who sent me word, that there were no doubt of the thing, and
procured the now Minister of the Place to write me the Narrative which I
here subjoin. And he sent me _One stone_, about the breadth of a small
Groat, and the thickness of a Half-crown, which, he said, was all that is
there kept of them, taken by the Major’s Wife her self, and kept by her,
and, therefore, I must send it back again: Many had sent for the Stones,
and so many troubled the House about them, that they threw away, or buried
the rest: And Mr. _Boyle_ told me that the Earl of _South Hampton_, Lord
Treasurer, for his Satisfaction, had got a great number of them. I carried
this about me, a quarter of a year, and then sent it home. But that which
I chiefly inform the Reader of, is, that the thing was so long in doing,
and so Famous, and so many Pious, Understanding Persons minded it, that
suspition of Fraud was by their Diligence avoided.
‘_The Narrative as lately sent me from most Credible Persons in_ Evesham,
_is as followeth_:
‘About the Month of _April_ 1652 _Mary_, the daughter of _Edward Ellins_,
of the Burrough of _Evesham_, in the County of _Worcester_, Gardner, then
about nine or ten years old, went in the fields on a _Saturday_, with some
other Children, to gather Cowslips, and, finding in a Ditch by the
way-side, at the said Town’s end, one _Catherine Huxley_, a single Woman,
aged then about forty years, the Children called her Witch, and took up
stones to throw at her, the said _Mary_ also called her Witch, and took up
a stone, but was so affrighted that she could not throw it at her; then
they all run away from her, and the said _Mary_ being hindmost, this
_Huxley_ said to her (_Ellins_ you Shall have enough stones in you.)
Whereupon _Mary_ fell that day very ill, and continued so weak and
Languishing that her Friends feared she would not recover; but, about a
Month after, she began to void stones by the urinary passages, and some
little urine came away from her; also, when she voided any stone, the
stone she voided was heard by those that were by her, to drop into the Pot
or Basin; and she had most grievous pains in her Back and Reins, like the
pricking of Pins. The number of the stones she voided was about eighty,
some plain pebbles, some plain flints, some very small, and some about an
ounce weight. This she did for some space, (a month or two, or there
abouts) until, upon some strong suspitions of Witchcraft, the forenamed
_Huxley_ was Apprehended, Examined and Searched, (at whose Bed’s Head
there was found several Stones such as the said _Mary_ Voided) and was
sent to _Worcester_, where, at the Summer _Assizes_ in the said year 1652
(then at hand) she was, at the Prosecution of the Friends of the said
_Mary_, Condemned and Executed: upon whose Apprehension and Commitment,
_Mary_ ceased to void any more stones; but, for a while, voided much
blackish and muddy Sand, and also, in short time, perfectly recovered, and
is yet living in the Town, in good and honest Repute, and hath been many
years Marryed, and hath had seven Children; but never voided any stones
since, nor been troubled with the pain fore mentioned. Abundance of people
yet living, know the Substance of this to be true, and her Mother in Law
(since dead) kept the stones till she was tired with the frequent Resort
of people to see them, and the said _Mary_, and to hear the Relation of
the matter, and beg the stones; (for though many offered Money for them,
yet she always refused it, nor did they ever take any, but it cost them
much upon the Girl, and the Prosecution of the said _Huxley_) and then she
buried them in her Garden. _Edward Ellins_, the Father of the said _Mary_,
is also yet living, and a Man of honest Repute, and utterly free (as is
also the said _Mary_, and all the rest of her _Friends_) from the least
Suspition of any Fraud or Cheat in the whole business: This was known to
hundreds of People in the said Town, and parts Adjacent, and many of them,
yet living, are ready to attest to the truth of it.’
In the case of Anne Bodenham,[50] which is too long and intricate to give
even a résumé of, we have some entirely new features, partaking more of
the magician than the witch. She lived at Fisherton-Auger, Wilts, was a
married woman, and at the time of her malpractices kept a small elementary
school. She was considered a ‘cunning,’ or ‘wise,’ woman, and was resorted
to by the people round about, for consultation as to the recovery of lost
or stolen property, and, according to this pamphlet, her doings were
marvellous. The first case records a woman going to consult her as to the
loss of some gold money.
‘The Witch put on her Spectacles, and, demanding seven shillings of the
Maid, which she received, she opened three Books, in which there seemed
to be severall pictures, and amongst the rest, the picture of the Devill,
to the Maid’s appearance, _with his Cloven feet and Claws_; after the
Witch had looked over the book, she brought a round green glass, which
glass she layd down on one of the books, upon some picture therein, and
rubbed the glass, and then took up the book with the glass upon it, and
held it up against the Sun, and bid the Maid come and see who they were
that she could shew in that glass, and the Maid, looking in the glass, saw
the shape of many persons, and what they were doing of in her Master’s
house, in particular, shewed Mistriss _Elizabeth Rosewel_ standing in her
Mistriss Chamber, looking out of the Window with her hands in her sleeves,
and another walking alone in her Master’s Garden, one other standing in a
room within the kitchen, one other standing in a matted room of her
Masters, against the window, with her Apron in her hand, and shewed others
drinking, with glasses of Beer in their hands. After the Witches shewing
this to the Maid, she then bad her go home; which, when she came home, she
asked the people (she so saw in the Witches glass) what they had been
doing while she had been wanting, and by their answers to her, she found
that they had been doing what she saw they were in the glass: and the Maid
relating this to _Elizabeth Rousewel_, she replyed, that Mistriss
_Boddenham_ (meaning the said Witch) was either a Witch, or a woman of
God.’
She was also able to raise devils, and had several at her command,
_Beelzebub_, _Tormentor_, _Satan_, and _Lucifer_, and one scene with them
is thus described: ‘And, presently, the back Door of the house flying
open, there came five spirits, as the Maid supposed, in the likeness of
ragged Boys, some bigger than others, and ran about the house, where she
had drawn the Staff, and the Witch threw down upon the ground Crumbs of
Bread, which the Spirits picked up, and leapt over the Pan of Coals
oftentimes, which she set in the middest of the circle, and a Dog and a
Cat of the Witches danced with them; and, after some time, the Witch
looked again in her book, and threw some great white seeds on the ground,
which the said Spirits picked up, and so, in a short time, the wind was
layd, and the Witch, going forth at her back Door, the Spirits vanished.’
But she also dabbled in poisoning: ‘And in a short time after, Mistress
_Rosewel_ sent her again to the Witch, to know of her when the day should
be, that Mistris _Goddard_ should be poysoned, and delivered her eight
shillings to give the Witch; so the Maid went again to the Witch
accordingly, and gave her the eight shillings, and the Witch replyed she
could not tell her then, but gave the Maid one shilling, and bid her go to
an Apothecary, and buy some white _Arsenick_, and bring it to her to
prevent it, which the Maid did, and carried it to the Witch, who said to
her she would take it and burn it, to prevent the poysoning, but she burnt
it not, as the Maid could see, at all....
‘The next day following, the Maid was sent again to the Witch, to get some
example shewen upon the Gentlewoman that should procure the poyson, upon
which the Maid went again to the Witch, and told her for what she was
sent. Then the Witch made a Circle, as formerly, and set her pan of Coles,
as formerly, and burnt something that stank extremely, and took her book
and Glass, as before is related, and said _Beelzebub_, _Tormentor_,
_Lucifer_, and _Satan_, appear! And then appeared five Spirits as she
conceived, in the shapes of little ragged Boyes, which the Witch commanded
to appear, and go along with the Maid to a meadow at _Wilton_, which the
Witch shewed in the Glass, and there to gather Vervine and Dill, and,
forthwith, the ragged Boys ran away before the Maid, and she followed them
to the said meadow; and, when they came thither the ragged Boys looked
about for the Herbs, and removed the Snow in two or three places, before
they could find any; and, at last, they found some, and brought it away
with them, and then the Maid and the Boys returned back to the Witch, and
found her in the Circle paring her Nayls, and then she took the said
Herbs, and dryed the same, and made powder of some, and dried the leaves
of other, and threw Bread to the Boys, and they eat and danced as
formerly; and then the Witch, reading in a book, they vanished away. And
the Witch gave the Maid in one paper the powder, in another the leaves,
and in the third, the paring of the Nayls; all which the Maid was to give
to her Mistress. The powder was to put in the young Gentlewomens Mistriss
_Sarah_ and Mistriss _Ann Goddard’s_ drink or broth, to rot their Guts in
their Bellies; the leaves to rub about the rims of the Pot, to make their
Teeth fall out of their Heads; and the parings of the Nayls to make them
mad and drunk. And the Witch likewise told the Maid, that she must tell
her Mistriss, and the rest, that, when they did give it to them, they must
cross their Breasts, and then say, _In the name of our Lord Jesu Christ,
grant that this may be_, and that they must say the Creed backward and
forward.’
The death of this wicked woman was worthy of her life: ‘Afterwards, she
fell into a rage, and wished for a Knife: she said she would run it into
her heart-blood. Being replyed unto by some, _Oh M{ris} Boddenham, you
would not offer to doe such wickednesse? would you?_ She swore by the Name
of God, but she would, had she but a Knife. She then went forth to the
place of her Execution, where a numerous company were spectators; and, as
she went along towards the gallows, by every house she went by, she went
with a small piece of silver in her hand, calling for Beer, and was very
passionate when denyed. One of the men that guarded her on the way, told
her that Mr. Sheriff would not let her be buryed under the gallows, upon
which she railed at the man extremely that told her so, and said she would
be buryed there. When she came to the place of execution, she went
immediately to goe up the Ladder, but she was pulled back again and
restrained: I then pressed her to confesse what she promised me she would,
now before she dyed, but she refused to say anything. Being asked whether
she desired the prayers of any of the people, she answered, she had as
many prayers already, as she intended or desired to have, but cursed
those that detained her from her death, and was importunate to goe up the
Ladder, but was restrained for a while, to see whether she would confesse
any thing, but she would not. They then let her goe up the Ladder, and
when the rope was about her neck, she went to turn herself off, but the
Executioner stayed her, and desired her to forgive him: she replyed.
Forgive thee? a pox on thee, turn me off: which were the last words she
spake. She was never heard, all the while she was at the place of
Execution, to pray one word, or desire any others to pray for her, but the
contrary.’
‘_Julian Cox_, aged 70 years, was indicted at _Taunton_ in
_Somersetshire_, about summer assizes, 1663, before Judge _Archer_, then
judge of assize there, for witchcraft.[51]
‘For the proof of the first particular. The first witness was a huntsman,
who swore that he went out with a pack of hounds to hunt a hare, and not
far off from Julian Cox’s house, he, at last, started a hare. The Dogs
hunted her very close, and the third ring hunted her in view, till, at
last, the huntsman, perceiving the hare almost spent, and making towards a
great bush, he ran on the other side of the bush to take her up, and
preserve her from the dogs; but, as soon as he laid hands on her, it
proved to be Julian Cox, who had her head grovelling on the ground. He,
knowing her, was affrighted, so that the hair on his head stood on end,
and he spake to her, and asked her what brought her there? But she was so
far out of breath that she could not make him any answer: his dogs also
came up, with full cry, to recover the game, and smelt at her, and so left
off hunting any farther. And the huntsman, with the dogs, went home
presently, sadly affrighted.
* * * * *
‘Thirdly, Another swore that Julian passed by his yard while his beasts
were in milking, and stooping down, scored upon the ground for some small
time. During which time his cattle ran mad, and some ran their heads
against trees, and some of them died speedily: Whereupon, concluding they
were bewitched, he was, after, advised to this experiment, to find out the
Witch, _viz._ to cut off the ears of the bewitched beasts, and burn them;
and that the witch would be in misery, and could not rest till they were
plucked out. Which he tried; and while they were burning, Julian Cox came
into the house, raging and scolding, that they had abused her without a
cause; but she went presently to the fire, and took the ears which were
burning and then she was quiet.
* * * * *
‘The prisoner was called for up to the next bar in the court, and demanded
if she could say the _Lord’s Prayer_? She said, she could, and went over
the prayer readily till she came to that petition. Then she said _And lead
us into temptation_, or, _And lead us not into no temptation_, but could
not say, _And lead us not into temptation_, though she was directed to say
it after one that repeated it to her, distinctly, but she could not
repeat it otherwise than is expressed already; though tried to do it near
half a score times in the open Court. After all which the Jury found her
guilty, and, judgement having been given, within three or four days, she
was executed without any confession of the fact.’
‘Elizabeth Styles, her confession of her Witchcraft _January_ 26 and 30
and _Feb._ 7, 1664. before _Robert Hunt_ Esqre.[52] She then confessed,
That the Devil, about ten years since, appeared to her in the shape of a
handsome man, and after, of a black dog. That he promised her money, and
that she should live gallantly, and have the pleasure of the world for 12
Years, if she would with her own blood, sign his paper, which was to give
her soul to him, and observe his laws, and that he might suck her blood.
This, after four solicitations, the examinant promised him to do. Upon
which, he pricked the fourth finger of her right Hand, between the middle
and upper joint (where the sign, at the Examination, remained) with a drop
or two of blood, she signed the paper with an O. Upon this, the Devil gave
her Sixpence, and vanished with the paper.
‘That, since, he hath appeared to her in the shape of a man, and did so on
_Wednesday_ seven night past: but more usually, he appears in the likeness
of a dog, or cat, or a Fly like a Miller; in which last (_shape_) he
usually sucks her on the Poll, about four of the Clock in the morning; and
did so Jan. 27, and that it usually is pain to her to be so sucked.
‘That when she hath a desire to do harm, she calls the Spirit by the name
of _Robin_; to whom, when he appeareth, she useth these words, _O Satan,
give me my purpose_. She then tells him that he should so appear to her,
was part of her contract with him.
‘That about a Month ago, he appearing, she desired him to torment one
_Elizabeth Hill_, and to thrust thorns unto her Flesh, which he promised
to do, and the next Time he appeared, he told her he had done it.
‘That a little above a month since, this Examinant, _Alice Duke_, _Ann
Bishop_, and _Mary Penny_, met about nine of the clock, in the night, in
the common near _Trister Gate_, where they met a man in black Cloaths,
with a little band, to whom they did courtesie and due observance; and the
examinant verily believes that this was the Devil. At that time _Alice
Duke_ brought a picture in Wax, which was for _Elizabeth Hill_: The man in
black took it in his Arms, anointed it’s Forehead, and said, _I baptize
thee with this oyl_, and used some other words. He was God father, and the
examinant and _Anne Bishop_, God mothers; they called it _Elizabeth_ or
_Bess_. Then the man in black, this examinant, _Anne Bishop_, and _Alice
Duke_, stuck thorns into several places of the Neck, Hand wrist, Fingers,
and other parts of the said picture. After which they had wine, cakes and
roast meat, (all brought by the man in black,) which they did eat and
drink; they danced and were merry, were bodily there, and their cloaths.
‘... She saith, before they are carried to their meetings, they anoint
their foreheads and hand wrists with Oyl the Spirit brings them, (which
smells raw) and then they are carried in a very short time; using these
words as they pass, _Thout, tout a tout, tout, throughout and about_; and
when they go off from their meetings, they say, _Rentum Tormentum_.
‘That, at their first meeting the man in black bids them welcome, and they
all make low obeysance to him, and he delivers some wax candles, like
little torches, which they give back again at parting. When they anoint
themselves, they use a long form of words, and when they stick thorns in
the picture of any they would torment, they say, _A pox on thee, I’ll
spite thee_.
‘That, at every meeting, before the Spirit vanishes away, he appoints the
next meeting, place and time; and at his departure there is a foul smell.
At their meeting, they have usually Wine or good beer, cakes, meat or the
like; they eat and drink really; when they meet in their bodies, dance
also, and have musick. The man in black sits at the hither End, and _Anne
Bishop_ usually sat next to him: He useth some words before meat, and none
after; his voice is audible, but very low.
‘That they are sometimes carried in their bodies and their clothes,
sometimes without, and, as the examinant thinks, only their spirits are
present; yet they know one another.... The man in black sometimes plays on
a pipe or cittern, and the company dances: at last the Devil vanisheth,
and all are carried to their several homes, in a short space. At their
parting, they say, _Hey boy, merry meet, merry part_.’
The story of the trial of Rose Cullender and Amy Duny at Bury St.
Edmund’s, before Sir Matthew Hale in 1664, has been often told, but in one
particular it differs from other cases of witchcraft.
‘_Diana Bocking_ Sworn and Examined, Deposed. That she lived in the same
Town of _Leystoff_, and that her said Daughter having been formerly
Afflicted with swooning fits, recovered well of them, and so continued for
a certain time; and, upon the First of _February_ last, she was taken,
also, with great pain in her Stomach, like pricking with Pins; and,
afterwards, fell into swooning fitts, and so continued till the Deponents
coming to the Assizes, having during the same time taken little or no
food, but daily vomiting crooked Pins; and, upon Sunday last, raised Seven
Pins. And, whilst her fits were upon her, she would spread both her Arms,
with her hands open, and use postures as if she catched at something, and
would instantly close her hands again; which being immediately forced
open, they found several Pins diversely crooked, but could neither see nor
perceive how, or in what manner they were conveyed thither. At another
time, the same _Jane_ being in another of her fitts, talked as if she were
discoursing with some persons in the Room (though she would give no
answer, nor seem to take notice of any person then present) and would in
like manner cast abroad her Arms, saying, _I will not have it, I will not
have it_; and at last, she said, _Then I will have it_, and so waving her
Arm with her hand open, she would presently close the same; which,
instantly forced open, they found in it a _Lath-Nail_.’
The two witches were executed, neither confessing.