In April, 1652, Joan Peterson, the witch of Wapping, was hanged at Tyburn
in just retribution of her sins. Joan had long had an ugly name in that
mean house of hers on the small island near Shadwell; for she was known to
heal the sick in a manner more suggestive than satisfactory, and she had a
black beast that used to suck her: which every one knew was the art and
function of an imp. That this was true of her who could doubt, for a man
said he had seen it, and it took even less direct testimony than this to
prove a woman a witch. Let the sceptical read the "Country Justice" to see
what subtle threads were strong enough for a witch-halter! One evening a
neighbour woman was watching by the cradle of a child who was strangely
distempered. In jumped a black cat, coming no one knew whence, and stopped
her cradling. This woman, and another watching with her, flung the
fire-fork at the cat, when it vanished as quickly as it had come. In an
hour's time it came again from the other side: one of the women raised her
foot and kicked it; and immediately her foot and leg swelled, and were
very sore and painful. Then, terrified, they called the master of the
house, told him that they could not watch in a place so beset with evil
spirits, and left him and the child to get on as they could. On their way
home they lighted on a baker, who told them that he had just met a big
black cat which had affrighted him so that his hair stood all on end; and
when the women told their tale, he said "on his conscience he thought it
was Mother Peterson, for he had met her going towards the island a little
while before." When on his oath, under examination, this valiant baker
declared that he had never been afraid of any cat before in his life; and
to a further question answered, "No, he had never seen such a cat before,
and he hoped in God he should never see the like again." But what
connection old Joan Peterson was assumed to have with this mysterious
black cat remains a mystery to this day: it was none to the judge and
jury, who condemned her to be hanged with safe and tranquil minds.