"Kent, the first Christian, last conquered, and one of the most
flourishing and fruitful Provinces of England, is the Scene, and the
beautiful Town of Maidstone, the Stage, whereon this Tragicall Story was
publicly acted at Maidstone Assizes, last past."
In this Christian province and most beautiful country, Anne Ashby, Anne
Martyn, Mary Browne, Mildred Wright, and Anne Wilson, all of Cranbrooke,
and Mary Reade, of Lenham, were brought before Sir Peter Warburton,
charged with "the Execrable and Diabolicall crime of Witchcraft." Anne
Ashby, "who was the chiefe Actresse, and who had the greatest part in this
Tragedy," and Anne Martyn were "confessing" witches; but their confessions
did not amount to much, compared with the more highly spiced accounts of
other witches. That they had both known the devil as a man, and in
dishonesty and sin, was of course one of the chief items of their
confession, as it was of most witches; but Anne Ashby further informed the
Bench that the devil had given them each a piece of flesh, which,
whensoever they should touch, would give them their desires; and that this
piece of flesh was hid somewhere among the grass. As was proved: for upon
search it was found. Of a sinewy substance and scorched was this
redoubtable talisman, for it was both seen and felt by this Observator,
E. G., and reserved for public view at the sign of the Swan in Maidstone.
Anne Ashby had an imp too, called "Rug," which sometimes came out of her
mouth like a mouse, and was of so malicious and venificall a nature that a
certain groom belonging to Colonel Humfrey's regiment, for sport, said,
"Come Rug into my mouth," and the said groom was dead in a fortnight
after: "as it is reported," adds E. G. with saving grace. Anne was
hysterical, poor soul: and "in view of this Observation, fell into an
extasie before the Bench, and swell'd into a monstrous and vast bigness,
screeching and crying out dolefully." When she recovered they asked her if
she had been possessed by the devil at that time, to which she made answer
"that she did not know that, but that her Spirit Rug had come out of her
mouth like a mouse." After they were "cast" and judgment had been
pronounced against them she and Anne Martyn pleaded that they were with
child: but, being pressed on this point, they confessed that it was by no
man of honest flesh and blood, but by the devil, their customary spouse.
The plea was not suffered to stand. For proof against the rest, all that
is recorded by E. G. is, that when pricked neither Mary Browne, nor Anne
Wilson, nor yet Mildred Wright felt pain, or lost blood; and that Mary
Read had a visible teat under her tongue which she did show to this
Observator as well as to many others. But they were all hanged, at the
common place of execution; though some there were who wished that they
might be burnt instead, for burning had such virtue, that it prevented the
blood of a witch "becomming hereditary to her Progeny in the same evill,
which by hanging is not." The hangers, however, carried the day, and the
blood of the progeny was left to take its chance of hereditary evil. It
was supposed that these six witches, to whom were added five other
persons, had bewitched nine children, one man, and one woman, lost five
hundred pounds' worth of cattle, and wrecked much corn at sea.