flew into the face of the younger child when she was out of
doors, and would have gone into her mouth; the child ran
screaming into the house and had a fit, and vomited up a
two-penny nail with a broad head, which she said the bee had
tried to put in her mouth.
The elder child said she saw a mouse, and crept under the table to look
for it, and she found something, the witness did not see what it was,
which she threw into the fire, when it flashed like gunpowder. At a time
when she was speechless, but otherwise in good health, she appeared to
chase something round the house, catch it, put it in her apron, and made
as if she threw it in the fire, but the witness saw nothing. The child
afterwards being restored to her speech said it was a duck. The younger
child said that in her fits Amy Duny tempted her to drown herself, and
to cut her throat, or otherwise destroy herself. For these reasons the
witness believed that the children were bewitched, though she had not
believed it at first.
_Edmund Durent_, the father of Ann Durent, swore that Rose Cullender
came to his house in the previous November to buy some herrings of his
wife, but being denied by her, returned in a discontented manner. On the
first of December his daughter felt a great pain in her stomach, fell
into swooning fits, and on her recovery declared that she had seen the
apparition of Rose Cullender, who threatened to torment her. She had
also vomited up pins, which were produced in court.
The maid was present in court, but could not speak to declare
her knowledge, but fell into the most violent fit when she was
brought before Rose Cullender.
_Ann Baldwin_ corroborated the last witness, and added that Jane Bocking
was so weak that she could not be brought to the Assizes.
_Diana Bocking_, the mother of Jane Bocking, swore that her daughter had
formerly suffered from fits, but had recovered from them. On the first
of February last, however, she had been attacked with fits which lasted
till the witnesses came to the Assizes, vomiting pins daily, seven last
Sunday. In her fits she would frequently complain of Rose Cullender and
Amy Duny, saying that she saw them standing about the bed. At last she
was stricken dumb for some days, and said when she recovered that Amy
Duny would not suffer her to speak.
_Mary Chandler_, the mother of Susan Chandler, swore that she had
examined the prisoners after they had been examined before Sir Edmund
Bacon, on a charge of having bewitched Mr. Pacy's daughters, and that
she had found certain monstrous growths on the body of Rose Cullender.
She also said that Rose Cullender had appeared to her daughter, who was
in service, one morning while she was washing, whereupon she was
frightened and came at once and told her mother; and soon afterwards was
attacked by fits, vomiting pins, like the others. She was at times dumb,
and at times blind, and when she was brought into court, she was
attacked anew, although she recovered her speech outside.
This was the sum and substance of the evidence which was given
against the prisoners concerning the bewitching of the children
before mentioned. At the hearing this evidence there were divers
known persons as Mr. Serjeant Keeling,[51] Mr. Serjeant Earl,
and Mr. Serjeant Barnard present. Mr. Serjeant Keeling seemed
much unsatisfied with it, and thought it not sufficient to
convict the prisoners: for admitting that the children were in
truth bewitched, yet said he, it can never be applied to the
prisoners, upon the imagination only of the parties afflicted;
for if that might be allowed no person whatsoever can be in
safety, for perhaps they might fancy another person, who might
altogether be innocent in such matters.
There was also _Dr. Brown_[52] of Norwich, a person of great
knowledge; who after this evidence given, and upon view of three
persons in Court, was desired to give his opinion, what he did
conceive of them: and he was clearly of opinion, that the
persons were bewitched; and said, That in Denmark there had
been lately a great discovery of witches, who used the very same
way of afflicting persons, by conveying pins into them, and
crooked as these pins were, with needles and nails. And his
opinion was, That the devil in such cases did work upon the
bodies of men and women, upon a natural foundation (that is), to
stir up, and excite such humours super-abounding in their bodies
to a great excess, whereby he did in an extraordinary manner
afflict them with such distempers as their bodies were most
subject to, as particularly appeared in these children; for he
conceived, that these swooning fits were natural, and nothing
else, but only heightened to a great excess by the subtilty of
the devil, co-operating with the malice of these which we term
witches, at whose instance he doth these villanies.
Besides the particulars above mentioned touching the said
persons bewitched, there were many other things objected against
them for a further proof and manifestation that the said
children were bewitched. As first, during the time of the trial,
there were some experiments made with the persons afflicted, by
bringing the persons to touch them; and it was observed, that
when they were in the midst of their fits to all men's
apprehension wholly deprived of all sense and understanding,
closing their fists in such manner, as that the strongest man in
court could not force them open; yet by the least touch of one
of these supposed witches, Rose Cullender by name, they would
suddenly shriek out opening their hands, which accident would
not happen by the touch of any other person.
And lest they might privately see when they were touched by the
said Rose Cullender, they were blinded with their own aprons,
and the touching took the same effect as before.
There was an ingenious person that objected, there might be a
great fallacy in this experiment, and there ought not to be any
stress put upon this to convict the parties, for the children
might counterfeit this their distemper, and perceiving what was
done to them they might in such manner suddenly alter the motion
and gesture of their bodies, on purpose to induce persons to
believe that they were not natural, but wrought strangely by the
touch of the prisoners. Wherefore to avoid this scruple it was
privately desired by the Judge, that the Lord Cornwallis, Sir
Edmund Bacon, and Mr. Serjeant Keeling, and some other gentlemen
there in court, would attend one of the distempered persons in
the farther part of the Hall, whilst she was in her fits, and
then to send for one of the witches, to try what would then
happen, which they did accordingly: and Amy Duny was conveyed
from the bar and brought to the maid: they put an apron before
her eyes, and then one other person touched her hand, which
produced the same effect as the touch of the witch did in the
Court. Whereupon the gentlemen returned, openly protesting, that
they did believe the whole transaction of this business was a
mere imposture. This put the Court and all persons into a stand.
But at length Mr. Pacy did declare, That possibly the maid might
be deceived by a suspicion that the witch touched her when she
did not. For he had observed divers times, that although they
could not speak, but were deprived of the use of their tongues
and limbs, that their understandings were perfect, for that they
had related divers things which have been when they were in
their fits, after they had recovered out of them. This saying of
Mr. Pacy was found to be true afterwards when his daughter was
fully recovered (as she afterwards was) as shall in due time be
related: For she was asked, whether she did hear and understand
anything that was done and acted in the Court, during the time
that she lay as one deprived of her understanding? and she said,
She did: and by the opinions of some, this experiment (which
others would have a fallacy) was rather a confirmation that the
parties were really bewitched, than otherwise: for say they, it
is not possible that any should counterfeit such distempers,
being acquainted with such various circumstances, much less
children; and for so long time, and yet undiscovered by their
parents and relations: For no man can suppose that they should
all conspire together (being out of several families, and as
they affirm, no way related one to the other, and scarce of
familiar acquaintance) to do an act of this nature whereby no
benefit or advantage could redound to any of the parties, but a
guilty conscience for perjuring themselves in taking the lives
of two poor simple women away, and there appears no malice in
the case. For the prisoners themselves did scarce so much as
object it. Wherefore, said they, it is very evident that the
parties were bewitched, and that when they apprehend or
understand by any means, that the persons who have done them
this wrong are near, or touch them; then their spirits being
more than ordinarily moved with rage and anger at them being
present, they do use more violent gestures of their bodies, and
extend forth their hands, as desirous to lay hold upon them;
which at other times not having the same occasion, the instance
there falls not out the same.
Additional witnesses were afterwards called to prove other acts of
witchcraft by the prisoners.
_John Soam_,'a yeoman, and a sufficient person,' deposed that one
harvest he had three carts, and that as they were going into the field
to load, one of them wrenched the window of Rose Cullender's house,
whereupon she came out in a great rage, and threatened him. Afterwards
the two carts that had not touched the house twice made the journey home
loaded and back again, safely. But the cart that had touched the house
was overturned twice or thrice that day after it was loaded; and as they
brought it through the gate out of the field it stuck so fast that they
had to cut down the gate-post, 'although they could not perceive that
the cart did of either side touch the gate-posts.' And further,
after they had got it through the gate-way, they did with much
difficulty get it home into the yard; but for all that they
could do, they could not get the cart near unto the place where
they should unload the corn, but were fain to unload it at a
great distance from the place, and when they began to unload
they found a great difficulty therein, it being so hard a labour
that they were tired that first came; and when others came to
assist them, their noses burst forth a bleeding; so they were
fain to desist and leave it until the next morning, and then
they unloaded it without any difficulty at all.
_Robert Sherringham_ swore that about two years before, as he was
passing along the street with his cart and horse, the axle-tree of his
cart touched Rose Cullender's house, and broke down some part of it, at
which she was very much displeased, threatening him that his horses
should suffer for it;
and it so happened that all those horses, being four in number,
died within a short time after; since that time he hath had
great losses by the sudden dying of his other cattle; so soon as
his sows pigged, the pigs would leap and caper, and immediately
fall down and die. Also not long after he was taken with a
lameness in his limbs that he could neither go nor stand for
some days. After all this, he was very much vexed with great
number of lice of an extraordinary bigness, and although he many
times shifted himself, yet he was not anything the better, but
would swarm again with them; so that in the conclusion he was
forced to burn all his clothes, being two suits of apparel, and
then was clean from them.
_Richard Spencer_, about the first of September last, heard Amy Duny say
that the devil would not let her rest until she was revenged on the wife
of one Cornelius Sandeswell.
_Ann Sandeswell_ says that seven or eight years since,
she having bought a certain number of geese, meeting with Amy
Duny, she told her, if she did not fetch her geese home they
would all be destroyed; which in a few days after it came to
pass.
Afterwards the said Amy became tenant to the witness's husband for a
house, and Amy told the witness that if she did not look well to such a
chimney in the house it would fall, whereupon the witness told her that
it was a new one, and they parted without the witness attaching much
importance to the matter;
but in a short time the chimney fell down according as the said
Amy had said.
Also the witness once asked her brother, who was a fisherman, to send
her a firkin of fish, which he did; and she hearing that the firkin was
brought into Lowestofft Road, asked a boatman to bring it ashore with
other goods which they had to bring;
and as she was going down to meet the boat-man to receive her
fish, she desired the said Amy to go along with her to help her
home with it; Amy replied she would go when she had it. And
thereupon this deponent went to the shore without her, and
demanded of the boat-man the firkin; they told they could not
keep it in the boat from falling into the sea, and they thought
it was gone to the devil, for they never saw the like before.
And being demanded whether any other goods in the boat were
likewise lost as well as hers? they answered not any.
This was the substance of the whole evidence given against the
prisoners at the bar; who being demanded, what they had to say
for themselves? they replied, nothing material to anything that
was proved against them. Whereupon the judge, in giving his
direction to the jury, told them, that he would not repeat the
evidence unto them, lest by so doing he should wrong the
evidence on the one side or on the other.
Only this acquainted them, that they had two things to enquire
after. First, Whether or no these children were bewitched?
Secondly, Whether the prisoners at the bar were guilty of it?
That there were such creatures as witches he made no doubt at
all; For first, the scriptures had affirmed so much. Secondly
the wisdom of all nations had provided laws against such
persons, which is an argument of their confidence of such a
crime.
And such hath been the judgment of this kingdom, as appears by
that act of parliament which hath provided punishments
proportionable to the quality of the offence. And desired them,
strictly to observe their evidence; and desired the great God of
heaven to direct their hearts in this weighty thing they had in
hand: For to condemn the innocent, and to let the guilty go
free, were both an abomination to the Lord. With this short
direction the jury departed from the bar, and within the space
of half an hour returned, and brought them in both Guilty upon
the several indictments, which were thirteen in number,
whereupon they stood indicted.
This was upon Thursday in the afternoon, March 13, 1665. The
next morning, the three children with their parents came to the
Lord Chief-Baron Hales's lodging, who all of them spake
perfectly, and were in as good health as ever they were; only
Susan Chandler by reason of her very much affliction did look
very thin and wan. And their friends were asked at what time
they were restored thus to their speech and health? And Mr. Pacy
did affirm, That within less than half an hour after the
witches were convicted they were all of them restored, and slept
well that night, feeling no pain; only Susan Chandler felt a
pain like pricking of pins in her stomach.
After, they were all of them brought down to the court, but Ann
Durent was so fearful to behold them, that she desired she might
not see them. The other two continued in the court, and they
affirmed in the face of the country, and before the witches
themselves, what before hath been deposed by their friends and
relations; the prisoners not much contradicting them. In
conclusion, the judge and all the court were fully satisfied
with the verdict, and thereupon gave judgment against the
witches that they should be hanged.
They were much urged to confess, but would not.
That morning we departed for Cambridge, but no reprieve was
granted; And they were executed on Monday the 17th of March
following, but they confessed nothing.