ROGER NOWEL _Esquire aforesaid, against_ ANNE
WHITTLE, alias CHATTOX, _Prisoner at the Barre
as followeth._ viz.
The said Examinate saith, that about sixe yeares agoe, _Anne
Whittle_, alias _Chattox_, was hired by this Examinates wife to card
wooll;[E_b_2] and so vpon a Friday and Saturday, shee came and carded
wooll with this Examinates wife, and so the Munday then next after
shee came likewise to card: and this Examinates wife hauing newly
tunned drinke into Stands, which stood by the said _Anne Whittle_,
alias _Chattox_: and the said _Ann Whittle_ taking a Dish or Cup, and
drawing drinke seuerall times: and so neuer after that time, for some
eight or nine weekes, they could haue any drinke, but spoiled, and as
this Examinate thinketh was by the meanes of the said _Chattox_. And
further he saith, that the said _Anne Whittle_, alias _Chattox_, and
_Anne Redferne_ her said Daughter, are commonly reputed and reported
to bee Witches. And hee also saith, that about some eighteene yeares
agoe, he dwelled with one _Robert Nutter_ the elder, of Pendle
aforesaid. And that yong _Robert Nutter_, who dwelled with his
Grand-father, in the Sommer time, he fell sicke, and in his said
sicknesse hee did seuerall times complaine, that hee had harme by
them: and this Examinate asking him what hee meant by that word
_Them_, He said, that he verily thought that the said _Anne Whittle_,
alias _Chattox_, and the said _Redfernes_ wife, had bewitched him: and
the said _Robert Nutter_ shortly after, being to goe with his then
Master, called Sir _Richard Shattleworth_,[E2_a_] into Wales, this
Examinate heard him say before his then going, vnto the said _Thomas
Redferne_, that if euer he came againe he would get his Father to put
the said _Redferne_ out of his house, or he himselfe would pull it
downe; to whom the said _Redferne_ replyed, saying; when you come back
againe you will be in a better minde: but he neuer came back againe,
but died before Candlemas in Cheshire, as he was comming homeward.
Since the voluntarie confession and examination of a Witch, doth
exceede all other euidence, I spare to trouble you with a multitude of
Examinations, or Depositions of any other witnesses, by reason this
bloudie fact, for the Murder of _Robert Nutter_, vpon so small an
occasion, as to threaten to take away his owne land from such as were
not worthie to inhabite or dwell vpon it, is now made by that which
you haue alreadie heard, so apparant, as no indifferent man will
question it, or rest vnsatisfied: I shall now proceede to set forth
vnto you the rest of her actions, remaining vpon Record. And how
dangerous it was for any man to liue neere these people, to giue them
any occasion of offence, I leaue it to your good consideration.
* * * * *
_The Examination and voluntarie Confession
of_ ANNE WHITTLE, alias CHATTOX, _taken
at the Fence in the Forrest of Pendle, in the Countie
of Lancaster, the second day of Aprill_, Anno Regni
Regis IACOBI ANGLIÆ, Franciæ, & Hiberniæ, decimo
& Scotiæ xlv.