ROGER NOWEL _of Reade aforesaid, Esquire, one
of his Maiesties Iustices of the Peace, within the said
Countie._
This Examinate saith, that about eleuen yeares agoe, this Examinate
and her mother had their firehouse broken,[E4_a_] and all, or the most
part of their linnen clothes, & halfe a peck of cut oat-meale, and a
quantitie of meale gone, all which was worth twentie shillings, or
aboue: and vpon a Sunday then next after, this Examinate did take a
band and a coife, parcell of the goods aforesaid, vpon the daughter of
_Anne Whittle, alias Chattox_, and claimed them to be parcell of the
goods stolne, as aforesaid.
And this Examinate further saith, That her father, called _Iohn
Deuice_, being afraid, that the said _Anne Chattox_ should doe him or
his goods any hurt by Witchcraft; did couenant with the said _Anne_,
that if she would hurt neither of them, she should yearely haue one
Aghen-dole of meale;[E4_b_1] which meale was yearely paid, vntill the
yeare which her father died in, which was about eleuen yeares since:
Her father vpon his then-death-bed, taking it that the said _Anne
Whittle_, alias _Chattox_, did bewitch him to death, because the said
meale was not paid the last yeare.
And she also saith, That about two yeares agone, this Examinate being
in the house of _Anthony Nutter_ of Pendle aforesaid, and being then
in company with _Anne Nutter_, daughter of the said _Anthony_: the
said _Anne Whittle_, alias _Chattox_, came into the said _Anthony
Nutters_ house, and seeing this Examinate, and the said _Anne Nutter_
laughing, and saying, that they laughed at her the said _Chattox_:
well said then (sayes _Anne Chattox_) I will be meet with the one of
you. And vpon the next day after, she the said _Anne Nutter_ fell
sicke, and within three weekes after died. And further, this Examinate
saith, That about two yeares agoe, she, this Examinate, hath heard,
That the said _Anne Whittle_, alias _Chattox_, was suspected for
bewitching the drinke of _Iohn Moore_ of Higham Gentleman:[E4_b_2] and
not long after, shee this Examinate heard the said _Chattox_ say, that
she would meet with the said _Iohn Moore_, or his.[E4_b_3] Whereupon a
child of the said _Iohn Moores_, called _Iohn_, fell sick, and
languished about halfe a yeare, and then died: during which
languishing, this Examinate saw the said _Chattox_ sitting in her owne
garden, and a picture of Clay like vnto a child in her Apron; which
this Examinate espying, the said _Anne Chattox_ would haue hidde with
her Apron: and this Examinate declaring the same to her mother, her
mother thought it was the picture of the said _Iohn Moores_ childe.
And she this Examinate further saith, That about sixe or seuen yeares
agoe, the said _Chattox_ did fall out with one _Hugh Moore_ of Pendle,
as aforesaid, about certaine cattell of the said _Moores_, which the
said _Moore_ did charge the said _Chattox_ to haue bewitched: for
which the said _Chattox_ did curse and worry the said _Moore_, and
said she would be Reuenged of the said _Moore_: whereupon the said
_Moore_ presently fell sicke, and languished about halfe a yeare, and
then died. Which _Moore_ vpon his death-bed said, that the said
_Chattox_ had bewitched him to death. And she further saith, That
about sixe yeares agoe, a daughter of the said _Anne Chattox_, called
_Elizabeth_, hauing been at the house of _Iohn Nutter_ of the
Bull-hole, to begge or get a dish full of milke, which she had, and
brought to her mother, who was about a fields breadth of the said
_Nutters_ house, which her said mother _Anne Chattox_ tooke and put
into a Kan, and did charne[F_a_1] the same with two stickes acrosse in
the same field: whereupon the said _Iohn Nutters_ sonne came vnto her,
the said _Chattox_, and misliking her doings, put the said Kan and
milke ouer with his foot; and the morning next after, a Cow of the
said _Iohn Nutters_ fell sicke, and so languished three or foure
dayes, and then died.
In the end being openly charged with all this in open Court; with
weeping teares she humbly acknowledged them to be true,[F_a_2] and
cried out vnto God for Mercy and forgiuenesse of her sinnes, and
humbly prayed my Lord to be mercifull vnto _Anne Redfearne_ her
daughter, of whose life and condition you shall heare more vpon her
Arraignement and Triall: whereupon shee being taken away, _Elizabeth
Deuice_ comes now to receiue her Triall being the next in order, of
whom you shall heare at large.
[Illustration: decoration]
THE ARRAIGNMENT
_and Triall of_ ELIZABETH DEVICE
(_Daughter of_ ELIZABETH SOTHERNES,
alias OLD DEMBDIKE) _late wife of_ IO. DEVICE,
_of the Forrest of Pendle, in the Countie of Lancaster, widow,
for Witchcraft; Vpon Tuesday the eighteenth of August,
at the Assises and generall Gaole-Deliuerie holden at
Lancaster_