NICHOLAS BANNESTER, _Esquire; one of his
Maiesties Iustices of Peace in the Countie of Lancaster._
_Iennet_, the wife of _Iames Booth_, of Paddiham, vpon her oath
saith, That the Friday next after, the said _Pearsons_ wife, was
committed to the Gaole at Lancaster, this Examinate was carding in the
said _Pearsons_ house, hauing a little child with her, and willed the
said _Margerie_ to giue her a little Milke, to make her said child a
little meat, who fetcht this Examinate some, and put it in a pan; this
examinat meaning to set it on the fire, found the said fire very ill,
and taking vp a stick that lay by her, and brake it in three or foure
peeces, and laid vpon the coales to kindle the same, then set the pan
and milke on the fire: and when the milke was boild to this Examinates
content, she tooke the pan wherein the milke was, off the said fire,
and with all, vnder the bottome of the same, there came a Toade, or a
thing very like a Toade, and to this Examinates thinking came out of
the fire, together with the said Pan, and vnder the bottome of the
same, and that the said _Margerie_ did carrie the said Toade out of
the said house in a paire of tonges;[T_a_] But what shee the said
_Margerie_ did therewith, this Examinate knoweth not.
After this were diuers witnesses examined against her in open Court,
_viua voce_, to proue the death of the Mare, and diuers other vild
and odious practises by her committed, who vpon their Examinations
made it so apparant to the Iurie as there was no question; But because
the fact is of no great importance, in respect her life is not in
question by this Indictment, and the Depositions and examinations are
many, I leaue to trouble you with any more of them, for being found
guiltie of this offence, the penaltie of the Law is as much as her
good Neighbours doe require, which is to be deliuered from the
companie of such a dangerous, wicked, and malicious Witch.
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THE ARRAIGNMENT
_and Triall of_ ISABEL ROBEY
_in the Countie of Lancaster, for Witch-craft: vpon Wednesday
the nineteenth of August, 1612. At the Assizes and generall
Goale-deliuery, holden at Lancaster._