CONCERNING that which happened at Woodstock, I was told by Mr.
William Hawes, (who now lives with Sir William Fleetwood in the
park) that the committee which sat in the manor-house for selling the
king's lands, were frighted by strange apparitions; and that the
four surveyors which were sent to measure the park, and lodged
themselves with some other companions in the manor, were pelted out
of their chambers by stones thrown in at the windows; but from what
hands the stones came they could not see; that their candles were
continually put out, as fast as they lighted them; and that one with
his sword drawn to defend a candle, was with his own scabbard in the
mean time well cudgelled; so that for the blow, or for fear, he fell
sick; and the others were forced to remove, some of them to Sir
William Fleetwood's house, and the rest to some other places. But
concerning the cutting of the oak, in particular, I have nothing.
Your Friend,
To be commanded to my power,
JOHN LYDALL.
One Lambert, a gun-smith at Hereford, was at Caermarthen, to mend
and put in order the ammunition of that county, before the expedition
to Scotland, which was in 1639. He was then a young man, and walking
on the sand by the sea side, a man came to him (he did verily believe
it was a man) and asked him if he knew Hereford ? yes, quoth he, I am
a Hereford man. Do you know it well, quoth the other; perfectly well,
quoth Lambert. "That city shall be begirt" (he told me he did not
know what the word begirt meant then) "by a foreign nation, that
will come and pitch their camp in the Hay wood, and they shall
batter such gate," which they did, (I have forgot the name of it)
"and shall go away and not take it."
The Scots came in 1645, and encamped before Hereford in the Hay-wood,
and stormed the --- gate, and raised the siege. Lambert did well
remember this discourse, but did not heed it till they came to the
Hay-wood. Many of the city had heard of this story, but when the --
gate was stormed, Lambert went to all the guards of the town, and
encouraged them with more than ordinary confidence: and contrary to
all human expectation, when the besieged had no hope of relief, the
Scots raised the siege, September 2, 1645, and went back into
Scotland, "re infecta". I knew this Lambert, and took this account
from his own mouth; he is a modest poor man, of a very innocent
life, lives poor, and cares not to be rich."
-- A minister, who lived by Sir John Warre in Somersetshire, about
1665, walking over the Park to give Sir John a visit, was
rencountered by a venerable old man, who said to him, "prepare
yourself, for such a day" (which was about three days after) "you
shall die." The minister told Sir John Wane and my Lady this story,
who heeded it not. On the morning forewarned, Sir John called upon
the Parson early to ride a hunting, and to laugh at his prediction:
his maid went up to call him, and found him stark dead. This from my
Lady Katherine Henley, who had it from my Lady Warre. But Dr. Burnet,
in the life of the Earl of Rochester, makes it a dream.
This put me in mind of a story in the Legend, &c. of King Edward the
Confessor, being forewarned of his death by a Pilgrim, to whom
St.John the Evangelist revealed it,. for which the King gave the
Pilgrim a rich ring off his finger: and the event answered. The
story is well painted on glass, in a window of the south isle of
Westminster-Abbey, (the next window from that over the door that
opens into the west walk of the cloyster) it is the best window in
the church. Underneath the two figures, viz. of the King and the
Pilgrim, are these following verses, viz.
"Rex cui nil aliud praesto fuit, accipe, dixit.
Annulum, & ex digito detrahit ille suo.
--- Evangelistoe --- villa Johannis.
-- gratia petit."
The verses under the Pilgrim are not legible. This story is in
Caxton's Chronicle.
Dr. --- Twiss, minister of the new church at Westminster, told me,
that his father, (Dr. Twiss, prolocutor of the assembly of divines,
and author of "Vindicitae Graticae") when he was a school-boy at
Winchester, saw the phantom of a school-fellow of his, deceased, (a
rakehell) who said to him "I am damned." This was the occasion of
Dr. Twiss'a (the father's) conversion, who had been before that time,
as he told his son, a very wicked boy; he was hypochondriacal. There
is a story like this, of the conversion of St. Bruno, by an
apparition: upon which he became mighty devout, and founded the
order of the Carthusians.
John Evelyn, Esq., R.S.S., showed us at the Royal-Society, a note
under Mr. Smith's hand, the curate of Deptford, that in
November,1679, as he was in bed sick of an ague, came to him the
vision of a master of arts, with a white wand in his hand, and told
him that if he did lie on his back three hours, viz. from ten to one,
that he should be rid of his ague. He lay a good while on his back,
but at last being weary he turned, and immediately the ague attacked
him; afterwards he strictly followed the directions, and was
perfectly cured. He was awake, and it was in the day-time.
This puts me in mind of a dream of old Farmer Good, a neighbour of
mine at Broad-Chalk, who being ill, dreamt that he met with an old
friend of his, (long since deceased) by Knighton Ashes (in that
parish) who told him, that if he rose out of his bed, that he would
die. He awaked, and rose to make water, and was immediately seized
with a shivering fit, and died of an ague, aged 84.
The Lady Viscountess Maidstone told me she saw (as it were) a fly of
fire, fly round about her in the dark, half an hour before her lord
died: he was killed at sea, and the like before her mother-in-law
the Countess of Winchelsea died, (she was then with child).
A Dutch prisoner at Wood-bridge, in Suffolk, in the reign of K.
Charles II. could discern Spirits; but others that stood by could
not. The bell tolled for a man newly deceased. The prisoner saw his
phantom, and did describe him to the Parson of the parish,* who was
with him; exactly agreeing with the man for whom the bell tolled.
Says the prisoner, now he is coming near to you, and now he is
between you and the wall; the Parson was resolved to try it, and went
to take the wall of him, and was thrown down; he could see nothing.
This story is credibly told by several persons of belief.
* Dr. Hooke, the Parson of the parish, has often told this story.
There is a very remarkable story of an apparition, which Martin
Luther did see. Mentioned in his "Commensalia" or Table-Talk, which
see.
Those that are delirious in high fevers, see (waking, men, and things
that are not there). I knew one Mr. M. L. that took opium, and he did
see (being awake) men and things that were not present, (or perhaps)
not in being. Those whose spleens are ill affected have the like
phantasies. The power of imagination is wonderful.
"De seipso duplicate."
Cardanus, Synes. Somniorum, lib. ii. cap. 12. "In somniis mortis est
signum, quia duo fiunt, cum anima separatur a corpore. Est & signum
morbi in ipsis agrotantibus, nec tum aliud quicquam significat."
**Of One's being divided into a Two-fold person.
In dreams it is a sign of death, because out of one are then made
two, when the soul is separated from the body. And it is a sign of
the disease in sick men, nor signifies it any thing else at
that time.
As concerning apparitions of a man's own self, there are sundry
instances, some whereof, I shall here set down.
The Countess of Thanet (Earl John's Lady) saw as she was in bed with
her Lord in London, her daughter my Lady Hatton, who was then in
Northamptonshire, at Horton Kirby; the candle was burning in her
chamber. Since, viz. anno 1675, this Lady Hatton was blown up with
gunpowder set on fire by lightning, in the castle at Guernsey, where
her Lord was Governor.*
* See Mr. Baxter's Treatise of Spirits
The beautiful Lady Diana Rich, daughter to the Earl of Holland, as
she was walking in her father's garden at Kensington, to take the
fresh air before dinner, about eleven o'clock, being then very well,
met with her own apparition, habit, and every thing, as in a looking-
glass. About a month after, she died of the small-pox. And it
is said that her sister, the Lady Isabella Thynne, saw the like of
herself also, before she died. This account I had from a person of
honour.
Mrs. E. W. daughter of Sir W. W. affirms that Mrs. J. (her father's
sister) saw herself, i. e. her phantom, half a year before she died,
for a quarter of an hour together. She said further, that her aunt
was sickly fourteen years before she died, and that she walked
living, i. e. her apparition, and that she was seen by several at the
same time. The like is reported of others.
Mr. Trahern, B.D. (chaplain to Sir Orlando Bridgman, Lord Keeper) a
learned and sober person, was son of a shoe-maker in Hereford: one
night as he lay in bed, the moon shining very bright, he saw the
phantom of one of the apprentices, sitting in a chair in his red
waistcoat, and head-band about his head, and strap upon his knee;
which apprentice was really in bed and asleep with another fellow-
apprentice, in the same chamber, and saw him. The fellow was living,
1671. Another time, as he was in bed, he saw a basket come sailing in
the air, along by the valence of his bed; I think he said there was
fruit in the basket: it was a phantom. From himself.
When Sir Kichard Nepier, M.D. of London, was upon the road coming
from Bedfordshire, the chamberlain of the inn, shewed him his
chamber, the doctor saw a dead man lying upon the bed; he looked more
wistly and saw it was himself: he was then well enough in health. He
went forward on his journey to Mr. Steward's in Berkshire, and there
died. This account I have in a letter from Elias Ashmole, Esq. They
were intimate friends.
"In the Desarts of Africk, you shall meet oftentimes with fairies
appearing in the shape of men and women, but they vanish quite away
like phantastical delusions."*
* Pliny's Natural Hist. lib. 7, chap. 2.
I Captain Henry Bell, do hereby declare both to the present age and
to posterity, that being employed beyond the seas, in state affairs,
divers years together, both by King James, and also by the late King
Charles in Germany. I did hear and understand in all places great
bewailing and lamentation made, by reason of destroying and burning
of above fourscore thousand of Martin Luther's books, entituled, His
last Divine Discourses.**
** This narrative is in the Preface of the translation of Mr. Luther's
Table-Talk.
Upon which divine work or discourses, the reformation, begun before
in Germany, was wonderfully promoted and spread in other countries.
But afterwards it so fell out, that the Pope then living, viz,
Gregory XIII. understanding what great hurt and prejudice he and his
religion had already received by reason of the said Luther's
discourses, and also fearing that the same might bring further
contempt and mischief upon himself and his church, he therefore to
prevent the same, did fiercely stir up and instigate the Emperor
then in being, viz. Rodolphus III. to make an edict through the
whole empire, that all the foresaid printed books should be burned,
and also that it should be death for any person to have or keep a
copy thereof, but to burn the same, which edict was speedily put in
execution accordingly; insomuch that not one of all the said printed
books, nor any one copy of the same, could be found out, or heard of
in any place.
Yet it pleased God, that in anno 1626, a German gentleman, named
Casparas Van Sparr, with whom, in my stay in Germany, about King
James's business, I became familiarly known and acquainted, having
occasion to build upon an old foundation of a house, wherein his
grandfather dwelt at that time, when the said edict was published in
Germany, for the burning the said books, and digging deep under the
said old foundation, one of the said original printed books was there
happily found, lying in a deep obscure hole, being wrapped in a
strong linen cloth, which was waxed all over with bees wax within and
without, whereby the said book was preserved fair without any blemish.
And at the same time Ferdinandus II. being Emperor of Germany, who
was a severe enemy and persecutor of the Protestant religion, the
foresaid gentleman, and grandchild to him, that had hidden the said
book in that obscure hole, fearing that if the said Emperor should
get knowledge that one of the said books were yet forthcoming, and in
his custody, whereby not only himself might be brought into trouble,
but also the book be in danger to be destroyed, as all the rest were
long before; and also calling to mind, that I had the High-Dutch
tongue very perfect, did send the said original book over hither into
England unto me: related to me the passages of the preserving and
finding the said book; and earnestly moved me in his letter, to
translate the said book into English.
Whereupon, I took the said book before me, and many times began to
translate the same, but always I was hindered therein, being called
upon about other business, insomuch that by no possible means I could
remain by that work. Then about six weeks after I had received the
said book, it fell out, that being in bed with my wife, one night
between twelve and one o'clock, she being asleep, but myself yet
awake, there appeared unto me an antient man, standing at my
bedside, arrayed in white, having a long and broad white beard,
hanging down to his girdle steed, who taking me by the right ear,
spake these words following unto me; "Sirrah, will not you take time
to translate that book which is sent unto you out of Germany? I will
provide for you both place and time to do it:" and then he vanished
out of my sight.
Whereupon being much affrighted, I fell into an extream sweat,
insomuch that my wife awaking, and finding me all over wet, she asked
me what I ailed; I told her what I had seen and heard; but I never
did heed or regard visions nor dreams. And so the same fell soon out
of my mind.
Then about a fortnight after I had seen the vision, on a Sunday I went
to Whitehall to hear the sermon, after which ended, I returned to my
lodging which was then in King-street, Westminster, and sitting down
to dinner with my wife, two messengers were sent from the council-
board with a warrant to carry me to the keeper of the gate-house at
Westminster, there to be safely kept, until farther order from
the Lords of the Council; which was done without shewing any cause* at
all, wherefore I was committed; upon which said warrant I was kept
there ten whole years close prisoner; where I spent five years thereof
about translating of the said book: Insomuch as I found the words
very true which the old man in the aforesaid vision said unto me, " I
will shortly provide you both place and time to translate it."
Then after I had finished the translation, Dr. Laud, Arch-Bishop of
Canterbury, sent to me in the prison, by Dr. Bray his chaplain, ten
pounds, and desired to peruse the book; he afterwards sent me by Dr.
Bray forty pounds. There was a committee of the House of Commons for
the printing of this translation, which was in 1652.
*Whatsoever was pretended, yet the true cause of the Captain's
commitment was, because he was urgent with the Lord Treasurer for his
arrears, which amounted to a great sum, he was not willing to pay, and
to be freed from his clamours, clapt him up into prison.
A full and true relation of the examination and confession of William
Barwick and Edward Mangall, of two horrid murders; one committed by
William Barwick, upon his wife being with child, near Cawood in
Yorkshire, upon the 14th of April last: as likewise a full account
how it came to be discovered by an apparition of the person
murdered.
The second was committed by Edward Mangall, upon Elizabeth Johnson,
alias Ringrose, and her bastard child, on the 4th of September last,
who said he was tempted thereto by the Devil.
Also their trials and convictions before the Honourable Sir JOHN
POWEL, Knight, one their Majesties Justices, at the assizes holden at
York, on the 16th of September, 1690.
As murder is one of the greatest crimes that man can be guilty of, so
it is no less strangely and providentially discovered, when privately
committed. The foul criminal believes himself secure, because there
was no witness of the fact. Not considering that the all-seeing eye of
Heaven beholds his concealed iniquity, and by some means or other
bringing it to light, never permits it to go unpunished. And indeed so
certainly does the revenge of God pursue the abominated murderer,
that, when witnesses are wanting of the fact, the very ghosts of the
murdered parties cannot rest quiet in their graves, till they have
made the detection themselves. Of this we are now to give the reader
two remarkable examples that lately happened in Yorkshire; and no
less signal for the truth of both tragedies, as being confirmed by the
trial of the offenders, at the last assizes held for that county.
The first of these murders was committed by William Barwick, upon the
body of Mary Barwick, his wife, at the same time big with child. What
were the motives, that induced the man to do this horrid fact, does
not appear by the examination of the evidence, or the confession of
the party: only it appeared upon the trial, that he had got her with
child before he married her: and 'tis very probable, that, being then
constrained to marry her, he grew weary of her, which was the reason
he was so willing to be rid of her, though he ventured body and soul
to accomplish his design.
The murder was committed on Palm-Monday, being the fourteenth of
April, about two of the clock in the afternoon, at which time the
said Barwick having drilled his wife along 'till he came to a certain
close, within sight of Cawood-Castle, where he found the conveniency
of a pond, he threw her by force into the water, and when she was
drowned, and drawn forth again by himself upon the bank of the pond,
had the cruelty to behold the motion of the infant, yet warm in her
womb. This done, he concealed the body, as it may readily be supposed,
among the bushes, that usually encompass a pond, and the next night,
when it grew duskish, fetching a hay-spade from a rick that stood in a
close, he made a hole by the side of the pond, and there slightly
buried the woman in her cloaths.
Having thus despatched two at once, and thinking him-self secure,
(because unseen) he went the same day to his brother-in-law, one
Thomas Lofthouse of Rufforth, within three miles of York, who had
married his drowned wife's sister, and told him he had carried his
wife to one Richard Harrison's house in Selby, who was his uncle, and
would take care of her. But Heaven would not be so deluded, but raised
up the ghost of the murdered woman to make the discovery. And
therefore it was upon the Easter Tuesday following, about two of the
clock in the after-noon, the forementioned Lofthouse having occasion
to water a quickset hedge, not far from his house; as he was going for
the second pail full, an apparition went before him in the shape of a
woman, and soon after sat down upon a rising green grass-plat, right
over against the pond: he walked by her as he went to the pond; and
as he returned with the pail from the pond, looking sideways to see
whether she continued in the same place, he found she did; and that
she seemed to dandle something in her lap, that looked like a white
bag (as he thought) which he did not observe before. So soon as he had
emptied his pail, he went into his yard, and stood still to try
whether he could see her again, but she was vanished.
In this information he says, that the woman seemed to be habited in a
brown coloured petticoat, waistcoat, and a white hood; such a one as
his wife's sister usually wore, and that her countenance looked
extreamly pale and wan, with her teeth in sight, but no gums
appearing, and that her physiognomy was like to that of his wife's
sister, who was wife to William Barwick.
But notwithstanding the ghastliness of the apparition, it seems it
made so little impression in Lofthouse's mind, that he thought no more
of it, neither did he speak to any body concerning it, 'till the same
night as he was at his family duty of prayer, that that apparition
returned again to his thoughts, and discomposed his devotion; so that
after he had made an end of his prayers, he told the whole story of
what he had seen to his wife, who laying circumstances together,
immediately inferred, that her sister was either drowned, or otherwise
murdered, and desired her husband to look after her the next day,
which was Wednesday in Easter week, Upon this, Lofthouse recollecting
what Barwick had told him of his carrying his wife to his uncle at
Selby, repaired to Harrison beforementioned, but found all that
Barwick had said to be false; for that Harrison had neither heard of
Barwick, nor his wife, neither did he know anything of them. Which
notable circumstance, together with that other of the apparition,
encreased his suspicions to that degree, that now concluding his
wife's sister was murdered, he went to the Lord Mayor of York; and
having obtained his warrant, got Barwick apprehended, who was no
sooner brought before the Lord Mayor, but his own conscience then
accusing him, he acknowledged the whole matter, as it has been already
related, as it appears by his examination and confession herewith
printed: to which are also annexed the informations of Lofthouse, in
like manner taken before the Lord Mayor of York, for a further
testimony and confirmation of what is here set down.
On Wednesday the sixteenth of September, 1690, the criminal, William
Barwick, was brought to his trial, before the Honourable Sir John
Powel, Knight, one of the judges of the northern circuit, at the
assizes holden at York, where the prisoner pleaded not guilty to his
indictment: but upon the evidence of Thomas Lofthouse, and his
wife, and a third person, that the woman was found buried in her
cloaths in the Close by the pond side, agreeable to the prisoner's
confession, and that she had several bruises on her head, occasioned
by the blows the murderer had given her, to keep her under water: and
upon reading the prisoner's confession before the Lord Mayor of York,
attested by the clerk, who wrote the confession, and who swore the
prisoner's owning and signing it for truth, he was found guilty, and
sentenced to death, and afterwards ordered to be hanged in chains.
All the defence which the prisoner made, was only this, that he was
threatened into the confession that he had made, and was in such a
consternation, that he did not know what he said or did. But then it
was sworn by two witnesses, that there was no such thing as any
threatening made use of; but that he made a free and voluntary
confession, only with this addition at first; that he told the Lord
Mayor, he had sold his wife for five shillings; but not being able to
name either the person or the place where she might be produced, that
was looked upon as too frivolous to outweigh circumstances, that were
proofs to apparent.
**The information of Thomas Lofthouse, of Ruforth, taken upon oath the
twenty-fourth day of April, 1690,
WHO sayeth and deposeth, that one William Barwick, who lately married
this informant's wife's sister,came to this informant's house, about
the fourteenth instant, and told this informant, he had carried his wife
to one Richard Harrison's house in Selby, who was uncle to him, and
would take care of her; and this informant hearing nothing of the said
Barwick's wife, his said sister-in-law, imagined he had done her some
mischief, did yesterday go to the said Harrison's house in Selby, where
he said he had carried her to; and the said Harrison told this informant,
he knew nothing of the said Barwick, or his wife, and this informant doth
verily believe the said Barwick to have murdered her.