The True Story vs. Myth of Witchcraft. William Godwin
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spyed them a farre off, and noting many strange gestures from them, sodainely spake to them that were by, and (as it were Prophetically) cryed out in these words, That either they, or their Horses should presently miscarry. And, immediately, the horses fell downe dead. Whereupon Maister Auery rose up praysing ye grace and mercies of God, that he had so powerfully deliuered them, and had not suffered the foule spirits to worke the uttermost of their mischiefe upon men made after his image, but had turned their fury against Beasts. Upon this, they both hyed them home, still praysing God for their escape, and were neuer troubled after.
‘I had almost forgotten to tell you before, that M. Auery was by the Judges themselves in ye Castle Yard of Northampton, seene in the middest of his fits, and that he strangely continued in them untill this Ioane Vaughan was brought to him.
‘But now to draw neere unto their ends, this Agnes Browne and her daughter Ioane Vaughan, being brought to their Arraignment, were there indicted for that they had bewitched the bodies of Maister Auery and his sister Mistris Belcher in manner and forme aforesayd. Together with the body of a young Child to the death; (the true relation whereof came not to my hands). To all which they pleaded not guilty, and, putting themselues uppon the countrey, were found guilty. And when they were asked what they could say for themselves, why ye sentence of death should not be pronounced against them, they stood stiffely upon their Innocence. Whereupon, Judgement beeing giuen, they were carried backe unto the Gaole, where they were neuer heard to pray, or to call uppon God, but with bitter Curses and execrations, spent that little time they had to liue, untill the day of their Execution, when neuer asking pardon for their offences, either of God, or the world, in this their daungerous and desperate resolution, dyed.
‘It was credibly reported that some fortnight before their apprehension, this Agnes Browne, one Katherine Gardiner, and one Ioane Lucas, all birdes of a winge, and all abyding in the Towne of Gilsborough did ride one night to a place (not aboue a mile off) called Rauenstrop all upon a Sowes back, to see one mother Rhoades, an old Witch that dwelt there; but, before they came to the house the old Witch died; and, in her last cast cried out, that there were three of her old friends comming to see her, but they came too late. Howbeit, shee would meete with them in another place within a month after.’
Chapter XVI.
The Lancashire Witches—Janet Preston—Margaret and Philip Flower—Anne Baker, Joane Willimot, and Ellen Greene—Elizabeth Sawyer—Mary Smith—Joan Williford, Joan Cariden, and Jane Hott.
The foregoing sample must serve for the witches of Northamptonshire, nor will I touch on the Lancashire witches, whose story appears in nearly every modern work on witchcraft, and has been vulgarized by Harrison Ainsworth, except to give a portion of the evidence of one James Device, of the forest of Pendle, labourer, in the case of Janet or Jennet Preston, who was condemned as a witch, and executed at York in 1612.
‘And he also further saith, That the said Prestons wife had a Spirit with her like unto a white Foale, with a blacke spot in the forehead. And further this Examinate saith, That since the said meeting, as aforesaid, that he hath been brought to the house of one Preston in Gisburne Parish aforesaid, by Henry Hargreiues of Goldshey, to see whether shee was the woman that came amongst the said Witches, on the said last Good Friday, to crave their aide and assistance for the killing of the said Master Lister; and hauing had full view of her, hee, this Examinate confesseth, That she was the selfe-same woman which came amongst the said Witches on the said last Good Friday for their aide for the killing of the said Master Lister; and that brought the Spirit with her, in the shape of a White Foale, as aforesaid.
‘And this Examinate further saith, that all the said Witches went out of the said house in their owne shapes and likenesses, and they all, by that they were forth of the doores, were gotten on horse-backe like unto Foales, some of one colour, some of another, and Preston’s wife was the last; and when she got on horse-backe, they all presently vanished out of this Examinate’s sight; and before their said parting away, they all appointed to meete at the said Preston’s wife’s house that day twelve month; at which time the said Preston’s wife promised to make them a great feast; and, if they had occasion to meet in the meane time, then should warning be giuen that they should all meet upon Romles Moore. And this Examinate further saith, That at the said feast at Malkin Tower, this Examinate heard them all giue their consents to put the said Master Thomas Lister of Westby to death; and after Master Lister should haue been made away by Witchcraft, then al the said Witches gaue their consents to ioyne altogether to hancke Master Leonard Lister, when he should come to liue at the Sowgill, and so put him to death.’
Then we have ‘The Wonderful Discouerie of the Witchcrafts of Margaret and Philip Flower daughters of Ioan Flower, neere Beuer Castle: Executed at Lincoln March 11, 1618. Who were specially arraigned and condemned before Sir Henry Hobart, and Sir Edward Bromley, Iudges of Assise, for confessing themselues actors in the destruction of Henry, Lord Rosse, with their damnable practices against others the Children of the Right Honourable Francis Earle of Rutland. Together with the seuerall Examinations and Confessions of Anne Baker, Ioan Willimot, and Ellen Greene, Witches in Leicestershire.’ London, 1611.
The first case is a very ordinary one. The Flowers were discharged servants, and the children, after their leaving, sickened and died. The only remarkable part about it is, that ‘Ioane Flower, the Mother, before conviction (as they say) called for Bread and Butter, and wished it might neuer goe through her, if she were guilty of that, whereupon she was examined; so, mumbling it in her mouth, neuer spake more wordes after, but fell downe and died as she was carried to Lincolne Gaole, with a horrible excruciation of soule and body, and was buried at Ancaster.’
The portraits of the three witches do not prepossess us in their favour, and their confessions, on examination, fully bear out the feeling. Of the first: ‘Further, she saith that shee saw a hand appeare unto her, and that shee heard a voyce in the ayre say unto her: Anne Baker, saue thyselfe, for to-morrow, thou and thy maister must be slaine; and the next day her maister and shee were in a Cart together; and suddainely shee saw a flash of fire, and said her prayers, and the fire went away; and shortly after, a Crow came and picked upon her cloathes, and she said her prayers againe, and bad the Crow go to whom he was sent, and the Crow went unto her Maister, and did beat him to death, and shee, with her prayers recouered him to life; but hee was sicke for a fortnight after, and saith, that if shee had not had more knowledge than her maister, both he and shee, and all the Cattell had been slaine.’
Joan Willimot tells the following extraordinary story: ‘That shee hath a Spirit which shee calleth Pretty, which was given unto her by William Berry of Langholme, in Rutlandshire, whom she serued three yeares: and that her Master, when hee gaue it unto her, willed her to open her mouth, and hee would blow into her a Fairy which should do her good; and that shee opened her mouth, and hee did blow into her mouth; and that, presently, after his blowing, there came out of her mouth a Spirit, which stood upon the ground in the shape and forme of a Woman, which Spirit did aske of her her Soule, which shee then promised unto it, being willed thereunto by her Master.’
The third, Ellen Green, said ‘that one Ioan Willimot of Goadby came about sixe yeares since to her in the Wowlds, and purswaded this Examinate to forsake God, and betake her to the diuel, and she would give her two spirits; to which she gave her consent, and thereupon, the said Ioan Willimot called two spirits, one in the likenesse of a Kitlin, and the other of a Moldiwarp:44 the first the said Willimot called pusse, the other hisse, hisse, and they presently came to her, and she, departing, left them with this Examinate, and they leapt on her shoulder, and the Kitlin suckt under her right eare on her neck, and the Moldiwarp on the left side, in the like place. After they had suckt her, shee sent the Kitlin to a Baker of that Towne, whose name shee remembers