A History of Witchcraft in England from 1558 to 1718 Part 38

1616. King's Lynn, Norfolk. Mary Smith hanged. Alexander Roberts, _Treatise of Witchcraft_ (London, 1616); Mackerell, _History and Antiquities of King's Lynn_, 233.

1616. Middles.e.x. Elizabeth Rutter of Finchley, for laming and killing three persons, sentenced to be hanged.

_Middles.e.x County Records_, II, 108, 218.

1616. Middles.e.x. Margaret Wellan of London accused "upon suspition to be a witch." Andrew Camfield held in 40 bail to appear against her. _Middles.e.x County Records_, II, 124-125.

1617. Middles.e.x. Agnes Berrye of Enfield sentenced to be hanged. _Ibid._, 116, 219.

1617. Middles.e.x. Anne Branche of Tottenham arraigned on four counts, acquitted. _Ibid._, 219.

1618. Middles.e.x. Bridget Meakins acquitted. _Ibid._, 225.

1619. Lincoln. Margaret and Philippa Flower hanged. Their mother, Joan Flower, died on the way to prison.

_The Wonderful Discoverie of the Witchcrafts of Margaret and Phillip Flower_; J. Nichols, _History and Antiquities of the County of Leicester_ (1795-1815), II, pt. I, 49; _Cal. St. P., Dom., 1619-1623_, 129; _Hist. MSS. Comm. Reports, Rutland MSS._, IV, 514.

1619. Leicester. Three women, Anne Baker, Joan Willimot, Ellen Green, accused and confessed. Doubtless executed.

_The Wonderful Discoverie of the Witchcrafts of Margaret and Phillip Flower_.

1619. Middles.e.x. Agnes Miller of Finchley acquitted. _Middles.e.x County Records_, II, 143-144.

1620. London. "One Peac.o.c.k, sometime a schoolmaster and minister," for bewitching the king, committed to the Tower and tortured. Williams, _Court and Times of James I_, II, 202; _Cal. St. P., Dom., 1619-1623_, 125.

1620. Leicester. Gilbert Smith, rector of Swithland, accused of witchcraft among other things. _Leicesters.h.i.+re and Rutland Notes and Queries_, I, 247.

1620. Padiham, Lancas.h.i.+re. Witches in prison. _House and Farm Accounts of the Shuttleworths_, pt. II. (Chetham Soc., 1856), 240.

1620. Staffords.h.i.+re. Woman accused on charges of the "boy of Bilson" acquitted. _The Boy of Bilson_ (London, 1622); Arthur Wilson, _Life and Reign of James I_, 107-112; Webster, _Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft_, 274-275.

1621. Edmonton, Middles.e.x. Elizabeth Sawyer hanged. _The wonderfull discoverie of Elizabeth Sawyer_, by Henry Goodcole (1621).

1621. Middles.e.x. Anne Beaver, accused of murder on six counts, acquitted. _Middles.e.x County Records_, II, 72-73. Acquitted again in 1625. _Ibid._, III, 2.

1622. York. Six women indicted for bewitching Edward Fairfax's children. At April a.s.sizes two were released upon bond, two and probably four discharged. At the August a.s.sizes they were again acquitted. Fairfax, _A Discourse of Witchcraft_ (Philobiblon Soc., London, 1858-1859).

1622. Middles.e.x. Margaret Russel, alias "Countess," committed to Newgate by Sir Wm. Slingsby on a charge by Lady Jennings of injuring her daughter. Dr. Napier diagnosed the daughter's illness as epilepsy.

Brit. Mus., Add. MSS., 36,674, fol. 134.

1623. Yorks.h.i.+re. Elizabeth Crearey of North Allerton sentenced to be set in the pillory once a quarter. Thirsk Quarter Sessions Records in _North Riding Record Society_ (London, 1885), III, 177, 181.

1624. Bristol. Two witches said to have been executed. John Latimer, _The Annals of Bristol in the Seventeenth Century_ (Bristol, 1900), 91. Latimer quotes from another "annalist."

temp. Jac. I? Two women said to have been hanged. Story doubtful. Edward Poeton, _Winnowing of White Witchcraft_ (Brit. Mus., Sloane MSS., 1,954), 41-42.

temp. Jac. I. Norfolk. Joane Harvey accused for scratching "an olde witche" there, "Mother Francis nowe deade." Mother Francis had before been imprisoned at Norwich. Brit. Mus., Add. MSS., 28,223, fol. 15.

temp. Jac. I. Warwicks.h.i.+re. Coventry haunted by "h.e.l.lish sorcerers."

"The pestilent brood" also in Ches.h.i.+re.

Thomas Cooper, _The Mystery of Witchcraft_ (1617),13, 16.

temp. Jac. I. Norwich. Witches probably accused for illness of a child. Possibly Mother Francis was one of them. Cooper, _ibid._, "Epistle Dedicatorie."

1626. Taunton, Somerset. Edmund Bull and Joan Greedie accused. Brit. Mus., Add. MSS., 36,674, fol. 189; Wright, _Narratives of Sorcery and Magic_, II, 139-143.

See also Richard Bernard, _Guide to Grand Jurymen_, "Epistle Dedicatorie."

1627. Durham. Sara Hathericke and Jane Urwen accused before the Consistory Court. _Folk-Lore Journal_ (London, 1887), V, 158. Quoted by Edward Peac.o.c.k from the records of the Consistory Court of Durham.

1627. Linneston, Lancaster. Elizabeth Londesdale accused.

Certificate of neighbors in her favor. _Hist. MSS.

Comm. Reports_, XIV, pt. 4 (_Kenyon MSS._), 36.

1628. Leepish, Northumberland. Jane Robson committed.

Mackenzie, _History of Northumberland_ (Newcastle, 1825), 36. Mackenzie copies from the Mickleton MS.

1630. Lancaster. A certain Utley said to have been hanged for bewitching Richard a.s.sheton. E. Baines, _Lancaster_ (ed. of 1868-1870), II, 12.

1630. Sandwich, Kent. Woman hanged. Wm. Boys, _Collections for an History of Sandwich in Kent_ (Canterbury, 1792), 707.

c. 1630. Wilts. "John Barlowes wife" said to have been executed.

MS. letter of 1685-86 printed in the _Gentleman's Magazine_, 1832, pt. I, 405-410.

1633. Louth, Lincolns.h.i.+re. Witch alarm; two searchers appointed.

One witch indicted. Goulding, _Louth Old Corporation Records_, 54.

c. 1633. Lancaster. The father and mother of Mary Spencer condemned. _Cal. S. P., Dom., 1634-1635_, 79.

1633. Norfolk. Woman accused. No arrest made. _Hist.

MSS. Comm. Reports_, X, pt. 2 (_Gawdy MSS._), p. 144.

1633-34. Lancaster. Several witches, probably seventeen, tried and condemned. Reprieved by the king. For the many references to this affair see above, chap.

VII, footnotes.

1634. Yorks.h.i.+re. Four women of West Ayton presented for telling "per veneficationem vel incantationem"

where certain stolen clothes were to be found.

Thirsk Quarter Sessions Records in _North Riding Record Society_, IV, 20.

1635. Lancaster. Four witches condemned. Privy Council orders Bishop Bridgeman to examine them. Two died in gaol. The others probably reprieved. _Hist.

MSS. Comm. Reports_, XII, 2 (_Cowper MSS._, II), 77, 80.

1635. Leicester. Agnes Tedsall acquitted. _Leicesters.h.i.+re and Rutland Notes and Queries_, I, 247.

1635. ----. Mary Prowting, who was a plaintiff before the Star Chamber, accused of witchcraft. Accuser, who was one of the defendants, exposed. _Cal. St. P., Dom., 1635_, 476-477.

c. 1637. Bedford. Goodwife Rose "ducked," probably by officials.

Wm. Drage, _Daimonomageia_ (London, 1665), 41.

1637. Staffords.h.i.+re. Joice Hunniman committed, almost certainly released. _Hist. MSS. Comm. Reports_, II, App., 48 b.

1637-38. Lathom, Lancas.h.i.+re. Anne Spencer examined and probably committed. _Hist. MSS. Comm. Reports_, XIV, 4 (_Kenyon MSS._), 55.