Part 39 (1/2)

1638. Middles.e.x. Alice b.a.s.t.a.r.d arraigned on two charges.

Acquitted. _Middles.e.x County Records_, III, 112-113.

1641. Middles.e.x. One Hammond of Westminster tried and perhaps hanged. John Aubrey, _Remaines of Gentilisme and Judaisme_ (Folk-Lore Soc.), 61.

temp. Carol I. Oxford. Woman perhaps executed. This story is given at third hand in _A Collection of Modern Relations_ (London, 1693), 48-49.

temp. Carol, I. Somerset. One or more hanged. Later the bewitched person, who may have been Edmund Bull (see above, _s. v._ 1626, Taunton), hanged also as a witch. Meric Casaubon, _Of Credulity and Incredulity_ (London, 1668), 170-171.

temp. Carol. I? Taunton Dean. Woman acquitted. North, _Life of North_, 131.

1642. Middles.e.x. Nicholas Culpepper of St. Leonard's, Sh.o.r.editch, acquitted. _Middles.e.x County Records_, III, 85.

1643. Newbury, Berks. A woman supposed to be a witch probably shot here by the parliament forces. _A Most certain, strange and true Discovery of a Witch_ ... 1643; _Mercurius Aulicus_, Oct. 1-8, 1643; _Mercurius Civicus_, Sept. 21-28, 1643; _Certaine Informations_, Sept. 25-Oct. 2, 1643; _Mercurius Britannicus_, Oct. 10-17, 1643.

1644. Sandwich, Kent. ”The widow Drew hanged for a witch.” W. Boys, _Collections for an History of Sandwich_, 714.

1645 (July). Chelmsford, Ess.e.x. Sixteen certainly condemned, probably two more. Possibly eleven or twelve more at another a.s.size. _A true and exact Relation ...

of ... the late Witches ... at Chelmesford_ (1645); Arthur Wilson, in Peck, _Desiderata Curiosa_, II, 76; Hopkins, _Discovery of Witches_, 2-3; Stearne, _Confirmation and Discovery of Witchcraft_, 14, 16, 36, 38, 58, etc.; _Signes and Wonders from Heaven_ (1645), 2; ”R. B.” _The Kingdom of Darkness_ (London, 1688). The fate of the several Ess.e.x witches is recorded by the _True and Exact Relation_ in marginal notes printed opposite their depositions (but omitted in the reprint of that pamphlet in Howell's _State Trials_). ”R. B.,” in _The Kingdom of Darkness_, though his knowledge of the Ess.e.x cases is ascribed to the pamphlet, gives details as to the time and place of the executions which are often in strange conflict with its testimony.

1645 (July). Norfolk. Twenty witches said to have been executed. Whitelocke, _Memorials_, I, 487. _A Perfect Diurnal_ (July 21-28, 1645) says that there has been a ”tryall of the Norfolke witches, about 40 of them and 20 already executed.” _Signes and Wonders from Heaven_ says that ”there were 40 witches arraigned for their lives and 20 executed.”

1645. Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. Sixteen women and two men executed Aug. 27. Forty or fifty more probably executed a few weeks later. A very large number arraigned. A ma.n.u.script (Brit. Mus., Add.

MSS., 27,402, fol. 104 ff.) mentions over forty true bills and fifteen or more bills not found. _A True Relation of the Araignment of eighteene Witches at St. Edmundsbury_ (1645); Clarke, _Lives of Sundry Eminent Persons_, 172; _County Folk-Lore, Suffolk_ (Folk-Lore Soc.), 178; Ady, _A Candle in the Dark_, 104-105, 114; _Moderate Intelligencer_, Sept. 4-11, 1645; _Scottish Dove_, Aug. 29-Sept. 6, 1645.

Stearne mentions several names not mentioned in the _True Relation_--names probably belonging to those in the second group of the accused. Of most of them he has quoted the confession without stating the outcome of the cases. They are Hempstead of Creeting, Ratcliffe of Sh.e.l.ley, Randall of Lavenham, Bedford of Rattlesden, Wright of Hitcham, Ruceulver of Powstead, Greenliefe of Barton, Bush of Barton, Cricke of Hitcham, Richmond of Bramford, Hammer of Needham, Boreham of Sudbury, Scarfe of Rattlesden, King of Acton, Bysack of Waldingfield, Binkes of Haverhill.

In addition to these Stearne speaks of Elizabeth Hubbard of Stowmarket. Two others from Stowmarket were tried, ”Goody Mils” and ”Goody Low.” Hollingsworth, _History of Stowmarket_ (Ipswich, 1844), 171.

1645. Melford, Suffolk. Alexander Sussums made confession.

Stearne, 36.

1645. Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. At least nine women indicted, five of whom were condemned. Three women acquitted and one man. Many others presented. C.

J. Palmer, _History of Great Yarmouth_, I, 273-274.

_Hist. MSS. Comm. Reports_, IX, App., pt. I, 320 a; Henry Harrod in _Norfolk Archaeol._, IV, 249-251.

1645. Cornwall. Anne Jeffries confined in Bodmin gaol and starved by order of a justice of the peace. She was said to be intimate with the ”airy people” and to cause marvellous cures. We do not know the charge against her. Finally discharged. William Turner, _Remarkable Providences_ (London, 1697), ch. 82.

1645. Ipswich, Suffolk. Mother Lakeland burnt. _The Lawes against Witches_ (1645).

1645. King's Lynn, Norfolk. Dorothy Lee and Grace Wright hanged. Mackerell, _History and Antiquities of King's Lynn_, 236.

1645. Aldeburgh, Norfolk. Seven witches hanged. Quotations from the chamberlain's accounts in N. F.

Hele, _Notes or Jottings about Aldeburgh_, 43-44.

1645. Faversham, Kent. Three women hanged, a fourth tried, by the local authorities. _The Examination, Confession, Triall and Execution of Joane Williford, Joan Cariden and Jane Hott_ (1645).

1645. Rye, Suss.e.x. Martha Bruff and Anne Howsell ordered by the ”mayor of Rye and others” to be put to the ordeal of water. _Hist. MSS. Comm. Reports_, XIII, pt. 4, 216.

1645. Middles.e.x. Several witches of Stepney accused. _Signes and Wonders from Heaven_, 2-3.