1582 were the witches of St. Osyth, in Essex,43 but, as they are too many to particularize, a summary, which appears at the end of the book, may best be given:
‘THE NAMES OF XIII WITCHES AND THOSE THAT HAUE BEEN BEWITCHED BY THEM.
‘The Names of those persons that haue been bewitched and thereof haue dyed, and by whome, and of them that haue receiued bodyly harme &c. As appeareth upon sundrye Enformations, Examinations and Confessions, taken by the worshipfull Bryan Darcy, Esqre: And by him certified at large unto the Queene’s Maiesties Justices of Assise of the Countie of Essex, the xxix of March, 1582.
‘1. Ursley Kempe, alias Grey, bewitched to death Kempes Wife, Thorlowes Childe, Strattons Wife.
‘The said Ursley Kemp had foure spyrites, viz. their names, Tetty a hee, like a gray Cat; Jack, a hee, like a black Cat: Pygin, a she, like a black Toad, and Tyffyn, a she, like a white Lambe. The hees were to plague to death, and the shees to punish with bodily harme and to destroy cattell. Tyffyn, Ursley’s white spirit did tell her alwayes (when she asked) what the other witches had done: And by her, the most part were appelled, which spirit telled her alwayes true. As is well approued by the other Witches Confession.
‘2. Ales Newman and Ursley Kempe bewitched to death Letherdailes Childe and Strattons Wife.
‘The sayd Ales Newman had the said Ursley Kemps spirits to use at her pleasure.
‘The sayd Ales and Ursley Kempe bewitched Strattons Childe and Grace Thorlowe, whereof they did languish.
‘3. Elizabeth Bennet bewitched to death William Byet and Joan his wife, and iii of his beasts. The Wife of William Willes and William Willingalle.
‘Elizabeth Bennet bewitched William Bonners Wife, John Batler, Fortunes Childe, whereof they did languish.
‘Elizabeth Bennet had two Spirits, viz. their name Suckyn, a hee, like a blacke Dog: and Lyard, red lyke a Lyon or Hare.
‘Ales Newman bewitched to death John Johnson and his Wife, and her owne husband, as it is thought.
‘4. Ales Hunt bewitched to death Rebecca Durrant and vi beasts of one Haywardes.
‘Ales Hunt had two spirits lyke Coltes, the one blacke, the other white.
‘5. Cysley Celles bewitched to death Thomas Deaths Child. And bewitched Rosses mayde, Mary Death, whereof they did languish.
‘6. Cysley Celles and Ales Manfielde bewitched Richard Rosses horse and beasts, and caused their Impes to burne a barne with much corne.
‘Cysley Celles had two Spirits by severall names, viz. Sothrons, Herculus, Jack, or Mercury.
‘7. Ales Manfielde and Margaret Greuell bewitched to death Robert Cheston and Greuell Husband to Margaret.
‘Ales Manfielde and Margaret Greuell bewitched the widdow Cheston and her husband’s v beasts, and one bullocke, and seuerall brewinges of beere and batches of bread.
‘Ales Manfield and Margaret Greuell had in common, by agreement, iiii spirits, viz. their names, Robin, Jack, Will, Puppet, alias Magnet, whereof two were hees, and two shees, lyke unto black Cats.
‘8. Elizabeth Eustace bewitched to death Robert Stanneuette’s Childe and Thomas Crosse. And bewitched Robert Stannevette’s vii milch beasts, which gaue blood insteede of milke, and seuerall of his Swine dyed.
‘Elizabeth Eustace had iii Impes or Spirits, of coulour white, grey and black.
‘9. Annys Herde bewitched to death Richard Harrison’s wife and two wives of William Dowsing, as it is supposed. And bewitched Cartwright two beasts. Wade, sheep and lambs, &c. West, swine and pigs. Osborne, a brewing of beere, and seuerall other losses of milke and creame.
‘10. Annis Herd had vi Impes or spirites like auises and black byrdes, And vi other like Kine, of the bygnes of Rats, with short hornes: the Auises shee fed with wheat, barly, Otes and bread, the Kine with straw and hey.
‘11. Margery Sammon had two spirits like Toads, their names Tom and Robyn.
‘12. Annis Glascoke bewitched to death Mychell Steuens Childe, The base Childe at Pages, William Pages Childe.
‘13. Annis Glascocke, Joan Pechey, Joan Robinson. These haue not confessed any thing touching the hauing of spirits.’
So we see that eleven out of fourteen women confessed not only all that was alleged against them; but many of them went out of their way to oblige Queen Elizabeth’s judges, by confessing more. It seems incredible, nevertheless it is true.
Not half so interesting is ‘The most strange and admirable discouerie of the three Witches of Worboys,’ etc., London, 1593. And, besides, it is such a hackneyed case that it is not worth mentioning, save for the fact that three people were done to death for it, and that money was left for a sermon to be preached in Huntingdon, annually, in commemoration of the fact—a bequest that has now lapsed, the money, of course, disappearing into someone’s pocket.
Far rarer is the story of ‘The Witches of Northamptonshire, Agnes Browne, Joane Vaughan, Arthur Bill, Hellen Ienkenson, and Mary Barber, Witches, who were all executed at Northampton, the 22 of Iuly last, 1612.’ Unfortunately, it is too long for reproduction here in its entirety, which is a pity, as the story is told by one who would have shone as a police-court reporter to a certain section of modern journals; but a portion of it I may give:
‘This Agnes Browne led her life at Gilsborough in the county of Northampton, of poore parentage, and poorer education, one that, as shee was borne to no good, was, for want of grace neuer in the way to receiue any; euer noted to bee of an ill nature and wicked disposition, spightful and malitious, and many yeares before she died, both hated and feared among her neighbours: Being long suspected in the Towne where she dwelt, of that crime, which afterwards proved true. This Agnes Browne had a daughter whose name was Ioane Vaughan or Varnham, a maide (or at least unmarried) as gratious as the mother, and both of them as farre from grace as Heauen from Hell.
‘This Ioane was so well brought up under her mother’s elbow, that shee hangd with her for company under her mother’s nose. But to the purpose. This Ioane one day happening into the company of one Mistris Belcher, a vertuous and godly Gentlewoman of the same towne of Gilsborough, this Ioane Vaughan, whether of purpose to giue occasion of anger to the said Mistris Belcher, or but continue her vile and ordinary custome of behauiour, committed something either in speech or gesture, so unfitting and unseeming the nature of womanhood, that it displeased the most that were there present: But especially it touched the modesty of this Gentlewoman, who was much mooued with her bold and impudent demeanor, that she could not contain herselfe, but sodainely rose up and strooke her; howbeit hurt her not, but forced her to auoid the Company: which this Chicken of the Damme’s hatching, taking disdainfully, and beeing also enraged (as they that in this kind having power to harme, have neuer patience to beare) at her going out, told the Gentlewoman that shee would remember this iniury, and revenge it: To whom Mistris Belcher answered, that shee neither feared her, nor her mother; but bad her doe her worst.
‘This trull holding herselfe much disgraced, hies home in all hast to her mother; and telles her the wrong which shee suggested Mistris Belcher had done unto her: Now was the fire and the tow all enflamed: Nothing
