Discovery of Witches Part 14

_William Leigh._

_Edward Chisnall._

These Examinations being taken, they were brought into the Court, and there openly in the presence of this great Audience published, and declared to the Iurie of Life and Death; and thereupon the Gentlemen of their Iury required to consider of them. For although they stood vpon their Triall, for matter of Fact of Witchcraft, Murther, and much more of the like nature: yet in respect all their Accusations did appeare to bee practise: they were now to consider of them, and to acquit them. Thus were these poore Innocent creatures, by the great care and paines of this honorable Iudge, deliuered from the danger of this conspiracie; this bloudie practise of the Priest laid open: of whose fact I may lawfully say; _Etiam si ego tacuero clamabunt lapides_.

These are but ordinary with Priests and Iesuites: no respect of Bloud, kindred, or friends.h.i.+p, can moue them to forbeare their Conspiracies: for when he had laboured treacherously to seduce and conuert them, and yet could doe no good; then deuised he this meanes.

_G.o.d of his great mercie deliuer vs all from them and their d.a.m.nable conspiracies: and when any of his Maiesties subiects, so free and innocent as these, shall come in question, grant them as honorable a Triall, as Reuerend and worthy a Iudge to sit in Iudgement vpon them; and in the end as speedie a deliuerance. And for that which I haue heard of them; seene with my eyes, and taken paines to Reade of them: My humble prayer shall be to G.o.d Almightie._ Vt Conuertantur ne pereant. Aut confundantur ne noceant.

To conclude, because the discourse of these three women of Salmesbury hath beene long and troublesome to you; it is heere placed amongst the Witches, by special order and commandement, to set forth to the World the practise and conspiracie of this bloudy Butcher. And because I haue presented to your view a Kalender in the Frontispice of this Booke, of twentie notorious Witches: I shall shew you their deliuerance in order, as they came to their Arraignement and Triall euery day, and as the Gentlemen of euery Iury for life and death stood charged with them.

[Ill.u.s.tration: decoration]

THE ARRAIGNMENT _and Triall of_ ANNE REDFERNE,[N3_b_]

_Daughter of_ ANNE WHITTLE, _alias_ CHATTOX, _of the Forrest of Pendle, in the Countie of Lancaster, for Witchcraft; vpon Wednesday the nineteenth of August, at the a.s.sises and Generall Gaole-deliuerie, holden at Lancaster_,

Before

_Sir_ EDWARD BROMLEY _Knight, one of his Maiesties Iustices of a.s.sise at Lancaster._

_Anne Redferne._

Svch is the horror of Murther, and the crying sinne of Bloud, that it will neuer bee satisfied but with Bloud. So fell it out with this miserable creature, _Anne Redferne_, the daughter of _Anne Whittle_, alias _Chattox_: who, as shee was her Mother, and brought her into the World, so was she the meanes to bring her into this danger, and in the end to her Execution, for much Bloud spilt, and many other mischiefes done.

For vpon Tuesday night (although you heare little of her at the Arraignement and Triall of old _Chattox_, her Mother) yet was shee arraigned for the murther of _Robert Nutter_, and others: and by the fauour and mercifull consideration of the Iurie, the Euidence being not very pregnant against her, she was acquited, and found Not guiltie.

Such was her condition and course of life, as had she liued, she would haue beene very dangerous: for in making pictures of Clay, she was more cunning then any: But the innocent bloud yet vnsatisfied, and crying out vnto G.o.d for satisfaction and reuenge; the crie of his people (to deliuer them from the danger of such horrible and bloudie executioners, and from her wicked and d.a.m.nable practises) hath now againe brought her to a second Triall, where you shall heare what wee haue vpon Record against her.

This _Anne Redferne_, prisoner in the Castle at Lancaster, being brought to the Barre, before the great Seat of Iustice, was there, according to the former order and course, indicted and arraigned, for that she felloniously had practised, exercised, and vsed her deuillish and wicked Arts, called _Witchcrafts_, _Inchauntments_, _Charmes_, and _Sorceries_, in and vpon one _Christopher Nutter_, and him the said _Christopher Nutter_, by force of the same Witchcrafts, felloniously did kill and murther, _Contra formam Statuti &c. Et Contra Pacem &c._

Vpon her Arraignement to this Indictment, she pleaded _Not-Guiltie_; and for the triall of her life put her selfe vpon G.o.d and the Countrey.

So as now the Gentlemen of the Iurie of Life and Death stand charged with her as with others.

_The Euidence against_ Anne Redferne, _Prisoner at the Barre._

_The Examination of_ ELIZABETH SOTHERNES, alias OLD DEMBDIKE, _taken at the Fence, in the Forrest of Pendle, in the Countie of Lancaster, the second day of Aprill_, Anno Reg. Regis IACOBI, Angliae, &c. decimo, & Scotiae xlv.

Against

ANNE REDFERNE (_the daughter of_ ANNE WHITTLE, alias CHATTOX) _Prisoner at the Barre:_

Before

ROGER NOWEL _of Reade, Esquire, one of his Maiesties Iustices of Peace within the said Countie._

This Examinate saith, That about halfe a yeare before _Robert Nutter_ died, as this Examinate thinketh, this Examinate went to the house of _Thomas Redferne_, which was about Midsummer, as shee this Examinate now remembreth it: and there, within three yards of the East end of the said house, shee saw the said _Anne Whittle_ and _Anne Redferne_, wife of the said _Thomas Redferne_, and daughter of the said _Anne Whittle_, the one on the one side of a Ditch, and the other on the other side, and two pictures of Clay or Marle lying by them, and the third picture the said _Anne Whittle_ was making. And the said _Anne Redferne_, her said daughter, wrought her Clay or Marle to make the third picture withall. And this Examinate pa.s.sing by them, a Spirit, called _Tibbe_, in the shape of a blacke Cat, appeared vnto her this Examinate and said, Turne backe againe, and doe as they doe.

To whom this Examinate said, What are they doing? Whereunto the said Spirit said, They are making three pictures: whereupon shee asked, whose pictures they were? whereunto the said Spirit said, They are the pictures of _Christopher Nutter_, _Robert Nutter_, and _Mary_, wife of the said _Robert Nutter_. But this Examinate denying to goe backe to helpe them to make the pictures aforesaid, the said Spirit seeming to be angrie therefore, shot or pushed this Examinate into the Ditch; and so shedde the milke which this Examinate had in a Kanne, or Kitt; and so thereupon the Spirit at that time vanished out of this Examinates sight. But presently after that, the said Spirit appeared vnto this Examinate again in the shape of a Hare, and so went with her about a quarter of a myle, but said nothing vnto her this Examinate, nor shee to it.

_The Examination of_ MARGARET CROOKE

Against

_the said_ ANNE REDFERNE: _Taken the day and yeare aforesaid_,

Before

ROGER NOWEL _aforesaid, Esquire, one of his Maiesties Iustices of the Peace in the Countie of Lancaster._

This Examinate, sworne & examined vpon her oath, sayth, That about eighteene or nineteene yeares agoe, this Examinates brother, called _Robert Nutter_, about Whitsontide the same yeare, meeting with the said _Anne Redferne_, vpon some speeches betweene them they fell out, as this Examinats said brother told this Examinat: and within some weeke, or fort-night, then next after, this Examinats said brother fell sicke, and so languished vntill about Candlemas then next after, and then died. In which time of his sicknesse, he did a hundred times at the least say, That the said _Anne Redferne_ and her a.s.sociates had bewitched him to death. And this Examinate further saith, That this Examinates Father, called _Christopher Nutter_, about Maudlintide next after following fell sicke, and so languished, vntill Michaelmas then next after, and then died: during which time of his sicknesse, hee did sundry times say, That hee was bewitched; but named no bodie that should doe the same.

_The Examination of_ IOHN NVTTER, _of Higham Booth, in the Forrest of Pendle, in the Countie of Lancaster, yeoman_,

Against

_the said_ ANNE REDFERNE: _Taken the day and yeare aforesaid_,

Before

ROGER NOWEL _Esquire, one of his Maiesties Iustices of Peace in the Countie of Lancaster._

This Examinate, sworne and examined vpon his oath, sayth, That in or about Christmas, some eighteene or nineteene yeares agoe, this Examinat comming from Burnley with _Christopher Nutter_ and _Robert Nutter_, this Examinates Father and Brother, this Examinate heard his said Brother then say vnto his said Father these words, or to this effect. _Father, I am sure I am bewitched by the_ Chattox, Anne Chattox, _and_ Anne Redferne _her daughter, I pray you cause them to bee layed in Lancaster Castle:_ Whereunto this Examinates Father answered, Thou art a foolish Ladde, it is not so, it is thy miscarriage. Then this Examinates Brother weeping, said; nay, I am sure that I am bewitched by them, and if euer I come againe (for hee was readie to goe to Sir _Richard Shuttleworths_, then his Master) I will procure them to bee laid where they shall be glad to bite Lice in two with their teeth.

Hereupon _Anne Whittle_, alias _Chattox_, her Mother, was brought forth to bee examined, who confessed the making of the pictures of Clay, and in the end cried out very heartily to G.o.d to forgiue her sinnes, and vpon her knees intreated for this _Redferne_, her daughter.

Here was likewise many witnesses examined vpon oth _Viua voce_, who charged her with many strange practises, and declared the death of the parties, all in such sort, and about the time in the Examinations formerly mentioned.

All men that knew her affirmed, shee was more dangerous then her Mother, for shee made all or most of the Pictures of Clay, that were made or found at any time.

Wherefore I leaue her to make good vse of the little time she hath to repent in: but no meanes could moue her to repentance, for as shee liued, so shee dyed.

_The Examination of_ IAMES DEVICE, _taken the day and yeare afore-said._

Before

ROGER NOWEL, _and_ NICHOLAS BANNESTER, _Esquires: two of his Maiesties Iustices of Peace within the said Countie of Lancaster._ viz.

The said Examinate vpon his oath saith, That about two yeares agoe, hee this Examinate saw three Pictures of Clay, of halfe a yard long, at the end of _Redfernes_ house, which _Redferne_ had one of the Pictures in his hand, _Marie_ his daughter had another in her hand, and the said _Redfernes_ wife, [Sidenote: _Anne Redferne the Witch._]

now prisoner at Lancaster, had an other Picture in her hand, which Picture she the said _Redfernes_ wife, was then crumbling, but whose Pictures they were, this Examinate cannot tell. And at his returning backe againe, some ten Roods off them there appeared vnto him this Examinate a thing like a Hare, which spit fire at him this Examinate.