Category: Witchcraft

Pamphlets that deal primarily with witchcraft.

Categories
Witchcraft

The Mowing-devil

Brief summary:
A farmer was bargaining with a mower about cutting down some of his oats, when the price wasn’t right they fought and the farmer swore about preferring the Devil to mow his oats, that night his oats appeared as if on fire but the next day were perfectly mowed.

Fuller summary:
The pamphlet details a phenomenal instance that occurred in Hartfordshire in August 1678 (pamphlet published August 22, 1678). A farmer wanted his field mowed, and so he went to a poor neighbor who usually worked in harvest labor and proposed a small compensation for his field to be mowed. The poor man asked for a higher price for his labor, and let it be known that the farmer “bid him much more under the usual Rate than the poor Man askt above it” (2). In other words, the farmer was proposing an unreasonably low price and the poor man was within his rights to ask for a higher compensation. The farmer however, was not happy with this and some harsh words were exchanged. The farmer decided he would discuss the matter no further, but the poor man, afraid of losing future business, then proposed to the farmer “a lower price than he had Mowed for any time this Year before,” (3). The farmer said in response, “That the Devil himself should Mow his Oats before he should have anything to do with them,” (3).

In the night, several “Passengers” beheld the farmer’s field of oats “to be all on a Flame” and this strange news reached the farmer in the morning (4). He went out to see his oats, imagining them to be completely devoured by the flames (reflecting on the statement he uttered the day before “That the Devil himself should Mow his Oats before he should have anything to do with them”). The farmer was amazed to find his crops cut down, not in the usual manner but in round circles, with every straw placed so exactly, no man could possibly have performed this task in one night. And the farmer is still afraid to remove the mowed crops from their devilish design.

The pamphlet is told as a dramatic narrative, relaying the story after the matter, and being careful to place the blame of the quarrel on the farmer for being unreasonable. Demonic/devilish intervention is pointed to as the cause of this occurrence, and the opening of the pamphlet provides a dramatic statement that devils certainly exist and they come from hell, as certainly as there is a heaven and consequently a God.

Categories
Witchcraft

The witch of the woodlands

Brief summary:
In the woods lived a cobbler called Robin the Devill, forced to marry a woman’s daughter, got into trouble with the town and left, he got lost but found a house with an old lady in it who he then realized was a witch, he went into fits and she seduced him into bed, the next morning three witches came in seeking revenge against him, promised to marry one of them, they turned into spirits, bit, and drew blood from his throat, ‘bum’ and ‘members,’ he turned into a fox and they followed him as dogs, turned him into other animals, he broke free from their spell and headed back to London, then he became a beggar.

Fuller summary:
This pamphlet reads more as an episode of folklore than a “true and genuine” account of witchcraft—in fact it never alleges itself to be true, is accompanied with rhyming couplets, and attributes itself to an author, “L.P.” Nonetheless, it provides a vivid portrait of what constitutes a witch and magic acts. This illustrated pamphlet is twelve pages long and would have looked eye-catching on the table displays. Most of its illustrations, with the exception of the cover page, are of the male protagonist rather than the witches.

The Witch of the Woodlands begins by detailing the exploits of a cobbler named Robin especially eager to please his attractive female customers. He appreciates his “wenches” so much that he impregnates three of them—as the reader later discovers, in one evening. He misses his bachelorhood and feels overwhelmed by his fatherhood responsibilities, so he takes to London to work until his children reach adulthood. On his way, however, he gets lost in “the Woodlands” (emphasis already in place).

“Robin the Cobler” in search of refuge meets an elderly woman, one of whom the reader can immediately tell is a witch by the descriptions of a “staffe in her hand,” and her physical traits: “long nos’d,” “wry mouth’d” and “bow-legg’d.” She offers for them to sleep together “as the Devill hugg’d the Witch” and out of starvation, Robin falls to his knees and agrees.

When Robin wakes up, he finds that the old woman has found three witch friends, who expose his “whoring” habits. The old woman had imps, one of whom took the form of a black cat, and informed her of the women Robin had exploited.

The three witches seek revenge and turn into animal form: a black cat, a bear, and a wolf. They bite his entire body, including his “members.” Three days of torture ensue, all emasculating and with maleficent properties. On the first day, Robin turns into a fox who must run from angry dogs. The second day, as a nag, he must literally permit the witches to ride him all day, tearing his flesh. The witches transform robin into an owl on the last day, plucking at his body parts. When the witches withdraw their spells, they perform one last act of subordination, forcing him to knell and kiss their entire bodies.

Robin is restored as a full human being but now he is witchlike in completion; his eyes are sunken, his skin pale, his nose lengthened. He returns to London in poverty, but finds the mercy of a fellow beggar. He “lay[s] lovingly” with this beggar and they become relatively successful beggars together. When his beggar partner dies, Robin inherits his money and gives it to his former wives, wenches and children.

Categories
Witchcraft

The Full and true relation of the tryal, condemnation, and execution of Ann Foster

Brief summary:
A woman came into the house of a grazier when mutton was scarce and demanded some of his, he denied her to find a few days later that thirty of his sheep had been killed, he then burned one of his sheep according to the advice of the town and the witch appeared, he cut her thinking by popular opinion that taking her blood would take away her powers, she said she’d have him arrested and demanded money and set his house on fire later, she was apprehended, first pleaded guilty, and then confessed, she began to swell and mentioned the devil came to suck on her in the form of a rat, she was hanged.

Fuller summary:
In 1674, an unknown writer in London published a pamphlet describing the accusation and conviction of an elderly woman named Ann Foster for consorting with the devil and using witchcraft against her neighbor. The full title of this pamphlet is as follows: “A Full and True Relation of the Tryal, Condemnation, and Execution of Ann Foster, (Who was Arrained for a Witch) on Saturday the 22nd of this Instant August, at the place of Execution at Northampton. With the Manner how She by her Malice and Witchcraft set all the Barns and Corn on Fire belonging to one Joseph Weeden living in Eastcoat, and bewitched a whole Flock of Sheep in a most lamentable manner, and betwitching all his Horses, with his other Cattle, to the utter Ruin and undoing of the said Joseph Weeden. And also in what likeness the Devil appeared to Her while she was in Prison, and the manner of her Deportment at her Tryal”.

The pamphlet begins as an almost academic argument about the existence of witches and witchcraft. The writer reveals that he had previously not believed in such things, until he witnessed the damage Ann Foster had done. This tale is set in a town called Eastcoat in Northampton Shire in April.

It was the time of year in which mutton is scarce and precious. However, Joseph Weeden, referred to as the Grazier, choose to slaughter a sheep for his family. Knowing this, Ann Foster appeared at his house, asking for some charity. She did not want to pay the full worth of any of the meat, and thus Weeden declined. Elderly and already possessing the reputation of talking to herself, Ann left muttering threats. A couple days later, Weeden finds thirty of his sheep dismembered in their pasture.

The Grazier was so “amazed at the strangeness of the spectacle” that he called several of his neighbors over. They agreed that he was probably bewitched, and that burning one of the sheep carcasses would summon the witch who had cursed Weeden. Ann came running almost as soon as the sheep was on the fire. It was also general knowledge that “fetching the blood” from the witch would drain her of her powers. Thus, the Grazier also cut her above the hand. An infection formed within the cut, and Ann threated to have him arrested. Wanting to avoid trouble, Weeden offered to pay for her to go to a healer. The old woman took the money, claiming it to be “the Divils mony” and that it would allow her to punish him.

The next month (May), Weeden’s house and barns caught fire and could not be contained. One barn burned down completely and some of his wheat was lost. Foster was seen watching the blaze and telling the townsfolk that they would not be able to put out the fire. The townsfolk then brought these occurrences to the local Justice of the Peace and claimed Ann Foster was a witch and consorting with the devil.

Foster originally claimed she was not guilty, but confessed after hearing witness statements. “Seeing that Sentence of Death was past upon her”, the woman then tried to ask God and Weeden for forgiveness and asked that her life be spared. When it became clear that she was going to be executed, she asked to be burned at the stake. However, the court executed her in its usual manner, by hanging.

In this case, it appears that Ann Foster, an elderly and unpopular member of the community, may have practiced, or claimed to have practiced, witchcraft as a means of social power. When she does not get her way, she threatens Joseph Weeden. She threatens him with magic and legal action on two separate occasions and invokes the Devil’s name in her arguments. However, such evidence was done publicly and backfired for her when the villagers had her arrested. Here, Ann confesses, but claims to see God’s light and attempts to talk her way out of execution. Unfortunately for her, it does not work. As my research continues, it would be interesting to see if there are other instances in which women practice, or claim to practice, witchcraft in order to exert some power through intimidation or fear in their communities.

Categories
Witchcraft

Relation of the most remarkable proceedings at the late assizes

Mary Foster begged for money and food from a Joseph Weedon, and when he denied her he found his sheep to be dead, she was called before a Justice of the Peace multiple times but denied, a jury of women examined her to find teats on her body that were sucked on, she admitted to being carried into the air by the devil to light his barn on fire, she confessed to the crimes but not to being a witch, wanted to be burnt but was hanged, she was asked to do a trick by a citizen of London and almost escaped on a floating bason/basin?, a highway robber confessed and was also executed, along with another woman who killed her bastard child.

Categories
Witchcraft

A Magical vision

The author was taken up by a broomstick and dropped off in a desert he did not know, then saw a mysterious old man, drew a circle in the ground and wrote names to summon, then appeared millions of creatures, another young man appeared boasting to have seen the face of Agrippa, the man boasts how he has control of witches and witchcraft, calls himself the Prince, the High Priest, the Jew-Errant, then the author awakes claiming that this and other similar stories are but dreams.

Categories
Witchcraft

The Daemon of Burton

Two pages cut off in beginning, starts at a woman who noticed her food and crops were rearranged or gone the next day, parts of the house were set on fire, they did not know who exactly was responsible but called her the ‘Hagg’.

Categories
Witchcraft

The witch of the woodlands

Brief summary:
In the woods lived a cobbler called Robin the Devill, forced to marry a woman’s daughter, got into trouble with the town and left, he got lost but found a house with an old lady in it who he then realized was a witch, he went into fits and she seduced him into bed, the next morning three witches came in seeking revenge against him, promised to marry one of them, they turned into spirits, bit, and drew blood from his throat, ‘bum’ and ‘members,’ he turned into a fox and they followed him as dogs, turned him into other animals, he broke free from their spell and headed back to London, then he became a beggar.

Fuller summary:
This pamphlet reads more as an episode of folklore than a “true and genuine” account of witchcraft—in fact it never alleges itself to be true, is accompanied with rhyming couplets, and attributes itself to an author, “L.P.” Nonetheless, it provides a vivid portrait of what constitutes a witch and magic acts. This illustrated pamphlet is twelve pages long and would have looked eye-catching on the table displays. Most of its illustrations, with the exception of the cover page, are of the male protagonist rather than the witches.

The Witch of the Woodlands begins by detailing the exploits of a cobbler named Robin especially eager to please his attractive female customers. He appreciates his “wenches” so much that he impregnates three of them—as the reader later discovers, in one evening. He misses his bachelorhood and feels overwhelmed by his fatherhood responsibilities, so he takes to London to work until his children reach adulthood. On his way, however, he gets lost in “the Woodlands” (emphasis already in place).

“Robin the Cobler” in search of refuge meets an elderly woman, one of whom the reader can immediately tell is a witch by the descriptions of a “staffe in her hand,” and her physical traits: “long nos’d,” “wry mouth’d” and “bow-legg’d.” She offers for them to sleep together “as the Devill hugg’d the Witch” and out of starvation, Robin falls to his knees and agrees.

When Robin wakes up, he finds that the old woman has found three witch friends, who expose his “whoring” habits. The old woman had imps, one of whom took the form of a black cat, and informed her of the women Robin had exploited.

The three witches seek revenge and turn into animal form: a black cat, a bear, and a wolf. They bite his entire body, including his “members.” Three days of torture ensue, all emasculating and with maleficent properties. On the first day, Robin turns into a fox who must run from angry dogs. The second day, as a nag, he must literally permit the witches to ride him all day, tearing his flesh. The witches transform robin into an owl on the last day, plucking at his body parts. When the witches withdraw their spells, they perform one last act of subordination, forcing him to knell and kiss their entire bodies.

Robin is restored as a full human being but now he is witchlike in completion; his eyes are sunken, his skin pale, his nose lengthened. He returns to London in poverty, but finds the mercy of a fellow beggar. He “lay[s] lovingly” with this beggar and they become relatively successful beggars together. When his beggar partner dies, Robin inherits his money and gives it to his former wives, wenches and children.

Categories
Witchcraft

A letter concerning the witches in the West

A short letter addressed to someone anonymous, a daughter has been afflicted by her father’s servant, she was apprehended but upon confessing about other witches tormenting her tongue would be drawn out of her mouth, she vomited hay and coal and hair, but was finally able to report other witches who were apprehended and confessed.

Categories
Witchcraft

The Shee-devil of Petticoat-Lane

Mr. Freeland entertained a maid servant for four days when he grew suspicious of her, and stones began to fly into the house, she was found to have big warts under her arms by a group of women, leaves up to the reader to decide if she was bewitching his goods.

Categories
Witchcraft

The power of vvitchcraft

Mr. William Harrison, steward to Lady Nowell, hired a son of a widow named Perry to be his servant, she was thought to be a witch, she and her two sons encountered Harrison, beat, and robbed him, his family thought him to be murdered when they couldn’t find him, the three were suspected, examined, and hanged at the Assizes in Glocester, they would not confess however, and said he was not murdered, he was at the time was apprehended by a Turkish ship and employed as a servant there until his master died and he returned to England, this was apparently caused by witchcraft.