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The Widow Orchard: Witchcraft In Malmesbury
Malmesbury, Wiltshire, 1658 One day a woman known as “Widow Orchard” asked Mary Bartholomew, Daughter of Hugh Bartholomew the brewer, for some yeast. Mary told the widow that there was no yeast to spare, but Orchard suspected – correctly – that she was lying. Telling the young woman ominously that “Then you will give me …
Elizabeth Abbot and Dionisia Josselyn: Two Essex Witches
Sometimes research is the most fabulous fun in the world. Other times, it leaves you tearing your hair and wondering why you ever started. This was definitely the case when I decided to look into the supposed witch burning of Elizabeth Abbot in Great Canfield, Essex. I was looking for information on something else entirely, …
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A-Z of the Accused: Isobel Roby
Name: Isobel Roby Location: Lancashire Date: 1612 Accusations: One of the less well-known of the “Pendle Witches”, Isobel Roby was unusual in that she was not actually indicted for a specific act of witchcraft against a named victim. Several people however spoke against her, including Peter Chaddock of Windle, Jane Wilkinson, Margaret Lyon, and Margaret …
A Visit to Outlaw Territory: Exploring the city of Robin Hood
As most readers of this blog know, we had a new addition to the family back in March. It was an eventful occassion in many ways, and along with a long-expected diagnosis of autism for our now middle-child, and the rather less expected discovery that Tiny Baby had a tongue tie that needed snipping, all …
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Burning Cows: A Cure for Witchcraft
One thing that anyone with an interest in witchcraft cases of the 16thand 17th centuries will quickly notice is how often animals are involved in accusations and ‘proof’ of bewitchment. This is unsurprising; animals, especially horses, cows and pigs (the animals most commonly cited in such cases) were of great importance, the loss of one …
Introducing Folklore Thursday!
Writing and researching on the subject of witches inevitably brings you into contact with the varied and eclectic world of folklore. During the last year of writing here at The Witch, the Weird, and The Wonderful, I’ve noticed two things. One is the never-ending supply of fascinating tales and intriguing images out there to share. The other is …
The Burning Matter of English Witches
The image of the witch being burnt for her crimes is a familiar one, well established in the popular imagination. It might be surprising to learn therefore, that although a frequent occurrence in Scotland and on the Continent, there were only a handful of suspected witches burnt in England, and even those few that come …
A Ramble in the Peak District: The Search for Doll Tor
Last summer was our first living in Derbyshire, and we spent the six weeks of the summer holidays exploring everywhere we could. My husband has a thing about stone circles (part of our honeymoon was spent checking out Stone Henge and the less well-known stones in the area) and so we found ourselves on a …
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Accused:British Witches Throughout History
The end of 2014 was somewhat mixed; a month and a half of illness, two trips to the emergency department and a three day stay in hospital are parts I would rather not repeat. Amongst the drama, however, there was, I am now pleased to announce, some more positive news. I have signed a contract …