The twelve accused lived in the area surrounding pendle hill in lancashire, and were charged with the murders of ten people by the use of witchcraft. So at the notorious salem witch trials in 1692, most of the. All but two were tried at lancaster assizes 1719 august 1612 along with the samlesbury witches and others, in what became known as the lancashire witch trials. The witchhunt in early modern europe inside book publishing. The pendle witches, a famous witch trial in lancashire. There once lived a woman named elizabeth southern aka old demdike and was the most famous and notorious witch of pendle casting curses and spells and magic. I read mist over pendle so often the book fell to pieces and had to be renewed, so i bought this book the pendle witches when i saw it on amazons web site in order to seperate fact from fiction and found it very interesting. Aug 17, 2015 accused of various murders, twelve people were charged of whom was found not guilty and another died in prison before going to trial. The true story of the pendle witches is one of the most famous events in english history.
A witch hunt or a witch purge is a search for people who have been labelled witches or a search for evidence of witchcraft, and it often involves a moral panic or mass hysteria. Witch hunting the pendle witches lancashire witch trials. Nine year old jennet device was a key witness in the pendle trial. This is a video for a song from the upcoming cunning folk album. Jennet device, a beggargirl from pendle in lancashire, was the star witness in 1612 in the trial of her own mother, her brother, her sister and. Old demdike never went to trial as she died in the dark, cold, damp dungeon in which she had been imprisoned. Witchcraft and the construction of criminality in early modern england. After a visit to denmark, he attends the trial in 1590 of the north berwick witches, who were convicted of using witchcraft to send a storm against the ship that. Lancashire witch trials the pendle witches lived during the reigns of elizabeth i 1558 1603 and james i 1603 1625. Archeology dig discovers witch s cottage at pendle hill bbc. The code of hammurabi 18th century bce short chronology prescribes that. This excellent little book is a wonderful introduction to the story of the trial of the witches of pendle in 1612. Several cases of demonic possission were recorded locally, but that of 1596, in which two grandchildren of edmund starkie of huntroyd were the victims, is important.
This website and its content is subject to our terms and conditions. Pendle hill this mysterious brooding landmark will forever be associated with the pendle witches, but the hill was also the subject of religious inspiration. Pendle hill rises above the ancient hunting ground called the forest of bowland. An interactive map showing the geographical spread of witchhunts and witch trials across europe and north america.
Normally in this period children were exempt from giving evidence but with a witch trial all normal rules went out of the window. From roald dahl to the wizard of oz to the costumes worn by children at halloween, witches. They were hanged by the neck until dead this was a gruesome form of. At the assizes at lancaster in the autumn of 1612, twenty persons, of whom sixteen were women of various ages, were committed for trial, and most of them tried for witchcraft. The upper estimate of the number of people executed for being witches in europe is nine million of which 85 percent were women. Luci teal at the big witch event barley, in the borough of pendle, in lancashire, england. Even today, the witch is a popular staple character in popular mythology. The big story of british medicine in ww1 revision timeline. View a higher resolution version of this video here. The history of the pendle witches the pendle witches lived during the reigns of elizabeth 1st 15581603 and james 1st 16031625. It is 400 years since the pendle witch trials, and the evidence is no clearer today. Ten witches were executed at gallows hill, lancaster on 20th august, 1612 for having betwitched to death, by devilish practices and hellish means, sixteen inhabitants of the forest of pendle. Simple power point to describe the time line of the pendle witches. A wonderfull discoverie the pendle witches the white goddess.
Oct 31, 2017 in anient england in 1612 one of the most famous trials took place the pendle witch trials. Nov 01, 2015 the trials were held on the 17th, 18th and 19th august 1612. To find out more we will have to explore what life was like at this time and the reasons behind this tale. This is an extraordinary story of the most disturbing witch trial in british history and the key role played in it by one nineyear. Alizon device meets peddler john law, on keighley road, colne, who suffers a stroke after the confrontation and is taken to what was probably the greyhound inn in market street demolished around 1790 where alison, obviously shaken by the events, looked in on him before continuing on her way to trawden. The pendle witches lancashire witch trials english witchcraft. Alizon device meets peddler john law, on keighley road, colne, who suffers a stroke after the confrontation and is taken to what was probably the greyhound inn in market street. The final installment of our blog series examining the salem witch trials, find out what happened to the women and men accused. Pendle witch trail, lancaster to pendle sightseeing in. The most disturbing witch trial in british history the pendle witch child. Events mark 400th anniversary of pendle witch trials bbc news. A chronology of the salem witch trials, the background for the story of obeah opera, a luminato 2019 production.
Pendle is famous for its witch trials and this shop has been visited by tourists since i was a little girl my dad lived down the road from here chris lawrence has long been fascinated by the century tale of the pendle witches. The confession of demdike, alias elizabeth southerns, recorded by thomas potts in discovery of witches, 16. Much of the evidence against the accused was given by children. By august of the same year, alizon device had been accused, convicted and executed as a witch in one of the most notorious witch trials ever to take place in england. Regardless, the amount of information makes this tiny book surprisingly dense. The wonderfull discoverie of witches in the countie of lancaster, which detailed the pendle witch trials. The ten guilty pendle witches were transported to the lancaster gallows hill on the 20th of august, 1612, and executed. Knowing mist over pendle by heart then reading this book brings the story to life. Although there were certainly other witchcraft trials taking place in england during the fifteenth to eighteenth century. In a very lively and readable style, christine goodier.
There was also an original copy of the 16 book by the court of the clerk, thomas potts. The people of pendle, lancashire, are faithful to their roman catholic beliefs, more so when queen mary i ascended to the throne in 1553. Pendle hill this mysterious brooding landmark will forever be associated with the pendle witches. Unusually for england at that time, the trial proceedings. In 1652 george fox climbed pendle hill and had a vision on the hill which inspired him to found the quaker movement. Of the eleven who went to trial nine women and two men ten were found guilty and executed by hanging. The pendle witch trials, lancashire, 1612 thoughtco. Beneath pendle hill are the tiny hamlets and farms which played a part in the true story of the pendle witches. The confession of demdike to witchcraft the pendle witches.
Mar 16, 2012 image caption the accused lived in the area around pendle hill. On august 20th 1612 ten people convicted of witchcraft at the summer assize held in lancaster castle went to the gallows on the moors above the town. Pendle hill witches of lancashire witch history, lancashire, witch. This is because roger nowell of read hall was a neart neighbour of the starkies and he had so much involvement in the pendle witch trials. The european witch hunts have a long timeline, gaining momentum during the 16th century and continuing for more than 200 years. Had it not been for a nine year old girl, the trial may never have. Pendle witch trials hold the biggest record of executions of anywhere in the world old time religion four hundred witch trials big group world records people dress witches manchester britain. Although there were certainly other witchcraft trials. A witchhunt or a witch purge is a search for people who have been labelled witches or a. Aug 19, 20 thomas potts, the wonderfull discoverie of witches in the countie of lancaster. In the year of 1634 a man and several women were put on trial in the city of ramsele in angermanland in norrland in sweden. Feb 02, 20 the ten deadliest snakes in the world with steve irwin real wild documentary duration.
The surrounding area is closely associated with the pendle witch trials. But, many historians believe this is an exaggeration. From barbaric tortures and occult dessert dishes to unwinnable trials by ordeal, find out more about seven unusual tests once used as evidence of. This odious witch was branded with a preposterous mark in nature, even from her birth, which was her left eye, standing lower then the other. They took place in a number of cities in massachusetts bay colony. The witches of pendle trial witches of pendle pendle. As well as the exhibits there were several panels of information about the trials themselves. The pendle witch trials, part of the more extensive lancashire witch trials, are among the most famous witch trials in english history, as well as some of the best recorded of the 17th century. The salem witch trials timeline, part iii luminato festival. Born and bred within the forest of pendle, john a clayton is a qualified historian and landscape archaeologist. As a result of king james is firm belief in the existence of witchcraft, an act was passed which imposed the death penalty for making a covenant with an evil spirit, using a corpse for magic, hurting life or limb. The pendle case remains one of the most notorious of all trials in english.
If you are interested in the time then you may enjoy pendle witches. People accused of practicing maleficarum, or harmful magic, were widely persecuted, but the exact number of europeans executed on charges of witchcraft. The trials were held on the 17th, 18th and 19th august 1612. Aug 17, 2011 jennets evidence in the 1612 pendle witch trial in lancashire led to the execution of 10 people, including all of her own family. The pendle witches lived during the reigns of elizabeth i 1558 1603 and james 1 1603 1625. The ramsele witch trial, which took place in 1634, is one of the few known swedish witch trials before the great witch mania of 16681676. The trials of the pendle witches in 1612 are among the most famous witch trials in english history, and some of the best recorded of the 17th century. Jennet, a nine year old beggar, was part of a bigger story of justicers, clerics, and physicians, even the king himself. All of these influences ensured that witchcraft and the construction of criminality in early modern england allowed for the pendle witch trials to occur.
Salem witch trials the salem witch trials were a series of prosecutions in which over 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft. Its summit, known as the big end, is the site of a bronze age burial. The other ten were found guilty and executed by hanging. The pendle witch trial of 1612 the witches of pendle forest witches executed at lancaster witchcraft. Pendle witch 24 warburton pl, m46 0eq atherton, wigan, united kingdom rated 4. The pendle witch child witchcraft documentary timeline.
Later, the pendle witch trials of 1612 joined the ranks of the most famous witch trials in english history. Normally in this period children were exempt from giving evidence but with a witch trial. Witchcraft was widely believed to be effective in 16th century europe. This is a story about fear, politics, religion, science and magic. Sep 29, 2012 pendle witch trial resource instruction. It was an era of religious persecution and superstition. Unusually for england at that time, the trial proceedings were officially published by the clerk to the court, thomas potts, in his the wonderfull discoverie of witches in the countie of lancaster. The witches of pendle trial the witches of pendle lived during the reigns of elizabeth i and james i between 1558 and 1625. Tes global ltd is registered in england company no 02017289 with its registered office at 26 red lion square london wc1r 4hq.
Pendle hill witch weekends and ghost hunts lancashire. Someone who would normally have been lost to history has lived on because of a chilling role in one of the most disturbing witch trials on record. Pendle witches pendle witch trials one was tried at york assizes on 27 july 1612, and another died in prison. What is certain is that the trials took place during an era of superstition, when belief in witchcraft was widespread and when suspicion became rumour, then without further adieu, became. Pendle witch discoverie tours, burnley, lancashire. The twelve accused lived in the area around pendle hill in lancashire, and were charged with the murders of ten people by the use of witchcraft. Jennet device, a beggargirl from pendle in lancashire, was the star witness in the trial. Europes concern during this period was over the nature, activities, and numbers of witches. Pendle witches wikipedia, the free encyclopedia witch.
The only source of information as to what really occurred is found in a book called, the wonderful discoverie of witches. Two men and nine women, from the pendle hill area of lancashire, eventually went to trial, and of these eleven, ten were eventually found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging. Poor old demdike never made it to trial after succumbing to the conditions of the prison in which she was being kept. Read black cats for excerpts and prose from my latest novel based on the witches, or visit the witches journal to explore my writing processes during national novel writing month 2012. The story of the pendle witches is one that has been told now for nearly 400 years. The evidence of jennet device, a nine year old beggar, is what brought about the execution involving 10 people.
Sep 7, 2018 every year tens of thousands of people visit pendle to take in the. A developer discovering the top of what appeared to be a house called in united nations archeologists to perform a dig, where they found a nearly completely preserved cottage from the time of the witch trials. Jennets evidence in the 1612 pendle witch trial in lancashire led to the execution of 10 people, including all of her own family. Mar 06, 2020 in 1692, the salem, massachusetts witch trials sent 19 people to the gallows. The twelve accused lived in the area around pendle. The pendle witches lancashire witch trials english. But the most important comparisonconnection between pendle and salem was the admission of legal testimony by a minor in the former trials, which set the precedent for the latter. Aug 18, 2017 internationally, the witch craze reached its peak in the late 1500s and early 1600s, and was over by the early 1700s. About katherine hewitt katherine also known as old mouldhills was accused of witchcraft at the lancashire pendle witch trials of 1612.
Details of her case and her family history are given in the. Once home of wolves and wild boar, it is still an untamed place, full of mystery. It is a story which still haunts the traveller today. The witch image had taken centuries to evolve along side a rising concern with the power of satan in the world a concern renewed by the reformation but the new preoccupation with the sexual nature of the witches relationship with satan was the feature that most clearly differentiated the witch. The story itself is told in detail in the witches of pendle trial booklet. The pendle witch trials were an actual event in history, that have tied pendle hill to witchcraft so much that there is a local tourism industry playing up the connection.
In 1612, ten women were hung for alleged witchcraft following a trial at lancaster assizes, lancashire. Accused of witchcraft and attending a witches sabbath, alice remained silent throughout the trial, perhaps she was a catholic wishing to hide attending a catholic mass. The pendle witch trial of 1612 the witches of pendle forest witches executed at lancaster witchcraft in the 19th century. Perhaps the most notorious witch trial of the 17th century, the legend of the pendle witches is one of the many dark tales of imprisonment and execution at lancaster castle. Official guinness world record attempt at the largest gathering of people dressed as witches on saturday 18th august, 2012 raising funds for pendleside hospice on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the pendle witch trials.