[Page] [Page] A True RELATION Of the ARAIGNMENT Of eighteene VVITCHES.
That were tried, convicted, and condemned, at a Sessions holden at St. Edmunds-bury in Suffolke, and there by the Iudge and Iustices of the said Sessions condemned to die, and so were executed the 27. day of August 1645.
As also a List of the names of those that were executed, and their severall Confessions before their executions.
VVith a true relation of the manner how they find them out.
The names of those that were executed.
Mr. Lowes parson of Branson. Thomas Evered a Cooper with Mary his wife. Mary Bacon. Anne Alderman. Rebecca Morris. Mary Fuller. Mary Clowes. Margery Sparham Katherine Teo [...]ey. Sarah Spinlow. Iane Limstead. Anne Wright. Mary Smith. Iane Rivert. Susan Manners. Mary Skipper. Anne Leech.
Printed at London by I. H. 1645.
A true And perfect Relation of the Witches that were araigned, tryed, and convicted, at a Sessions holden at St. Edmunds-bury in Suffolke; and there by the Judge of the Sessions condemned to dye, and so were executed the 27. day of Aug. last 1645.
THIS above-named Mr. Lowes Parson of Branson in Suffolke, (being araigned there for witch-craft,) confessed that he bewitched a Ship neere Harwidge, so that with the extreame tempesteous Seas raised by blusterous windes the said Ship was cast away, wherein were many passengers, who were by this meanes swallowed up by the mercilesse waves, further he confessed that he had done many other most hanous, wicked, and accursed acts, by the help of six Jmpes which he had that frequented him daily. This Mr. Lowes preached about threescore sermons after he had made his Covenent with the Devill, and had a teat on the crowne of his head, and two under his tongue: and there is none that maketh a Covenant with the Devill but hath from him a private marke.
Also Thomas Evererd a Cooper, and Mary his wife, both being imployed in a Brewhouse at Halsworth in the County of Suffolke, freely confessed that they had bewitched Beere in that Brewhouse: and that the odiousnesse of the infectious stinke of it was such & so intollerable that by the noysomnesse of the smel or tast many people dyed. And they further said that many other [Page 4] mischiefes they had perpetrated and acted by their witchcrafts and damnable Sorceries, and that they also had their Jmpes to whom they gave suck.
One old woman confessed that she had beene a Witch the space of above fifty yeares, in which time she also confest that she had done many very wicked things in bewitching Cattell, Corne▪ &c. but above all that she had bewitched seven persons of one family to death to wit, a man together with his wife and five childrens and that also she had her Jmpes which came to her in severall shapes.
Another of the women Witches consessed that she had bewitched a child to death, and that she had beene a Witch above five and twenty yeares, in which time she had bewitched great store of Cattle so that the owners of them were much impoverished and hindred both by the death of them sometimes; and sometimes by the unserviceablenesse of them. And also she confest that she usually bewitched standing corne, whereby there came great losses to the owners thereof, for that they could reape no profit, nor the benefit of there long, hard, and by her made, fruitlesse labours: besides she confessed that she had committed many other such like evill deeds to the hinderance of many.
These and all the rest confessed that cruell malice and he bred envie was their chiefe delight, continually a long time before they made their Covenant with the Devill, who also did often and sundry times and in severall shapes appeare to them, before they entered into Covenant with him that they might be made Witches.
Further also these with all the rest being searched as they were taken, were found by the searchers to have Teats or Dugs which their Jmpes used to suck so often as they came to them. And that some of them had such Teates or Dugs under their armes, some under their tongue, some in the roofe of their mouth, some on the crown of the head some amongst their toes, some in their fundament, and divers other places: their Teats were but little, some of them are shaped like a thunderbolt. These severall teats or dugs their severall Jmpes used to suck who came to them often Sometimes in the shape of Mice, sometimes in the shape of Kitens, sometimes in the shape of Snayles, and other-while in, [Page 5] the shape of Snakes, Hornets, Waspes, and divers other shapes.
Besides these are 120. more suspected Witches in prison, at St. Edmunds-bury, who had all their Tryall now: but that the Judge and Justices were compelled to adjourne the said Sessions till another time by reason of the neere aproaching of the Cavaliers. And of those Witches some have confessed that they have had carnall copulation with the Devill, one of which said that she had (before her husband dyed) conceived twice by him, but as soone as she was delivered of them they run away in most horrid long and ugly shapes.
And these confessed that they have bewitched divers Men, Women, and Children to death, as also, Horses, Oxen, Cowes, Sheep Swine, and other sort of Cattell, as likewise Corne, Herbes, and plants &c. and have raised great and very tempestious windes and stormes, to the overthrowing and subuerting of Houses, Stables, Barnes, Stacks of Corne, and Hay with Trees, &c.
Another of these Witches by her owne confession affirmed that she owing a grudg to a Gentleman and his wife in Suffolke, having no occasion (but that they seemed discontented at her comming often to their house, and wishing her to forbeare comming) and onely for this cause she sent one of her Jmpes in the likenesse of a little black smoth Dog to play with their Boy being very young and their onely child But the child at first refused to play with it, but it comming often, at the length the Child made much of it till at last the Jmpe brought the child to a water side, and there drowned the said child to the great grief of the parents.
Amongst those remaining yet in prison there is one Witch they say to be burned, who seemeth to be very penitent for her former lewd and abominable indevours, and acts, and desires to have Petitions put up to divers godly Ministers that they would be pleased to pray in their severall Congregations that her said Jmpes may have no further power, to do any more such like hurt, neither by Sea nor Land, as they have divers times formerly done, to the destruction, losse, or utter undoing of many sundry good and honest people,
Now for the manner how they usually find out these Witches.
THere are in the County of Suffolke foure searchers appointed for the finding of them out, two men searchers and two women searchers, the men are to search those men who are suspected to be Witches, and the women searchers likewise are to search those women that are supposed to be Witches.
And also their maner is, in what Town soever in the said County of Suffolke, there be any person or persons suspected to bewitch or Witches, thither they send for two or all of the said searchers, who take the partie or parties so suspected into a Roome & strip him, her, or them, starke naked, and on whom the searchers find any teats or dugs, that partie or parties, the said searchers set upon a stoole or stooles, in the midst of the Roome, so that the feete of him, her, or them, may not touch the ground. Neverthelesse the party or parties may sometimes walke up and down the said Roome, so that there be sure watch kept, that none of his, her, or their severall Impes come at him, her, or them, to suck him, her, or any one of them so suspected, during the space of foure and twenty houers and in that time (if they be Witches) either their Impes will come to suck him, her, or them, or else the partie or parties that is a Witch or Witches will he mightily perplexed and much tortured for want of his, her, or their sucking Impes, and will be strangely [Page 7] out of order, and fome at mouth, or else be infome other extraordinary seeming tormented posture, and many times they do apparently see their Impes come to them.
The Examination of Anno Leech of Misley in the County aforesaid, widow, taken before the said Justices, Aprill 14. 1645.
THis Examinant saith; That she had a gray Jmpe sent to her, and that this Examinant, together with the said Elizabeth Clarke, and Elizabeth, the wife of Edward Gooding, did about a yeer since, send their Jmpes to kill a black Cowe and a white Cowe of Mr. Edwards which was done accordingly: And this Examinant saith, that she sent her gray Jmpe, Elizabeth Clarke a black Jmpe, and Elizabeth Gooding a white Jmpe: And this Examinant saith. that about thirty yeeres since, she sent a gray Jmp to kill two Horses of one Mr. Bragge of Misley, which were killed accordingly; and that the occasion of her Malice was, because Mistrisse Bragge had told this Examinant, that she suspected her to be a naughty woman; this Examinant confessed, that she and the said Elizabeth Gooding, sent either of them an Jmpe to destroy the child of the said Mr. Edwards; this Examinants Jmpe being then a white one, and Elizabeth Goodings a black Jmpe; and that about thirty yeeres since, this Examinant had the said white Jmpe, and two others, a gray, and a black Jmpe, of one Anne, the wife of Robert Pearce of Stoak in Suffolk, being her brother; and that these Jmpes went commingly from one two another, and did mischiefe where ever they went; and that when this Examinant did not send and imploy them abroad to do mischiefe, she had not her health, but when they were imployed she was healthfull and well, and that these Jmpes did usually suck those teats which were found about the private parts of her body; and that the said Jmpes did often speak to this Examinant, and told her, she should never feele hell torments, and that they spake to her in an hollow voyee, which she plainly understood: And this Examinant also confesseth, she sent her gray Jmpe to Elizabeth the daughter of Robert Kirk of Man [...]y [...]tree, [Page 8] about three yeares since, to destroy her; and upon the sending of the said Jmpe, the said Elizabeth lanhished by the space of one whole year, untill she dyed, and that the occasion of offence this Examinant took against her the said Elizabeth was, for that she had asked a Coife of the said Elixabeth, which she refused to give to this Examinant. And further, this Examinant saith, that long since, but the exact time she cannot remember, she sent her gray Jmpe to kill the daughter of the widow Rawlyns of Misley aforesaid; and the reason was; because this Examinant was put out of her Farm, and the said widow Rawlyns put in, where she dwelleth at this present. And moreover, this Examinant confesseth, that she was acquainted with the sending of an Jmpe by the aforesaid Elizabeth Gooding, to vex and torment Mary the wife of John Tayler of Mannyntree aforesaid about three yeers since; and this Examinant being asked why she discover it to the said Mary, she said, the Devill would not suffer her, and that the cause of the said Elizabeth Goodings malice against the said Mary was, because the said Mary refused to give the said Elizabeth some Beeregood. And lastly, this Examinant saith, that about eight weeks since this Examinant, the said Elizabeth Gooding, and one Anne West of Lawford widow, met together at the house of the said Elizabeth Clarke, where there was a Booke read, wherein she thinkes there was no goodnesse.
VVHereas there was a Booke (of the Essex Witches) came forth in print, wherein on Mrs. Wayt a Ministers wife was nominiated for one, but it was a palpable mistake, for it is very well knowne that she is a gentlewoman of a very godly and religious life, and a very good conuersation: and this was set on purpose to vindicate her: and lay the fault on the Author, in whom it was a great mistake.