In 1612 one of the most dramatic events in English History took place in the county of Lancashire. It has since formed the basis of many books, films and dramatisations. The Pendle Witch Trial’s.

To understand why these trials took place, it is important to understand the atmosphere of the time. The “Witches” lived in-between the Reigns of Queen Elizabeth I of England and King James1 I/VI of England and Scotland. Queen Elizabeth had died without any children, her closest relative was King James VI of Scotland, when he ascended the throne of England he became King James I.

King James a very strict Protestant and a superstitious Monarch, he had even questioned “Witches” in his native Scotland, and had gone as far as to write his own thesis of how dangerous Witches were and how governments and the Church needed to stamp them out2. Up until this point the recurring witch trials and hunts of the continent had never really took hold in England. Most people just tolerated people suspected of being Witches. King James and his policies stirred people up and encouraged them to report people suspected of Witchcraft to the government. A reflection of the times is Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth”3 which he wrote in 1605, shortly after King James ascended the throne of England. There is little doubt that Shakespeare wanted to have his Royal Patronage continued and knew that such a play would appeal to King James’ interests.

One of King James first acts after ascending the throne in 1603 was to tighten the Witchcraft Act (1563). Previously a Witch was only hung if it was proven that Witchcraft had caused a death. King James changed this so that any forms of witchcraft, confessed or proven were punishable by death.
The main focus of peoples attention were poor old women, There were many reasons why these women were poor, perhaps their men folk had died from hard work, poor food, illness or the wars, These women often had no other way to support themselves and so they and their children were left in poverty, and so were reduced to begging to help make ends meet.

Puritans disliked beggars and often believed, as people still do today, that they were poor because they had committed crimes or sins. They habitually refused to help these women any charity. As a result the women or their children often became angry and sometimes threatened the people with trouble, perhaps in hopes that the threat would scare them and they would give charity.

The Lancaster Assizes

The main purpose of Lancaster Castle of the centuries has been as a court and prison. Lancaster Castle has the nickname of “hanging tower” as the court there has handed out more death sentences then any other in the country. Assizes are travelling courts were serious criminals were tried once a year. A criminal arrested shortly after an assize would be kept for 6 months were they were essentially expected to feed and clothe themselves. The Assizes were held until 1971, and was the only town in Lancashire until 1835 to hold them.

The Defendants

Two local families were at the centre of the Pendle Witch Trials. Both of which were headed by Widows in their eighties and who were known locally by their nicknames.

The Family of Elizabeth Sourthern “Old Demdike” lived at Malkin Tower, Anne Whittle “Old Chattox” and her family were bitter enemies of the Demdike’s.

Five of those from Pendle were tortured, found guilty and hung. Old Demdike died in Prison while awaiting trial.

Five other people from the Locality stood trial.

• Jane Bulcock and her son John Bulcock
• Alice Grey
• Alice Nutter
• Katherine Hewitt ("Mouldheels")

In total 19 people from the Pendle locality were charged and imprisoned in a small dark cell 30 feet below the ground in Lancaster Castle. They were kept there for five months and fed on a diet of bread and gruel. As a result at their trial few could speak and James Device could barely stand.
Alice Nutter is a strange addition to the defendants as a rich woman she would normally have been immune to such charges.

The Crime

They were charged with many different aspects of the Witchcraft Act (1563). One of the more interesting accusations was that Demdike had failed to heal a cow after she was supposed to. The main charges were however that of causing 17 deaths by Witchcraft.

The Trial

In those days there was no council or legal advice, they were not even allowed to call witnesses on their behalf. The Prosecutions star witness was the 9yr old, Jennet Device, who they could not even challenge.
The Trial took place in 1612 with Judge Bromley presiding, accompanied by Judge Altham. The Judges were assisted by Lord Gerard and Sir Richard Hoghton. The Prosecutor was a former High Sheriff of Lancashire, Roger Nowell of Read Hall, near Burnley, who had sent the accused for trial, and the Clerk of the Court was Thomas Potts of London. The ages of the defendants ranged from 9 to 80.

In addition to the ten defendants from the Pendle locality, the so-called Samlesbury Witches:
• John Ramsden,
• Elizabeth Astley,
• Isabel Southgraves,
• Lawrence Haye,
• Jane Southworth,
• Jennet Brierly
• Ellen Brierly
• Isobel Robey from Yorkshire and
• Margaret Pearson, the Padiham Witch,

Much of the Prosecutions arguments were inconsistent, based on rumours, gossip and confessions given under torture. It is doubtful that the confessors initially realised the full impact of their admission of witchcraft. Many accused witches had carefully built their reputations over years in order to obtain work for healing and other “mystical” arts.

The Prosecution

The Prosecution told the story of how Alison Device was walking down a lane towards Colne begging, She asked a Peddler, John Law of Halifax to open his pack, when he refused she cursed him. He is then said to have fallen down with what would now have been considered a stroke. He was carried, half paralysed to a local hostelry, where he claimed he was bewitched. His son, Abraham Law, brought Alison to his father’s bedside where she freely admitted to cursing him and apologised.
Alison was taken to Roger Nowell, the local magistrate and squire. Alison is questioned and confesses that her Grandmother, Demdike and all of the Chattox Family are witches. They were sent to Lancaster Castle to await trial.

Jennet tells of a meeting that took place on Good Friday (8 April 1612) at Malkin Tower. The meeting consisted of several neighbours and relations who were there to discuss the situation of the accused and whether or not to rescue them. After they had left several human teeth and clay images were found. It was said that these were needed for spells.
The attendants were subsequently rounded up and arrested on charges of Witchcraft.
They were ultimately thought to have caused 17 deaths by Witchcraft.

The Witness

Jennet Device (9) gave evidence against her family. It is thought that young Jennet Device would have had no idea of the consequences of her actions, and that it may have all seemed as a game to her.

The Verdict

At the end of the trials 10 people were found guilty and hanged on the moor behind Lancaster. Their names were:
• Anne Whittle ("Old Chattox")
• Ann Redfearn
• Elizabeth Device ("Squinting Lizzie")
• Alice Nutter
• Alison Device
• James Device
• Katherine Hewitt
• Jane Bulcock
• John Bulcock
• Isobel Robey

The Judge is said to have uttered these words:

"You shall go hence to the castle from whence you came,
from thence you shall be carried to the place of execution for this county.
Where your bodies shall be hanging until dead.
And May God have mercy upon your Soul."

Margaret Pearson was not executed. Instead, she was sentenced to be pilloried on four consecutive market days in Padiham, Clitheroe, Whalley and Lancaster, and then to serve one year in prison.
All the Samlesbury witches were acquitted, as was Alice Grey. Another name is often associated with the Lancaster Assizes of 1612, that if Jennet Preston, however she was hung at York a month before, on the orders of the same judges who sat at Lancaster.

The Legacy

Although not the biggest of the trials in England, the Lancashire Trial of 1612 is unique because of the sheer number involved. Copies of the trial are held at Lancaster Library. There is Pendle Witches Brew, from a local brewery, and much more commercialism, although not as extreme as in Salem, Massachusetts, USA. There is even a campaign to pardon those condemned.

An interesting fact is that a Jennet Davies herself was arrested, charged and condemned to death in 1633 although not executed. It is frequently believed to have been Jennet Device herself as no other evidence has been found to prove what happened to her.

[1] King James authorised a translation of the Bible which contained the phrase “Suffer not a witch to live” Previously this was believed to have been “Suffer not a poisoner to live”.
[2] Daemonologie published 1597.
[3] Macbeth is a play about a Scottish Lord who wants the throne, The Witches play a small but pivotal roll, the well known saying “Hubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble” comes from this play.