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Witchcraft Misc 17th century dtes

  • 29 Oct 2021
  • Worcester People and Places
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  • 1601 Charge brought against John Genifer for threatening others and calling a 'poor wife' a witch
  • 1633 Widow Bellett of Stony Morton, charged 'for practicing the evil art'. 
  • 1660 Elinor Burt taken before magistrate, for taking on herself to cure several diseases and distempers by prayers and laying on her hands upon heads and places.
  • 1660 Jeane Bibbe bound over for good behaviour for being of evil fame and suspected of wychcraft, but not yet charged. (in townend MS Of Elmley Lovett, she was of Rushock and 'was tyed and thrown into a poole, as a witch to see whether shee (she) could swim'. She brought action against Mr.Shaw, the parson, for his share of the transaction and received £10 for damages, which later was compounded to £20.
  • 1660 Four others from Kidderminster, brought to Worcester and ducked in the Severn.
  • 1662 Joane Willis of Great Comberton, sworn by women to be a witch and to have bewitched to death a woman and child.
  • 1666 Mary Slater, accused of bewitching a heifler, resulting in fights and quarrels that scandelized the neighbourhood.
  • 1687 Joseph Orford, Oldswinford nailer, common disturber charging Barnes and wife with being a witch, and 'would have them ducked and would procure, one John Johnson, a drummer to be present, at the doing of it to make more. 
  • 1698 Margaret Hill of Shrawley, details of bewitching a child, pricking her finger and causing lameness to child's sister, and causing cow to be distempered. 'A wiseman at Worcester consulted, who said the cow would die which it did, then pigs foamed and tumbled about and died, ditto a calf'.

1660, Four persons accused of black art brought from Kidderminster to Worcester gaol. 'The eldest daughter said that if they had not been taken, the King should never have come into England; and now he doth come, yet he shall not live long, but shall dies as ill a death as they, and that they would have made corn like pepper. Many charges were made against them, but little proved, they were put to ducking in the river, they would not sink, but swam aloft.