As well as the exhibits there were several panels of information about the trials themselves. 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. Pendle witch discoverie tours, burnley, lancashire. The witches of pendle trial the witches of pendle lived during the reigns of elizabeth i and james i between 1558 and 1625.
They took place in a number of cities in massachusetts bay colony. The twelve accused lived in the area around pendle. In 1612, ten women were hung for alleged witchcraft following a trial at lancaster assizes, lancashire. 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. 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. The story of the pendle witches is one that has been told now for nearly 400 years. 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. 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. The pendle witches lancashire witch trials english witchcraft. 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. In 1652 george fox climbed pendle hill and had a vision on the hill which inspired him to found the quaker movement.
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. It is quite clear that most of the witch trials were based on trumpedup charges, however this was so clearly the case at hand that you wonder about the sociological and judicial mindset of the time. The pendle witches a timeline the pendle witches a. Jennet, a nine year old beggar, was part of a bigger story of justicers, clerics, and physicians, even the king himself. It was an era of religious persecution and superstition. The story itself is told in detail in the witches of pendle trial booklet. Its summit, known as the big end, is the site of a bronze age burial. This website and its content is subject to our terms and conditions. Old demdike never went to trial as she died in the dark, cold, damp dungeon in which she had been imprisoned. Born and bred within the forest of pendle, john a clayton is a qualified historian and landscape archaeologist. The pendle witch trials, lancashire, 1612 thoughtco. The surrounding area is closely associated with the pendle witch trials.
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. Pendle witch experience tours offer guided tours of the area around pendle hill in lancashire. A wonderfull discoverie the pendle witches the white goddess. Europes concern during this period was over the nature, activities, and numbers of witches. Had it not been for a nine year old girl, the trial may never have happened. 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. 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. 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.
The pendle witches lived during the reigns of elizabeth i 1558 1603 and james 1 1603 1625. Simple power point to describe the time line of the pendle witches. What doctor who got wrong about the pendle witch trials in. The code of hammurabi 18th century bce short chronology prescribes that. Had it not been for a nine year old girl, the trial may never have. 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. People accused of practicing maleficarum, or harmful magic, were widely persecuted, but the exact number of europeans executed on charges of witchcraft. Normally in this period children were exempt from giving evidence but with a witch trial all normal rules went out of the window. A chronology of the salem witch trials, the background for the story of obeah opera, a luminato 2019 production.
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 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. The pendle witches lancashire witch trials english. 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. About katherine hewitt katherine also known as old mouldhills was accused of witchcraft at the lancashire pendle witch trials of 1612. The evidence of jennet device, a nine year old beggar, is what brought about the execution involving 10 people. But, many historians believe this is an exaggeration. Oct 31, 2017 in anient england in 1612 one of the most famous trials took place the pendle witch trials. The most disturbing witch trial in british history the pendle witch child. 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 ten guilty pendle witches were transported to the lancaster gallows hill on the 20th of august, 1612, and executed. Later, the pendle witch trials of 1612 joined the ranks of the most famous witch trials in english history.
Aug 18, 2017 internationally, the witch craze reached its peak in the late 1500s and early 1600s, and was over by the early 1700s. 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 400th anniversary of the lancashire witch trials will be marked by a series of 40 events, it has been announced. 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 pendle case remains one of the most notorious of all trials in english. The pendle witch child witchcraft documentary timeline. 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 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. It is a story which still haunts the traveller today. The salem witch trials timeline, part iii luminato festival. 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.
Pendle witch 24 warburton pl, m46 0eq atherton, wigan, united kingdom rated 4. Of the eleven who went to trial nine women and two men ten were found guilty and executed by hanging. 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. Although there were certainly other witchcraft trials. Pendle witches wikipedia, the free encyclopedia witch. The witches of pendle trial witches of pendle pendle. The people of pendle, lancashire, are faithful to their roman catholic beliefs, more so when queen mary i ascended to the throne in 1553. Mar 16, 2012 image caption the accused lived in the area around pendle hill. A witchhunt or a witch purge is a search for people who have been labelled witches or a. Although there were certainly other witchcraft trials taking place in england during the fifteenth to eighteenth century. Regardless, the amount of information makes this tiny book surprisingly dense. Pendle hill witch weekends and ghost hunts lancashire. Archeology dig discovers witch s cottage at pendle hill bbc.
Sep 29, 2012 pendle witch trial resource instruction. Luci teal at the big witch event barley, in the borough of pendle, in lancashire, england. 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 pendle witches, a famous witch trial in lancashire. In a very lively and readable style, christine goodier. The pendle witch trial of 1612 the witches of pendle forest witches executed at lancaster witchcraft in the 19th century.
The european witch hunts have a long timeline, gaining momentum during the 16th century and continuing for more than 200 years. Feb 02, 20 the ten deadliest snakes in the world with steve irwin real wild documentary duration. The wonderfull discoverie of witches in the countie of lancaster, which detailed the pendle witch trials. Knowing mist over pendle by heart then reading this book brings the story to life. All of these influences ensured that witchcraft and the construction of criminality in early modern england allowed for the pendle witch trials to occur. Mar 06, 2020 in 1692, the salem, massachusetts witch trials sent 19 people to the gallows.
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. Tes global ltd is registered in england company no 02017289 with its registered office at 26 red lion square london wc1r 4hq. Aug 19, 20 thomas potts, the wonderfull discoverie of witches in the countie of lancaster. The big story of british medicine in ww1 revision timeline. The confession of demdike to witchcraft the pendle witches.
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. This excellent little book is a wonderful introduction to the story of the trial of the witches of pendle in 1612. Simon armitage presents the extraordinary story of the most disturbing witch trial in british history and the key role played in it by one nineyearold girl. The final installment of our blog series examining the salem witch trials, find out what happened to the women and men accused. View a higher resolution version of this video here. 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. Details of her case and her family history are given in the. Witch hunting the pendle witches lancashire witch trials. Poor old demdike never made it to trial after succumbing to the conditions of the prison in which she was being kept. 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 upper estimate of the number of people executed for being witches in europe is nine million of which 85 percent were women.
Once home of wolves and wild boar, it is still an untamed place, full of mystery. 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. The history of the pendle witches the pendle witches lived during the reigns of elizabeth 1st 15581603 and james 1st 16031625. 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. This is a story about fear, politics, religion, science and magic. The confession of demdike, alias elizabeth southerns, recorded by thomas potts in discovery of witches, 16. Normally in this period children were exempt from giving evidence but with a witch trial. This is an extraordinary story of the most disturbing witch trial in british history and the key role played in it by one nineyear.
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. Jennets evidence in the 1612 pendle witch trial in lancashire led to the execution of 10 people, including all of her own family. Pendle witch trail, lancaster to pendle sightseeing in. 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. 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. The pendle witch trial of 1612 the witches of pendle forest witches executed at lancaster witchcraft. 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. There was also an original copy of the 16 book by the court of the clerk, thomas potts.
Jennet device, a beggargirl from pendle in lancashire, was the star witness in the trial. Unusually for england at that time, the trial proceedings. The true story of the pendle witches is one of the most famous events in english history. Beneath pendle hill are the tiny hamlets and farms which played a part in the true story of the pendle witches. Pendle witches pendle witch trials one was tried at york assizes on 27 july 1612, and another died in prison. 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. Nov 01, 2015 the trials were held on the 17th, 18th and 19th august 1612. If you are interested in the time then you may enjoy pendle witches. The other ten were found guilty and executed by hanging. The trials were held on the 17th, 18th and 19th august 1612. It is 400 years since the pendle witch trials, and the evidence is no clearer today. Salem witch trials the salem witch trials were a series of prosecutions in which over 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft.
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. An interactive map showing the geographical spread of witchhunts and witch trials across europe and north america. 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. Events mark 400th anniversary of pendle witch trials bbc news. The witchhunt in early modern europe inside book publishing. This is a video for a song from the upcoming cunning folk album.
Even today, the witch is a popular staple character in popular mythology. Witchcraft was widely believed to be effective in 16th century europe. From barbaric tortures and occult dessert dishes to unwinnable trials by ordeal, find out more about seven unusual tests once used as evidence of. The only source of information as to what really occurred is found in a book called, the wonderful discoverie of witches. Pendle hill this mysterious brooding landmark will forever be associated with the pendle witches. Witchcraft and the construction of criminality in early modern england. Pendle hill this mysterious brooding landmark will forever be associated with the pendle witches, but the hill was also the subject of religious inspiration. So at the notorious salem witch trials in 1692, most of the.