|
The
Trial
Monday August 17th, 1612
The trial opened at Lancaster Assize court
with Judges Bromley and Altham in attendance, supported by several
local dignitaries. The prosecution was led by Roger Nowell the magistrate.
The accused had no representation, and were not allowed to defend
themselves or call any witnesses on their behalf. Old Demdike had
mercifully died in prison before the trial.
The first of to be brought before the court
was Old Chattox. She was charged with the killing of Robert Nutter
of Greenhead, to which she pleaded not guilty. When her earlier
"voluntary" confessions were read to the court she broke down, pleading
mercy not for herself which she must have realised was futile, but
for her daughter Anne Redfearne.
Elizabeth Device was then brought forward
and charged with the murder of three men, to which she too pleaded
not guilty. Her daughter Jenet(9) was called to give evidence and
declared her mother to be a witch. Elizabeth must have been deeply
shocked and confused, but confessed nothing.
Then James Device was charged with two murders,
with his sister Jenet again making damning accusations against him.
At the close of the first day all three
were found guilty.
Tuesday August 18th
Anne Redfearne was accused of the murder
of Robert Nutter, but the jury found the evidence unsatisfactory
and acquitted her.
Wednesday August 19th
Anne Redfearne was called back to face charges
of killing Christopher Nutter, father of Robert. She pleaded not
guilty, but was confronted with her own confessions and the evidence
of several people, including Old Demdike.
Next up was Alice Nutter, charged with the
murder of Henry Mitton. She had little in common with the rest of
the accused, being a wealthy landowner, and could quite possibly
have visited the Good Friday meeting at Malkin Tower merely to offer
charity to the family. She steadily refused to confess anything,
but was accused of being involved in the murder by both James and
Elizabeth Device.
The Device's depositions also implicated
Katherine Hewitt (known as 'Mouldheels'), the next defendant, in
the murder of Anne Foulds, with Jenet again giving evidence for
the prosecution, as if revelling in the limelight.
At the end of the morning, Redfearne, Nutter
and Hewitt were all found guilty
On Wednesday afternoon, Jane and John Bulcock
(mother and son) of Newchurch were charged with bewitching Jenet
Dean of Newfield Edge. They both pleaded not guilty, insisting that
they had never even been at the Good Friday meeting, although the
star witness Jenet said that they were.
Alizon Device was then called to face the
charge of crippling the peddlar John Law of Halifax, in the incident
in Colne which brought abuot the whole case. Frightened and bewildered,
she sensationally broke down and confessed to the court.
The jury again found all three guilty, Alizon
by her own confession.
Alice Gray, also of the Pendle area, was
aquitted as were the so called 'Salmesbury witches' who were on
trial at the same time.
Also charged was Margaret Pearson ('the Padiham
witch'). She was charged with bewitching a horse, pleading not guilty.
She had however been to court on witchcraft charges twice before,
and was found guilty, with Old Chattox giving evidence against her.
She was spared the gallows and sentenced
to pillory plus one year in prison.
The other guilty parties from Pendle, plus
Isobel Robey from the village of Windle nr. St Helens, were all
sentenced to death, and were hanged in a public execution at Lancaster
Gaol, probably on the following day Thursday August 20th, 1612.
Jenet Preston, who is often assocoated with
this trial, had actually been hanged at York a month earlier.
|
