Northamptonshire Witch Trails by Kat Hazelton.
Northamptonshire witch Trials.
Over four hundred years ago on the 22nd of July 1612 five Northamptonshire Witches were put to death by hanging at Abington Gallows just outside of Northampton. Four women Agnes Brown and Ioane(Joan) Vaughan, mother and daughter from a Guilsborough. Mary Barber from Stanwick, Helen Ienkenson from Thrapston and one gentleman called Arthur Bill who came from Raunds. Agnes Brown being one of the famous witches who reportedly road apon a large sow from Guilsborough to Ravensthorpe to meet up with a fellow witch called Mother Roades. Folk stories say that Mother Roades died before Agnes reached her, but before dying made a prediction that she would meet her and her friends before the month was out. Basically a reference to meeting them all in the next life!
1600's saw a rise in accusations of witches and Witchcraft throughout England and across Europe. Though some men were accused and punished, such as Arthur Bill, the majority of those were placed in this terrifying situation were women.
These poor women would be labelled as Witches accused of owning and speaking to devilish familiars, making potions, bewitching cattle and people, hexing, causing disease, illnesses and even death! To get a signed confession the accused were tortured using various methods including sleep deprivation. Even the families of the accused through fear of suffering the same fate would often give evidence against their loved ones. Others would up sticks and to move away to a new town or even to another county because of the stigma attached to being accused.
Most of the women were from poor backgrounds but even some well positioned women, often wealthy widows, were accused so greedy men could take their lands and possessions! Often the accusation of 'witch' and 'Witchcraft' was just a way to exact revenge by jealous wives, spurned lovers, by greed, or by unfriendly neighbours! Being opinionated, being beautiful, flirtatious, having knowledge of medicines, being old, disabled, or not attending church could all be used to point the finger of Witchcraft at anyone who didn't fit in.
The terrible wave of Witch Trails carried on into the 1700's.
The last documented execution for witchcraft in England was a Jane Wenham who was sentenced to hang in 1712, though she was pardoned by Queen Anne. Though on further researching I found that Mary Hicks and her nine year old daughter were condemned to death by Huntingdon assizes on 28 July 1716.
This terrible wave of Witch Trails by todays standards seems highly ridiculous and barbaric but back in 1600 and 1700's these where deemed legitimate reasons to bring someone to trial and take someone's life!
This posting is in memory of Agnes Brown, Ioane Vaughan, Mary Barber, Helen Ienkenson and Arthur Bill who lost their lives accused as Witches. Who's real stories and the reasons their lives are taken are lost in time.
✨ More posts of Northamptonshire Witches, England's V Scotland trails and European Witch Trails coming soon. Plus Witch related tutorials ✨
