Male Witchcraft, a Witchy Wednesday article.

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Petition for Thomas Harvey.
(Catalogue ref: SP 18/183 f. 107)

Welcome to another Witchy Wednesday, this week article is a real document petitioning for Thomas Harvey who was accused of Witchcraft.

It was not just women who were accused of witchcraft. In this source, Henry Alcocke petitioned on the behalf of Thomas Harvey, who was accused of being a witch and then found innocent but was still in prison. 20 October, 1650.

Thomas Harvey was a 17th-century mercer (fabric dealer) from Oakham, Rutland, England, who was arrested and tried for "suspicion of witchcraft and wicked practices with the devil". Although acquitted by a jury, he was held in prison due to the presiding judge's command.

The majority of people accused of witchcraft in the early modern period were women. However, men could be accused too.

In this petition to the Privy Council (a group of advisors at the heart of government), Henry Alcocke pleads for the release of Thomas Harvey, a mercer (dealer in fabrics) from Rutland in the English Midlands. According to the petition, Harvey was arrested by soldiers on the orders of the Privy Council, taken to Devon and tried at the Exeter Assizes ‘upon suspicion of witchcraft and wicked practices with the devil’.

Although Harvey was acquitted, he had remained in prison on the orders of one of the Exeter justices. The existence of the petition amongst the State Papers shows that it reached the Privy Council. It does not, however, record the fate of Thomas Harvey.

Transcript

To the right honourable his highness most

honourable privy council

The humble petition of Henry Alcocke

Sheweth

That one Thomas Harvey of Oakham in

the County of Rutland mercer [dealer in fabrics] was by order

of this most honourable council apprehended

by a party of soldiers and carried to Barnstable

in Devonshire and the last Assizes held at

Exeter was tried upon suspicion of witchcraft

and wicked practices with the devil, but

upon the which traverse was acquitted by the

Jury yet by the command of the then Baron

Nicholas does still stand committed at Exeter

whereby he is not only deprived of his liberty

and put to great expenses but is withheld

at the distance of about 140 miles from

his family & lawful employments

The premised considered your said petitioner

humble prays this most honourable

council for his liberty upon bail or

otherwise as your honour’s wisdoms

shall judge most

And he shall ever pray & c


All information sourced from The National Archive. 

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/


Thank you for visiting my blog, please join me next week for another 'Witchy Wednesday' article. 

Kat 😊

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