Witch newspaper mentions, a Witchy Wednesdays article

Welcome to another Witchy Wednesday. 

Welcome to another Witchy Wednesday, this week I am sharing with you some interesting real articles that were published in British news papers. I have added a copy of the transcript. Please note they are written as they are printed with mistakes and old English words and terms. 

Northern Weekly Gazette - 1903-11-28

Transcription. 

NOTES ON NORTH RIDING LORE

WITCHES.

The name of Peggy Duell is mentioned in connection with several events, which we are told transpired towards the close of the seventeenth century, probably between 1680 to 1710. There remains sufficient recorded evidence to prove beyond all doubt that Peggy belonged to the old school of witches. We, however, know but little about her, further than such an old dame did once live, and claims a place amongst the list of North Riding witches, but the when and the whereabouts of her birth and death have long been forgotten. Presently we shall have occasion to refer to Peggy; for the present it is only needful to say that amongst her possessions she owned a cabalistic Horn Book, originally consisting of several leaves, one of which, about the year 1820, was in the possession of Bessy Ellis, a copy of it being then made by the Rev. Smyth.

Blackburn Standard - 1895-01-05

The article titled 'Lancashire Witches' recalls events from the 17th century, highlighting the trials of 17 women in Lancaster accused of witchcraft. The testimony included bizarre transformations witnessed by a man who claimed two greyhounds turned into people. Despite a conviction by the jury, the execution was delayed, leading to the King's intervention and eventual acquittal. This case inspired literary works such as 'The Late Lancashire Witches.'

Transcription

LANCASHIRE WITCHES.

So recently as the seventeenth century Lancashire was noted for an unusually confirmed belief in witches. In 1633 a batch of seventeen women were tried at Lancaster on a charge of witchcraft, and an interesting account of the proceedings is given in Colonel Henry Fishwicks recently-published History of Lancashire:—The chief witness in this case was a stonemason, who on oath declared that he had seen two greyhounds with which he tried to hunt a hare, but they refused to run, and on his beating them they immediately became transformed—one into Dickinson's wife, and the other into a little boy. The former put a kind of bridle in the hand of the latter, and he became a white horse, upon whom she jumped, and placing the witness before her she rode away with him to a place called Hoarstones (in Whalley), which was about a quarter of a mile off, where he found a number of persons coming, all riding horses of several colours. After this interesting congregation had feasted in the house they adjourned to the barn, where he saw six of them kneeling and pulling at six ropes fastened to the roof, at or with which pulling came flesh smoking, butter in lumps, and milk. Whilst they were thus exercised they 'made such foule faces that he feared him, so that he was glad to steale out and run home.' Margaret Johanson, though not one of the accused, confessed that she had been at a meeting at Hoarstones, where there were present between thirty and forty witches. She also said that men witches usually have women spirits, and women witches men spirits, and that Good Friday was a constant day for a yearly meeting of witches. All these prisoners were found guilty by the jury, but the judge delayed the execution of the sentence, and the matter in the meantime coming to the ears of the King, four of the convicted were sent up to London to be examined by the Royal physicians and surgeons, and ultimately were brought before the King himself. The result of all this was an acquittal of the lot. It was upon this case of witch-finding that Heywood and Browne founded the play of The Late Lancashire Witches (London, 1634), and Mother Demdyke is one of the characters of Shadwell's 'Lancaster Witches,' a comedy (London, 1682). Harrison Ainsworth's novel, 'The Lancashire Witches' has the same subject.

New paper article sourced from https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.com/home

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

Kat 😊

🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸