A History of Witchcraft in England from 1558 to 1718Notestein, Wallace
History
A History of Witchcraft in England from 1558 to 1718
Notestein, Wallace
Witchcraft -- England -- History
[76] Thomas Wright, John Ashton, J. O. Jones, and the other writers who
have dealt with Hopkins, speak of the Worcester trials, in 1647, in
which four women are said to have been hanged. Their statements are all
based upon a pamphlet, _The Full Tryals, Examination, and Condemnation
of Four Notorious Witches at the Assizes held at Worcester on Tuseday
the 4th of March.... Printed for I. W._ What seems to have been the
first edition of this brochure bears no date. In 1700 another edition
was printed for "J. M." in Fleet Street. Some writer on witchcraft
gained the notion that this pamphlet belonged in the year 1647 and dealt
with events in that year. Wright, John Ashton, and W. H. Davenport Adams
(_Witch, Warlock, and Magician_, London, 1889), all accept this date. An
examination of the pamphlet shows that it was cleverly put together from
the _True and Exact Relation_ of 1645. The four accused bear the names
of four of those accused at Chelmsford, and make, with a few
differences, the same confessions. See below, appendix A, § 4, for a
further discussion of this pamphlet. It is strange that so careful a
student as Thomas Wright should have been deceived by this pamphlet,
especially since he noticed that the confessions were "imitations" of
those in Essex.
[77] A. Gibbons, ed., _Ely Episcopal Records_ (Lincoln, 1891), 112-113.
[78] Stearne, 37.
[79] That there were assizes is proved by the statement that "Moore's
wife" confessed before the "Judge, Bench, and Country," _ibid._, 21-22,
as well as by the reference in the _Ely Episcopal Records_, 113, to the
"assizes."
[80] Stearne, 17, 21-22.
[81] For a clear statement of this point of view, see _ibid._, 40-50.
[82] Stearne, 46-47.
[83] _Ibid._, 50.
[84] _Ibid._, 17.
[85] _Ibid._, 13.
[86] _Ibid._, 14.
[87] Hopkins, 5. But Hopkins was not telling the exact truth here. When
he was at Aldeburgh in September (8th) the accused were watched day and
night. See chamberlain's accounts, in N. F. Hele, _Notes or Jottings
about Aldeburgh_, 43.
[88] Hopkins, 7.
[89] Hopkins, 9.
[90] Stearne, 18. Hopkins did not attempt to deny the use of the ordeal.
He supported himself by quoting James; see Hopkins, 6.
[91] Stearne, 18. He means, of course, Serjeant Godbolt.
[92] See Stearne, in his preface to the reader, also p. 61; and see also
the complete title of Hopkins's book as given in appendix A (p. 362).
[93] A similar case was that of Anne Binkes, to whom Stearne refers on
p. 54. He says she confessed to him her guilt. "Was this woman fitting
to live?... I am sure she was living not long since, and acquitted upon
her trial."
[94] Not until after Stearne was already busy elsewhere. Stearne, 58.
[95] It would seem, too, that Stearne was sued for recovery of sums paid
him. "Many rather fall upon me for what hath been received; but I hope
such suits will be disannulled." Stearne, 60.
[96] Hopkins, 11.
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