Guernsey Folk Lore: a collection of popular superstitions, legendary tales, peculiar customs, proverbs, weather sayings, etc., of the people of that islandMacCulloch, Edgar, Sir
History
Guernsey Folk Lore: a collection of popular superstitions, legendary tales, peculiar customs, proverbs, weather sayings, etc., of the people of that island
MacCulloch, Edgar, Sir
Folklore -- Guernsey
Christine, wife of Pierre Jehan, says that her first husband, Collas
Henry, having had a quarrel with Laurence Le Comte, one of their
children, aged two years, was taken with an illness which lasted for
twelve months. When the attack first came on, he jumped high into
the air, that, before being taken ill he walked very well, but that
afterwards, all that year he crawled on his hands and knees. That,
having had a quarrel with the said Laurence, and having put some curds
to cool, (des caillebottes à refroidir), she found them the next day
just like bits of rag (que de la mêque), and that on the following
Monday the child was seized with terror, and cried out that someone was
pulling his nose. That, as soon as she went to Laurence’s house, the
child got better, but, on her return, fell ill again, and finally died.
Laurence L’Eustache, wife of Thomas Le Comte, was also banished from
the island.
On the 17th of May, 1617, began the trial of Collette du Mont, widow
of Jean Becquet, Marie, her daughter, wife of Pierre Massy, and Isebel
Becquet, wife of Jean Le Moygne.
James Gallienne witnesses that one day, having quarrelled with Jean Le
Moigne, husband of the aforesaid Isebell, the said Le Moigne said to
him:--
“You are always seeking to pick quarrels with me, and you say that my
wife is a witch, but before six months are over you will be very glad
to come and implore me to help you;” that immediately his wife fell
into a lingering illness, and, doubting not but that it was the effect
of a spell, opened all the mattresses and found all kinds of filth and
bits of feather, which he has showed to several people; and in some
quite new pillows which he had at home he found a large quantity of
worms. He says that about six years ago, one of his children being
ill, he was putting a pillow under his head, found it hard, and, on
unripping it, found it full of dirt. While they unsewed it they heard a
flapping noise as of the wings of a cock, and the said child declared
that he saw this cock; that, having shut all the doors, they tried to
find what it really was, and that, having hunted and ransacked the
house, they saw first a rat, then a weasel, which slipped through the
holes of the pavement (sortit par les pertius de la dalle). And at
the end of two or three days he was asked why he had beaten the said
Isebell Becquet. He replied that he had not touched her, and soon
after that he was advised to try whether she was a witch, by putting
the key of his front door (de son grand huis) in the fire, which he
did. When the said key had been nearly two days in the fire the said
woman arrived at his house, without asking whether he were at home, and
begged of him seven to nine (sept à neuf) things which he refused her,
she wishing at all hazards to come in further (entrer plus outre) to
see the sick child, which he would not allow.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Guernsey Folk Lore: a collection of popular superstitions, legendary tales, peculiar customs, proverbs, weather sayings, etc., of the people of that island — John Shaqi
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