Irish Witchcraft and DemonologySeymour, St. John D. (St. John Drelincourt)
History
Irish Witchcraft and Demonology
Seymour, St. John D. (St. John Drelincourt)
Demonology; Witchcraft -- Ireland
"Richard Mayre, Mayor of Youghall, sworn, saith, That about the 24th
of March last he sent for Florence Newton and examined her about the
Maid, and she at first denied it, and accused Goodwife Halfpenny and
Goodwife Dod, but at length when he had caused a Boat to be provided,
and thought to have tried the Water-Experiment on all three, Florence
Newton confessed to overlooking. Then he likewise examined the other
two Women, but they utterly denied it, and were content to abide any
trial; whereupon he caused Dod, Halfpenny, and Newton to be carried to
the Maid; and he told her that these two Women, or one of them, were
said by Gammer Newton to have done her hurt, but she said, _No, no,
they are honest Women, but it is Gammer Newton that hurts me, and I
believe she is not far off_. [She was then brought in privately, with
the usual result.] He further deposeth that there were three Aldermen
in Youghall, whose children she had kiss'd, as he had heard them
affirm, and all the children died presently after.
"Joseph Thompson being likewise sworn, saith [the same as Nicholas
Pyne relative to the Greyhound-Familiar.]
"Hitherto we have heard the most considerable Evidence touching
Florence Newton's witchcraft upon Mary Longdon, for which she was
committed to Youghall Prison, 24th March 1661. But April following she
bewitched one David Jones to death by kissing his hand through the
Grate of the Prison, for which she was indicted at Cork Assizes, and
the evidence is as follows:
"Elenor Jones, Relict of the said David Jones, being sworn and
examined in open Court what she knew concerning any practice of
Witchcraft by the said Florence Newton upon the said David Jones her
Husband, gave in Evidence, That in April last the said David, having
been out all Night, came home early in the Morning, and said to her,
_Where dost thou think I have been all Night?_ To which she answered
she knew not; whereupon he replied, _I and Frank Beseley have been
standing Centinel over the Witch all night_. To which the said Elenor
said, _Why, what hurt is that?_ _Hurt?_ quoth he. _Marry I doubt it's
never a jot the better for me; for she hath kiss'd my Hand, and I have
a great pain in that arm, and I verily believe she hath bewitch'd me,
if ever she bewitch'd any Man._ To which she answered, _The Lord
forbid!_ That all that Night, and continually from that time, he was
restless and ill, complaining exceedingly of a great pain in his arm
for seven days together, and at the seven days' end he complained that
the pain was come from his Arm to his Heart, and then kept his bed
Night and Day, grievously afflicted, and crying out against Florence
Newton, and about fourteen days after he died.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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