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
A clergyman, the Rev. Daniel Williams (evidently the man who was pastor of
Wood Street, Dublin, and subsequently founded Dr. Williams's Library in
London), relates the manner in which he freed a girl from strange and
unpleasant noises which disturbed her; the incident might have developed
into something analogous to the Drummer of Tedworth in England, but on the
whole works out rather tamely. He tells us that about the year 1678 the
niece of Alderman Arundel of Dublin was troubled by noises in her uncle's
house, "as by violent Sthroaks on the Wainscots and Chests, in what
Chambers she frequented." In the hope that they would cease she removed to
a house near Smithfield, but the disturbances pursued her thither, and
were no longer heard in her former dwelling. She thereupon betook herself
to a little house in Patrick Street, near the gate, but to no purpose. The
noises lasted in all for about three months, and were generally at their
worst about two o'clock in the morning. Certain ministers spent several
nights in prayer with her, heard the strange sounds, but did not succeed
in causing their cessation. Finally the narrator, Williams, was called in,
and came upon a night agreed to the house, where several persons had
assembled. He says: "I preached from Hebrews ii. 18, and contrived to be
at Prayer at that Time when the Noise used to be greatest. When I was at
Prayer the Woman, kneeling by me, catched violently at my Arm, and
afterwards told us that she saw a terrible Sight--but it pleased God there
was no noise at all. And from that Time God graciously freed her from all
that Disturbance."[41]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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