Witchcraft -- England; Witchcraft -- Great Britain; Witchcraft -- Scotland
"And presently after, seeing divers of the said company going into a Barn
near adjoining, he followed after them, and there he saw six of them
kneeling, and pulling all six of them six several ropes, which were
fastened or tied to the top of the Barn. Presently after which pulling,
there came into this Informers sight flesh smoaking, butter in lumps, and
milk as it were syleing (straining) from the said ropes. All which fell
into basons which were placed under the said ropes. And after that these
six had done, there came other six which did so likewise. And during all
the time of their several pulling, they made such ugly faces as scared
this Informer, so that he was glad to run out and steal homewards; who
immediately finding they wanted one that was in their company, some of
them ran after him near to a place in a Highway called Boggard-hole, where
he, this Informer, met two Horsemen. At the sight whereof the said persons
left following of him. But the foremost of those persons that followed him
he knew to be one Loinds Wife; which said Wife, together with one
Dickensons Wife, and one Jennet Davies, he hath seen since at several
times in a Croft or Close adjoining to his Fathers house, which put him in
great fear. And further this Informer saith, upon Thursday after New
Years Day last past he saw the said Loinds Wife sitting upon a cross piece
of wood being within the Chimney of his Fathers dwelling-house; and he,
calling to her, said, Come down, thou Loynds Wife. And immediately the
said Loynds Wife went up out of his sight. And further this Informer
saith, that after he was come from the company aforesaid to his Fathers
house, being towards evening, his Father bad him go and fetch home two
kine to seal (tie up). And in the way, in a field called the Ellers, he
chanced to hap upon a Boy, who began to quarrel with him, and they fought
together, till the Informer had his ears and face made up very bloody by
fighting, and looking down he saw the Boy had a cloven foot. At which
sight, he being greatly affrighted, came away from him to seek the kine.
And in the way he saw a light like to a Lanthorn, towards which he made
haste, supposing it to be carried by some of Mr. Robinson's people; but
when he came to the place he only found a Woman standing on a Bridge,
whom, when he saw, he knew her to be Loinds Wife, and knowing her he
turned back again; and immediately he met the aforesaid Boy, from whom he
offered to run, which Boy gave him a blow on the back that made him to
cry. And further this Informer saith, that when he was in the Barn, he saw
three Women take six Pictures from off the beam, in which Pictures were
many Thorns or such like things sticked in them, and that Loynds Wife took
one of the Pictures down, but the other two Women that took down the rest
he knoweth not. And being further asked what persons were at the aforesaid
meeting, he nominated these persons following." Here follows a list of
names of no interest to the modern reader.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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