Produced by Steven Gibbs, Linda Cantoni, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net WITCHCRAFT AND DEVIL LORE IN THE CHANNEL ISLANDS TRANSCRIPTS FROM THE OFFICIAL RECORDS OF THE GUERNSEY ROYAL COURT, WITH AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION AND HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. BY JOHN LINWOOD PITTS, _Membre de la Societe des Antiquaires de Normandie._ _Editor of "The Patois Poems of the Channel Islands;" "The Sermon on the Mount and the Parable of the Sower, in the Franco-Norman Dialects of Guernsey and Sark," &c., &c._ Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. --EXODUS xxii, 18. [Illustration] Guernsey: GUILLE-ALLES LIBRARY, AND THOMAS M. BICHARD, PRINTER TO THE STATES. 1886. [_All Rights Reserved._] TO EDGAR MACCULLOCH, ESQUIRE, F.S.A., LONDON AND NORMANDY, AND MEMBER OF THE FOLKLORE SOCIETY, BAILIFF OF GUERNSEY, WHOSE HISTORICAL RESEARCHES HAVE TENDED SO MUCH TO ELUCIDATE THE TIME-HONOURED CONSTITUTION AND ANCIENT CUSTOMS OF HIS NATIVE ISLAND, THIS BRIEF RECORD OF ONE OF THE DARKEST CHAPTERS IN ITS CHEQUERED ANNALS Is Dedicated WITH SENTIMENTS OF THE HIGHEST RESPECT AND ESTEEM. _Venena magnum fas nefasque non valent Convertere humanam vicem._ HORACE, Epod. V. 87-8. FOREWORD. In presenting to the public another little volume of the "Guille-Alles Library Series," it affords me much pleasure to acknowledge various kindnesses experienced during its preparation. From Edgar MacCulloch, Esq., F.S.A., Bailiff of Guernsey, I have received several valuable hints and suggestions bearing upon the subject; and also from F.J. Jeremie, Esq., M.A., Jurat of the Royal Court. I am also particularly indebted to James Gallienne, Esq., Her Majesty's Greffier, for his uniform kindness and courtesy in allowing the fullest access at all times to the Archives under his care, not only in respect to the subject-matter of the present publication, but also in other historical researches which I have wished to make. I am equally obliged to Mr. E.M. Cohu and Mr. H.J.V. Torode, Deputy-Greffiers, and to Mr. A. Isemonger, Bailiff's Clerk, for various information and much ready help, which materially facilitated my investigations. All these gentlemen have my cordial acknowledgments and best thanks. J.L.P. Guernsey, December, 1885. NOTE.--The Seal represented on the title page is that of the Guernsey Bailiwick. It was first granted by Edward I. in the seventh year of his reign (1279), and bears the inscription: S. BALLIVIE INSULE DE GERNEREYE. CONTENTS. _Page_ DEDICATION v. FOREWORD vii. TABLE OF CONTENTS viii. INTRODUCTION 1 WITCHCRAFT IN GUERNSEY 1