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| Alizon
Device's confession |
Demdike's confession |
Chattox's confession |
James
Device's confession |
| The Pendle Witches: The confession of James Device |
| As recorded by Thomas Potts, the clerk of the court at the trial of the Pendle Witches |
| James Device was hanged for withcraft at Lancaster gaol
. He was believed to have been responsible for the murder of four people,
and confessed to two of these. James lived at Malkin Tower with his mother Elizabeth Device, his grandmother Elizabeth Southerns, alias Demdike, and his sisters Alizon and Jennet. Elizabeth and Alizon were hanged for witchcraft at Lancaster and Demdike died in gaol awaiting trial. |
| Note: James is referred to throughout as 'the examinate' |
| James tells how Demdike asked him to steal bread from communion |
| He saith, that upon sheare thursday was two yeares, his grand-mother elizabeth southernes, alias demdike, did bid him this examinate goe to the church to receive the communion (the next day after being good friday) and then not to eate the bread the miniister gave him, but to bring it and deliver it to such a thing as should meet him in his way homewards: notwithstanding her perswasions, this examinate did eate the bread: and so in his comming homeward some fortie roodes off the said church, there met the examinate, and asked him whether hee had brought the bread that his grand-mother had bidden him, or no? Whereupon this examinate answered, hee had not: and thereupon the said thing threatened to pull this examinate in peeces, and so this examinate thereupon marked himselfe to god, and so the said thing vanished out of this examinates sight. |
| James tells how he sold his soul to a familiar spirit in the form of a brown dog |
| And within some foure dayes after that, there appeared in this examinates sight, hard by the new church in pendle, a thing like unto a browne dogge, who asked this examinate to give him his soule, and he should be revenged of any whom hee would: whereunto this examinate answered, that his soule was not his to give, but was his saviour jesus christs, but as much as was in him this examinate to give, he was contented he should have it. |
| James tells how he bewitched to death Anne Towneley after she accused him and his mother of stealing some turves (peat). |
| And within two or three dayes after, this examinate went to the carre-hall, and upon some speeches betwixt mistris towneley and this examinate; shee charging this examinate and his said mother, to have stolen some turves of hers, badde him packe the doores: and withall as he went forth of the doore, the said misstris towneley gave him a knock betweene the shoulders: and about a day or two after that, there appeared unto this examinate in his way, a thing like unto a black dog, who put this examinate in minde of the said mistris towneleyes falling out with him this examinate; who bad this examinate make a picture of clay, like unto the said mistris towneley: and that this examinate with the helpe of his spirit (who then ever after bidde this examinate to call it dandy) would kill or destroy the said mistris towneley: and so the said dogge vanished out of this examinates sight. And the next morning after, this examinate tooke clay, and made a picture of the said mistris towneley, and dried it the same night by the fire: and within a day after, hee, this examinate began to crumble the said pidiure, every day some, for the space of a weeke: and within two dayes after all was crumbled away; the said mistris towneley died. |
| James tells how he bewitched to death John Duckworth after Duckworth refused to give him a shirt he had promised |
| And hee further saith, that in lent last one john duckworth of the lawnde, promised this examinate an old shirt: and within a fortnight after, this examinate went to the said duckworthes house, and demanded the said old shirt; but the said duckworth denied him thereof. And going out of the said house, the said spirit dandy appeared unto this examinate, and said, thou didst touch the said duckworth, whereunto this examinate answered, he did not touch him: yes (said the spirit againe) thou didst touch him, and therefore i have power of him: whereupon this examinate joyned with the said spirit, and then wished the said spirit to kill the said duckworth: and within one weeke, then next after, duckuworth died. |
| James describes strange occurances around Malkin Tower |
| The sayd examinate james device sayth, that about a month agoe, as this examinate was comming towards his mother house, and at day-gate of the same night, this examinate mette a browne dogge comming from his graund-mothers house, about tenne roodes distant from the same house: and about two or three nights after, that this examinate heard a voyce of a great number of children screiking and crying pittifully, about day-light gate; and likewise, about ten roodes distant of this examinates sayd graund-mothers house. And about five nights then next following, presently after daylight, within 20 roodes of the sayd elitabeth southerns house, he heard a foule yelling like unto a great number of cattes: but what they were, this examinate cannot tell. And he further sayth, that about three nights after that about midnight of the same, there came a thing, and lay upon him very heavily about an houre, and went then from him out of his chamber window, coloured; blacke, and about the bignesse of a hare or catte. |
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| James inciminates other witches |
| James gave important evidence that helped to convict other witches included many of his own family. |
| James device tells how Alizon confessed to bewitching the child of Henry Bullock |
| And he further sayth, that about s. peters day last, one henry bullocke came to the sayd elizabeth southerns house, and sayd, that her graund-child alizon device, had bewitched a child of his, and desired her that she would goe with him to his house; which accordingly she did: and there upon she the said alizon fell downe on her knees, & asked the said bullocke forgivenes, and confessed to him, that she had bewitched the said child, as this examinate heard his said sister confesse unto him this examinate. |
| James tells how Chattox stole three skulls (scalpes) and eight teeth from a graveyard |
| And further saith, that twelve yeares agoe, the said anne chattox at a buriall at the new church in pendle, did take three scalpes of people, which had been buried, and then cast out of a grave, as she the said chattox told this examinate; and tooke eight teeth out of the said scalpes, whereof she kept foure to her selfe, and gave other foure to the said demdike, this examinates grand-mother: which foure teeth now shewed to this examinate, are the foure teeth that the said chattox gave to his said grand-mother, as aforesaid; |
| James tells how Demdike, Elizabeth Device and Alice Nutter killed Henry Mitton |
| The said examinate saith upon his oath, that hee heard his grand-mother say, about a yeare ago, that his mother, called elizabeth device, and his grand-mother, and the wife of richard nutter (alice nutter), of the rough-lee aforesaid, had killed one henry mitton, of the roughlee aforesaid, by witchcraft. The reason wherefore he was so killed, was for that this examinates said grandmother had asked the said mitton a penny: and hee denying her thereof; thereupon shee procured his death as aforesaid. |
| James tells how Elizabeth Device killed John Robinson using a 'picture of clay' |
| And he, this examinate also saith, that about three yeares ago, this examinate being in his grand-mothers house, with his said mother; there came a thing in shape of a browne dogge, which his mother called ball, who spake to this examinates mother, in the sight and hearing of this examinate, and bad her make a picture of clay like unto john robinson, alias swyer, and drie it hard, and then crumble it by little and little; and as the said picture should crumble or mull away, so should the said john robinson alias swyer his body decay and weare away. And within two or three dayes after, the picture shall so all be wassted, and mulled away; so then the said john robinson should die presently. Upon the agreement betwixt the said dogge and this examinates mother; the said dogge suddenly vanished out of this examinates sight. And the next day, this examinate saw his said mother take clay at the west-end of her said house, and make a picture of it after the said robinson, and brought into her house, and dried it some two dayes: and about two dayes after the drying thereof, this examinates said mother fell on crumbling the said picture of clay, every day some, for some three weekes together; and within two dayes after all was crumbled or mulled away, the said john robinson died. |
| James tells how he saw Anne Redferne with a 'pictures of clay' |
| The said examinate upon his oath saith, that about two yeares agoe, hee this examinate saw three pictures of clay, of halfe a yard long, at the end of redfernes house, which redferne had one of the pictures in his hand, marie his daughter had another in her hand, and the said redfernes wife (anne redferne the witch), now prisoner at lancaster, had an other picture in her hand, which picture she the said redfernes wife, was then crumbling, but whose pictures they were, this examinate cannot tell. |
| James tells how a hare spat fire at him |
| And at his returning back againe, some ten roods off them there appeared unto him this examinate a thing like a hare, which spit fire at him this examinate. |
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| James inciminates the Witches of Malkin Tower |
| James gave importance evidence about a great meeting at
Malkin Tower. The meeting was the first alledged witches sabbat in English
legal history. James's evidence (corraborated by the testimony of his nine year old sister Jennet, and his mother Elizabeth) helped to convict many of those present: Katherine Hewitt, alias Mouldheels, Elizabeth Device (James's mother), Alice Nutter, Jennet Preston, John Bulcock and his mother Jane Bulcock. |
| James describes how he stole a 'wether' (a sheep) for the meeting at Malkin Tower |
| And being examined, he further saith, that upon sheare thursday last, in the evening, he this examinate stole a wether from john robinson of barley, and brought it to his grand-mothers house, old demdike, and there killed it: and that upon the day following, being good-friday, about twelve of the clocke in the day time, there dined in this examinates mothers house a number of persons, whereof three were men, with this examinate, and the rest women; and that they met there for three causes following, as this examinates said mother told this examinate. |
| James describes the three causes of the meeting at Malkin Tower: the naming of Alizon's spirit, the blowing up of Lancaster gaol, and the avenging of Thomas Lister on behalf of Jennet Preston |
| i. The first was, for the naming of the spirit which alizon
device, now prisoner at lancaster, had, but did not name him, because she
was not there. ii. The second cause was, for the deliverie of his said grand-mother; this examinates said sister alizon; the said anne chattox, and her daughter redferne; killing the gaoler at lancaster; and before the next assises to blow up the castle there, to the end the aforesaid persons might by that meanes make an escape & get away: all which this examinate then heard them conferre of. iii. And the third cause was, for that there was a woman dwelling in gisborne parish, who came into this examinates said grandmothers house, who there came and craved assistance of the rest of them that were then there, for the killing of master lister of westby, because (as shee then said) he had borne malice unto her, and had thought to have put her away at the last assises at yorke, but could not: and this examinate heard the said woman say, that her power was not strong enough to do it her selfe, being now lesse then before time it had beene. And also, that the said jennet preston had a spirit with her like unto a white foale, with a blacke spot in the forhead. |
| James names those present at the meeting at Malkin Tower |
| And he also saith, that the names of the said witches as were on good-friday at this examinates said grandmothers house, & now this examinates owne mothers, for so many of them as he did know, were these, viz. The wife of hugh hargreives of barley; the wife of christopher bulcock of the mosse end, and john her sonne; the mother of myles nutter; elizabeth, the wife of christopher hargreives, of thurniholme; christopher howgate, and elizabeth his wife; alice graye of colne, and one mouldheeles wife, of the same: and this examinate, and his mother. |
| James tells how Katherine Hewitt and Alice Gray confessed to killing Anne Foulds |
| And hee also saith, that they were witches; and that the names of the said witches, that were there, for so many of them as he did know, were amongst others katherine hewyt, wife of john hewyt, alias mould-heeles, of colne, in the countie of lancaster clothier; and that the said witch, called katherine hewyt, alias moudheeles, and one alice gray, did confesse amongst the said witches at their meeting at malkin tower aforesaid, that they had killed foulds wifes child, called anne foulds, of colne: and also said, that they had then in hanck a child of micheal hartleys of colne. |
| James tells how John and Jane Bulcock confessed to bewitching Jennet Deyne |
| And further he saith, that the said john bulcock and jane his said mother, did confesse upon good-friday last, at the said malking-tower, in the hearing of this examinate, that they had bewitched, at the new-field edge in yorkeshire, a woman called jennet, wife of john deyne, besides, her reason; and the said womans name so bewitched, he did not heare them speake of. |
| James tells how the witches agreed to kill Thomas and Leonard Lister |
| And he also saith, that the names of the said witches as were on good-friday at this examinates said grandmothers house, & now this examinates owne mothers, for so many of them as he did know, were these, viz. The wife of hugh hargreives of barley; the wife of christopher bulcock of the mosse end, and john her sonne; the mother of myles nutter; elizabeth, the wife of christopher hargreives, of thurniholme; christopher howgate, and elizabeth his wife; alice graye of colne, and one mouldheeles wife, of the same: and this examinate, and his mother. |
| James describes the departure of the witches from Malkin Tower |
| And this examinate further saith, that all the said witches went out of the said house in their owne shapes and likenesses. And they all, by that they were forth of the dores, were gotten on horsebacke, like unto foales, some of one colour, some of another; and prestons wife was the last: and when shee got on horsebacke, they all presently vanished out of this exarninates sight. And before their said parting away, they all appointed to meete at the said pretons wives house that day twelve-months; at which time the said prestons wife promised to make them a great feast. And if they had occasion to meete in the meane time, then should warning be given, that they all should meete upon romleyes moore. |
