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General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: Witch Finder on Tuesday 12 October 10 09:32 BST (UK)
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I'm looking for stories of Witches, any story will do. I don't mind if they are hearsay or have a modicum of truth. I'm trying to compile a picture of Witches in the UK for a project I'm doing. Do any of you Chatters have a witch in your families history , If so I would like to hear from you , with any story. Thank you for looking. David.
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The following which refers to the Edlins of Woodhall who were our ancestors may be of interest:
Inquisitions of England – “1592 Mother Atkins of Pinner - A most wicked work of a wretched witch ( the like whereof none can record these many years in England) wrought on the person of one Richard Burt, servant to Master Edling of Woodhall in the parish of Pinner in the county of Middlesex, a mile beyound Harrow. Lately committed in March 1592.”
David
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hi david i have a small intrest i have visited maningtree many times since i was a small child my dad lived there so i have read a few bits about mathew hopkins, the best of luck in your reserch.
neil
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Are you sitting comfortably, "Once upon a time, there was a Prime Min............Aaaaaaargh!
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For the 1945 'witchcraft' murder in Lowerr Quinton, Warwickshire see
http://www.bbc.co.uk/coventry/features/weird-warwickshire/1945-witchcraft-murder.shtml
Good luck with the project.
Keith
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Thank you. a good start .
I liked the one by Skoosh ;D
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Not in my family but as a child my father used to tell me that the last 'witch' in Barnsley was buried under the flags outside the entrance to St Mary's Church in Barnsley. Sorry don't know more it was many years ago :)
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Thank you all keep them coming. I'll see what I can find out about the Barnsley Witch. David
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Hello Witch Finder and a big welcome to RootsChat. ;D
I understand that you have studied the Pendle Witches. I live close to Pendle Hill so I'm familiar (good word to use ;D) with the Pendle Witches.
Maggie
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hi again finder a programme was made a few years ago at maningtree broadcast live over 3 nights if you come across it it was rubbish the names they came up with were all true a quick search on line and all this can be found but putting webcams in a cemertry built 100 years or more after the events just doesn,t add up.theres a good documentry by rory mcgrarth called bloody brittain it will be on youtube it is well worth having a look at.
neil
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Here's a blog on Welsh witches:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/waleshistory/2010/03/welsh_witches.html
I once saw a group of people dressed in white in a remote area of West Carmarthenshire very late at night but didn't stop to ask why...
and there's a certain Pembrokeshire village with a resident wart charmer. Doesn't take money otherwise it won't work.
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Hi
Our local 'witch' in Stoke on Trent was Molly Leigh....the first link shows a picture of her cottage which has now been demolished and the second link has on it a photo of her grave which, as the story goes, was turned around in the middle of the night so that instead of being east-west it was north-south......must have taken quite a few people to do it....fascinating story and well known around here...
Good hunting!!
Bill
http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/england/staffordshire/occult/molly-leigh.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/content/articles/2006/03/03/molly_leigh_witch_profile_feature.shtml
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Hello Bill thanks for that . Strangely dear old Molly is how I started this quest, The Witch with the Crow ( Blackbird). I know quite a lot about Molly as my Daughter Lives close to Burslem. I been to see her Grave at St John the Baptist Church, Her Grave pointing the opposite way to normal Christian burials North to South.
I'm always wanting to know more though. David.
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The early parish registers of Boreham in Essex are mixed with C for christening B for burial and M for marriage.
In 1593 one begins H, which I think stands for hanging.
H Mother Haven (Haven inserted above the line) suffered at Boreham for Witchcraft the same day. (the 29th July)
Images of the registers are online http://seax.essexcc.gov.uk/displayParishContents.asp?selAlphabet=B&selParish=610&selChurch=611
There is something about her here http://www.essexhistory.co.uk/id2.html
Also from the SEAX catalogue:
T/A 418/58/23
Dates of Creation 10 April 1593
Scope and Content Indictment of Agnes Haven of BOREHAM spinster, bewitched John Brett, so that he was grievously afflicted in divers parts of the body. Pleads not guilty; guilty. [ASS 35/35/2/23]
Too many poor (usually) women were either hanged for witchcraft in Essex or died in prison awaiting their trial long before Mathew Hopkins arrived on the scene.
Carole
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and there's a certain Pembrokeshire village with a resident wart charmer. Doesn't take money otherwise it won't work.
One of my Welsh aunts does this - in fact, she has to pay you for your warts, though 1p each is enough. Works every time!
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Dont forget the Irish Witches:
Mary Dunbar, Islandmagee
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islandmagee_witch_trial
and also Mary Butters, Carnmoney
http://www.sacred-texts.com/pag/iwd/iwd10.htm
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Dont forget the Irish Witches:
Mary Dunbar, Islandmagee
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islandmagee_witch_trial
and also Mary Butters, Carnmoney
http://www.sacred-texts.com/pag/iwd/iwd10.htm
Thank you liscoole. The Islandmagee Trial I have heard of, but not The Mary Butters Carmoney case This case is slightly to late for me I'm trying to keep it to 16th-18th century's. Though the story and ballad was very intresting, and I've taken notes. David.
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One of the rules of The Craft, as it is known, is secrecy; so if someone tells you he or she is a witch, the chances are that they are not one.
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Reading this post I remembered a witchcraft museum I visited when I was a child. It was in Bourton on the water. I've just checked if its still there but it was damaged by an arson attack. However if you go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_of_Witchcraft#Bourton-on-the-Water.2C_England.2C_1954. There is a fascinating article on Cecil Williamson and his museums.
Jen
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There's a little booklet called 'Witches in and around Suffolk' by Pip & Joy Wright which mentions reports of alleged witchcraft in the late 19th century & well into the 20th century.
Hephzibah
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I am descended from Lancashire Redferns who, before they migrated into Manchester during the Industrial Revolution, lived in the Pendle Hill area. One of the Pendle witches tried in 1612 was called Anne Redferne (née Whittle). I have no evidence for a link, but would be interested to know of one. As far as I know she only had a daughter, so I'm unlikely to be descended from her, but I could be related to her husband in some way.
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Are you only collecting British witches, or do American witches also count? My 8x g grandmother, Elizabeth [Austin] Dicer, was jailed for witchcraft in Ipswich, Massachusetts in about 1690 [I don't recall the exact year offhand]. She was not executed.
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I'm looking for stories of Witches, any story will do. I don't mind if they are hearsay or have a modicum of truth. I'm trying to compile a picture of Witches in the UK for a project I'm doing. Do any of you Chatters have a witch in your families history , If so I would like to hear from you , with any story. Thank you for looking. David.
Hi,
You will not get far with any serious research if you use the word Witch.
You are already coming from a totally distorted angle by using the term witch( ie the christian beliefs).Number two The word witch was invented by the church. There was no such word (until Christianity came along). If you are really serious with your research,I suggest you start at the very beginning and you read up on history pre Christianity and Christianity and drop the word witch full stop before researching onwards
Just some advice,hope that helps
Kind regards :)
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apparantly i am i direct desendant of the washington witch ( lol) its a famous story that has been and is in print, it was a jane atkinson who was ducked in a pond in a place where there is now a war memorial
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Not a new topic I know, but..
If you are still looking for any information I am Wiccan. I'm happy to help if you need any information re. Wicca, or in any way I can xx