The Lancaster Witches: examinations of Margaret Johnson, Mary Spencer, and Frances Dickenson (Catalogue ref: SP 16/269 f.174)
A key component of witchcraft trials was the examination of the accused by somebody in authority, when they would be presented with a series of questions and asked to give their account. In this document the Bishop of Chester describes the answers of 3 women accused of witchcraft in Lancaster, 15 June, 1634.
Transcript
- The Examinations of Margaret Johnson, Mary Spencer
- and Frances Dickenson, taken at Lancaster the 13th of June
- Upon Command of the right honourable the Lords of his Majesty’s
- most honourable Privy Council. By John Lord Bishop of
- Chester
- Margaret Johnson widow, aged 60 years of thereabouts, says that she hath been a witch
- about 6 years last past, and that she was brought there upon some troubles
- and vexations of her bad neighbours. And, about that time walking in the
- highway in Marsden in the parish of Whalley, there appeared to her a man in
- black attire [clothing] trussed with black points [laces or ties] who said to her: if she would give
- him her soul, she should want nothing but should have power to hurt whom
- she would both man and beast. But she then refused and thereupon he vanished.
- In that manner he oftentimes returned to her, till at last she yielded to him,
- and he gave her into her hand some silver and gold (as she thought) but it
- vanished soon again and so knows not how, for she was ever bare and poor
- though he often gave her the like. And she asked his name and he called
- himself Mamilion and she said that most commonly at his coming to her, he
- hath the use of her body, and she had some lust and pleasure thereby. And
- after this he appeared to her in other shapes: as sometimes of a brown coloured
- dog, sometimes as white cat, and at other times like a hare, and as those
- shapes did suck her blood “at 2 duggs or papps” in her private parts, one whereof
- is as big (she says) as her little fingers and half as long, the other less.
- But since she lay in prison they have shrank up and grown less then formerly.
- She says that she never hurt man or woman by Witchcraft, only there
- was one Henry Heap her neighbour, who called her Witch (before she was one)
- whereupon her spirit willed her to hurt him, but she assented not to him: yet (for-
- getting herself) she says that Heap was dead, ere [before] her spirit advised her to it.
- She also says that there were 7 or 8 others of her Neighbours who were
- Witches, but most of them are dead, namely one Jane wife of Roger Cartwells
- of Colne, the rest she cannot name, but says they were fetched in carts to Ladyham, to
- the Justices ere she came to prison.
- And she says the rest of the Witches which are condemned and now in Gaol were
- unknown to her, till she was committed and she never was acquainted or in company
- with any of them before.
- And that she is in her conscience persuaded that Wilkinson and his
- wife now in prison are not witches (nor many others who stand now condemned
- for witchcraft) because he daily prays and reads and seems to her to be a godly man,
- as do diverse [different] of the rest.
- And that she herself did diligently frequent the Church till her soul
- compact with the Devil, but from thence she seldom went to any Church.