Accusing Jennet and George Benton of witchcraft. (Catalogue ref: ASSI 45/5/3/5)
This source, which is the testimony of a witness in a witchcraft trial, contains some of the reasons why neighbours might accuse each other of witchcraft. It shows how they could be quite every-day concerns but that they led to very supernatural accusations, 7 June, 1656.
Transcript
- The Information of Richard Jackson of Wakefield
- taking upon oath the 7th of June
- 1656
- Who says that he being tenant to Mr Stringer of Sharlston
- for a farm called by the name of Bunny Hall near
- Wakefield one Jennett Benton and George Benton her son
- pretended to have a high way through the grounds
- belonging to the said farm which one Daniel Crave,
- servant to the said Richard Jackson & by his master
- appointed, did endeavour to hinder upon which the said George Benton
- cast a stone at him, the said Craven, where with he cut
- his lip and broke two teeth out of his chaps. So
- an action being brought against the said George Benton
- for the trespass, which was submitted unto by him, & endeavoured
- to end the difference, which was composed & satisfaction
- given unto the said Craven. After which the said Jennett
- Benton & George Benton her son did utter these speeches:
- that it should be a dear day’s work unto the said Richard
- Jackson or to his, before the year went about. Since
- which time his wife hath had her hearing taking from
- her, a child strangely taken with fits in the night time
- Also being formerly of healthful body have
- been suddenly taken without probably reason to be given or
- natural cause appearing, being sometimes in such extremity
- that he conceived himself drawn in pieces at the heart, back
- and shoulder and that in the beginning of these fits the first night
- he heard a great noise of music & dancing about him.
- The next night, about twelve of the clock, he was taken with another
- fit & in the middle of it he conceives there was a noise like
- ringing of small bells with singing & dancing and sometime
- both nights a noise of deep groaning upon which he called of his wife
- and asked her if she heard it not & so of his man who answered they
- did not he asked them again & again if they heard it not at last
- his wife and servant all heard it gave three hard groans and at that instant
- dogs did howl and yell and the window as though they would have pulled
- them in pieces. He had also a great many swine which broke through
- two barn doors, also the door in the house, at that time [clapped] to and
- from the boxes and trunks as they conceived was removed, and several
- apparitions like black dogs and cats were seen in the house & the informer
- further says that since the time that the said Jennett Benton and George
- Benton threatened him he hath lost his horses and means and that he
- conceives he hath had all the loss by the use and practise of some witch-
- craft or sorcery by the said Jennett Benton and George Benton