Letter about Elizabeth Tibbots, suspected of witchcraft

Transcript

[Page one]

All our wonder hereabouts is employed at the strange

condition of a maid near us, one Elizabeth

Tibbots of about 18 years of age living with her

uncle, one Thomas Crofts, at a place called Hust

in the parish of Stoneleigh, about two miles hence.

Which maid, for about this 3 weeks past has been

taken with strange fits, in which she has vomited

up several things incredible, as first several

pebble stones near as big as eggs, knives, scissors,

pieces of glass, some of them two or three inches

square, pieces of iron, an iron bullet of

at least 8 inches round and 2 pound & half

weight, a black drinking-pot of near

half a pint, pieces of cloth and wood, a

pocket pistol, a pair of pincers, bottoms

of yarn, and several other things, many

whereof are now at our Mayor’s, and have been

evidently seen to come out of her mouth

by many credible witnesses. Nor should I my

self venture to give you this relation, which

seems so unlike truth, had I not myself

been an eyewitness with my most curious

observation of so much of it, that I am con-

firmed in the belief of the whole. All which is

imputed to some diabolical practices of one

Watson, a strange kind of an empiric [fraud or charlatan] to whom

she was sometime a patient, who had it seems

so wrought with her, as that she had promised him

marriage, and to go with him (though she knew

not whither) but afterwards refused it. Immediately

upon which she fell into those fits. Yet now she has

respites, during which she appears reasonably well, and I

[Page two]

have heard her discourse very rationally of her

self and her condition, a full account whereof would

be too long to give. ‘Tis said

these 4 or 5 days past (in which I have

not seen her) some what appears to her in

the shape of a dog. Now, whether she is bewitched

or whether she be a witch, or whether

the devil be in her, as well as some others

of her sex, I know not, but that what I

have told you seemed to the most vigilant eye

to be infallibly true, is not doubtable. So

that it be not really so, I can only say

the devil’s in it, who, you may perhaps may

fancy to be in him that gives this seemingly

incredible relation. which be pleased to accept

for better for worse.

From

Sir your most obliged humble servant

Ralph Hope