They that haue their braines baited, and their fancies distempered with the imaginations, and apprehensions of Witches, Coniurers, and Fayries, and all that Lymphatical _Chimæra_: I finde to be marshalled in one of these fiue rankes, children, fooles, women, cowards, sick, or blacke, melancholicke, discomposed wits. The Scythians being a warlike Nation (as _Plutarch_ reports) neuer saw any visions.--_Harsnet's Declaration_, p. 136.
D 2 _a_ 2. "_From these two sprung all the rest in order._"] The descent from these two rival witch stocks, between which a deadly feud and animosity prevailed, which led to the destruction of both families, is shewn as follows:
Elizabeth Sothernes, alias Old Demdike, died in prison in 1612, about 80 years old. 1 | 2 ------------------------------ | | Christopher = Eliz. Elizabeth, executed = John Device, or Howgate. Both of at Lancaster, | Davies, supposed them were reputed 1612. | to have been bewitched to be at the witches | to death, meeting on Good | by Widow Chattox, Friday, 1612, but | because he had not were not indicted. | paid her his yearly Perhaps they were | aghen dole of meal. the "one Holgate | and his wife" mentioned | amongst the | witches in 1633. | 1 2 | 3 --------------------------------------------------- | | | James Device, or Alizon, executed Jennet, 9 years old Davies, executed at at Lancaster in 1612. in 1612, and an evidence Lancaster in 1612. in the present trial. Condemned herself, along with 16 other persons, for witchcraft, in 1633, when she appears to have been unmarried, but not executed.
Anne Whittle, alias Chattox, executed at Lancaster, 1612, about 80 years old. | Anne, executed = Thomas Redferne. in 1612. | | Mary.
D 3 _a_. "_Commaunded this examinate to call him by the name of Fancie._"] The fittest name for a familiar she could possibly have chosen. Sir Walter Scott (_Letters on Demonology_, p. 242) unaccountably speaks of Fancie as a female devil. Master Potts would have told him, (see M 2 _b_,) "that Fancie had a very good face, and was a very proper man."
D 3 _b_ 1. "_The wife of Richard Baldwin, of Pendle._"] Richard Baldwin was the miller who accosted Old Dembdike so unceremoniously.
D 3 _b_ 2. "_Robert Nutter._"] The family of the Nutters, of Pendle, bore a great share in the proceedings referred to in this trial. It seems to have been a family of note amongst the inferior gentry or yeomanry of the forest. A Nutter held courts for many years about this period, as deputy steward at Clitheroe. (See Whitaker's _Whalley_, p. 307.) Three of the name are stated in the evidence to have been killed by witchcraft, Christopher Nutter, Robert Nutter, and Anne, the daughter of Anthony Nutter; and one of the unfortunate persons convicted is Alice Nutter. The branch to which Robert belonged is shewn in the following table: