Devonshire Witches

Devonshire bears powerful evidence to the theory of Mr. Buckle, that the climate and scenery of a country tend to influence the creed of the people. Our miles of broad and almost deserted moorland, the deep valleys, the dark combes, and our stormy iron-bound coasts, may to a certain extent have inclined the Devonians of the past to a firmer belief in the miraculous, than would be found in a more populous and less rugged county. Traces of this are present even now. Although ages have passed away since unhappy men and women were tried for witchcraft, there may still be found in the western shires scores who believe in charms, and who are habitual consultants of the "wise man;" and sufferers from the evil-eye, or people who have been ill-wished, are constantly heard of.

Prior to the arrival of James I. our statute-book looked but mildly on witchcraft. Laws were passed in 1551 and 1562 against this offence, but it remained for James the Demonologist to bring matters to a climax. In proportion as the Puritans and their doctrines spread, so increased the belief in, and prosecution for, witchcraft. This belief partook of the nature of an epidemic. Suddenly prisoners were seized, tried in various ways, taken before the magistrates, and sent to the assizes, where they were but seldom acquitted. Popular opinion having been satisfied, things resumed their usual course. There was no doubt about the crime; the same village contained the victims and the person of ill-repute. The inhabitants could see for themselves the patient whom no physician could cure, and who pronounced the complaint to be witchcraft; and the confession of the accused only too plainly confirmed all suspicions. Next to murder, nothing could be more palpable; and yet, when once the foundations of this fearful creed were disturbed by rationalism, the whole fabric was speedily swept away, leaving but few traces to show how great it had been, and these only in the minds of the most ignorant classes. Strange to say, there are but few records of the conviction of witches which were not fully supported by the confessions of the accused. It is indeed true that these confessions were only too frequently extorted by gross cruelty, but in scores of cases this was not needed. The prisoners rejoiced in their crimes, and seemed proud of their evil reputations. In that awful moment, when, with one foot on the gallows ladder, and preparing to pay the penalty of their fancied crimes, they even then would relate, and in glowing colours, their evil deeds, there could be but small reason for idle boastings then; but so it was. The witches themselves as firmly believed in their evil powers as did their accusers and judges. The trials by law were conducted with all order and fairness. There was no unusual mode of procedure. In those days justice leaned towards the accuser, and inclined to punishment; but witchcraft was not an exception, or was treated worse than murder or theft, and not nearly so badly as heresy. As I said before, these trials of witches would come in spasms, and with all the fury of an epidemic. The history of one such epidemic I propose to relate.

In the year 1682 there lived in the town of Bideford three old women, poor, ugly, and discontented. One, Temperance Lloyd, pursued the lucrative occupation of an apple-woman, when she could find any good citizen rash enough to deal with her. No good housewife would allow her children to go near her; for she was a witch, and the children might get under the influence of the evil-eye. Once she had been sent to the assizes, but was acquitted, much to the disgust of the Bideford folk. On another occasion she had been dragged before the magistrates and examined, but let off. It was no light matter to be tried for witchcraft; but then there was one consolation, nothing could be done to a witch until she had been forsaken by the devil, her master; so it was only necessary to try her often enough. She had two companions in her evil ways; one was Susanna Edwards, who was a witch of a higher class than old Temperance Lloyd, for she had a pupil, one Mary Trembles, who had come to an understanding with Susanna Edwards to learn the art and mystery of witchcraft in all its branches. Things had been going on very quietly in Bideford for some time. People had died in unusual ways, and many had suffered without making much ado about it; but there is an end to all things, and one day the storm broke. This came about in the following manner: