Witchcraft in Northumberland

by

In 1542, during the reign of Henry VIII, the Witchcraft Act was introduced.  Witchcraft was defined as a felony to be tried through the courts with a maximum penalty of hanging.  Elizabeth I further strengthened this in 1563. A first time offender would be imprisoned for a year and placed into a pillory [sort of stock with holes for hands and feet] four times, a second offence would result in death by hanging unless the person was convicted of murder by witchcraft in the first instance.  In 1604 James IV of Scotland and James I of England strengthened English law to make death by hanging compulsory for those injured. King James was very interested in witchcraft, having written an earlier book entitled ‘Daemonologie’ and personally attending trials. Although, he did not take the opportunity to mirror the punishment carried out in Scotland of burning at the stake.  

In 1904 Balfour published “County Folklore Vol IV Northumberland” bringing together numerous sources to record different folklore stories across the county (other volumes were completed for other English counties).   Below are some of the stories told…

Acklington had a reputation for dealings in the magic arts including ‘invulation’ “by which the life, death or suffering of an enemy was attempted by means of a figure in which pins were struck” or was roasted on a fire.  Brinkburne Abbey was recorded as having its own witch living in a nearby cottage; she had an ‘evil eye’ and local villagers were afraid of her cat. The witch that lived in Hawkwell transformed herself into a hare.

A number of individuals, mostly women, are cited as being accused of being  witches; with the accounts often being heard by the then Mayor of Newcastle.   In 1659-60 Elisabeth Simpson of Tynmouth was refused a pot of beer by Frances Mason.  Elisabeth threatened Frances who became lame within days, taking to her bed claiming Elisabeth ‘did pinch her heart’.  In 1661, when Elizabeth Richardson of Blaydon took ill , Jane Watson was called. The pain disappeared, “but imediately after the paine left her, and a dogg which as in said house presently dyed”.  

Isabell Fletcher was at the Stanners near Morpeth one night and she saw a “white thing comeing through the water like a woman”.  The vision asked Isabell if she recognised her and she confirmed it was Margaret Milbourne of Bedlington “whome she was very well acquainted with, she being servant lately to…” her son William.  Isabell refused the visions instruction to visit ‘thy dame’, and was told “it would be worse for her”. When the vision came forward again, it caused Isabell to faint and be in a “distracted condition all the night”.

The case against Jane Simpson and Isabell Atcheson was heard in July 1664.  Jane had given some ‘threatening words’ towards Dorothy Hearon after selling her some cherries.  Within days Dorothy had taken ill to her bed where she suffered “sad and lamentable fitts to the admiration and astonishment of all spectators, being sometimes rageing madd, other tymes laughing and singing, other tymes dispareing and disconsolate, other tymes very solitary and mute”.  A couple of days later in her bed, crying, Dorothy said that it was Jane and Isabell that tormented her and were about to carry her away. She asked her husband Anthony Hearon, a baker and brewer, if he could see the ladies beside the bed. After moving the curtain he said that “he did clearly see Isable Atcheson standing att the bedd side, in her owne shape”, she vanished when he called for the Lord.  A footnote to this story is noted “The sick person draws blood from the suspected witch and recovers”.

How did these accusations come about?  In 1649-50 two sergeants, Thomas Stevel and Cuthbert Nicholson, from Newcastle magistrates were sent to Scotland to collect an unnamed witch-finder who could “find out witches by pricking them with pins”.  When he arrived in Newcastle a bellman was sent around the town asking anyone with a complaint against a woman for being a witch should come forward so that the women could be sent for trial with the witch-finder.

Men Were Witches Too

by

Belief in and accusations of witchcraft were commonplace in England, and indeed Europe, during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.  Many of the denunciations and evidence given nowadays appear somewhat nonsensical and in many cases can be explained away by advancement in modern medicine or science.  However, in a society so grounded in religious belief, where the greatest fear was the Devil himself, it is a little easier to understand why allegations could have arisen out of situations that just could not be explained in any other way at the time.

Numerous individuals in Northumberland were accused of being witches, the evidence which seems flimsy by today’s standards, included night time visions or the use of threatening words.  The majority, but not all, of those who fell under suspicion were female. In “County Folklore Vol IV Northumberland” by M.C. Balfour the tale of Peter Banks is told. Although sadly we do not know exactly where Banks or his accusers were from, his story was heard by Robert Roddam, Mayor of Newcastle in 1673/4.

Peter Banks was described as “a most strange seducer and inticer of the king’s subjects and people, and deludes them in a wonderfull manner, perswadeing and makeing them beleive that he cann tell leases [charms] to people” (p.34); he was said to have confessed to the use of enchantments, magic arts and conjuring evil spirits.

Jane Crossby bought a charm for ten shillings and two new shirts compelling her husband to be pleasant to her for a year.  During this time the husband was said to be ‘loveing and kind’, however when she did not renew the charm at the end of the year her husband’s behaviour became ‘ill and untoward againe’.

Ellinor Pattison was terrified by night visions and apparitions after a disagreement with Banks.  He knew that she was bewitched and offered to cure her. She permitted him to cut out a small piece of her hair which was wrapped in paper and burned.  After this she ‘grew better’.

Sadly Balfour does not tell us the outcome for Peter Banks, this may be lost to history, but it offers a fantastic insight into the accusations made against this particular male witch.

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 2 APRIL 1920

by

BERWICK POLICE

From yesterday (Thursday) the County Council assumed control of Berwick’s police, and on Tuesday we understand Capt. Fullarton James, Chief Constable for the County, came to Berwick to consider the draft agreement for the transfer. A new Inspector or Chief Constable for the Borough will have to be appointed some day, and there is the question of the Police buildings. We understand that the Borough is bound by law to provide certain cell accommodation, and that if the buildings are taken over the County they will have to guarantee to discharge this liability for the town. Again, the Borough gets an annual contribution of £30 for the use of the Court by the Norham and Islandshire justices. Is the Borough Rate still to get the benefit of that payment? These are only crumbs of information which have fallen from the great men’s table. We are satisfied that the County Council authorities are above trying to steal a march on the Borough, but again, we ask the members of the Council to disclose the agreement to their principals, the ratepayers, in time to give them an opportunity to discuss it before it is sealed.

BERWICK PETTY SESSIONS

Catherine Curry, the two month old daughter of George Curry, hawker, 25 Walkergate, was found dead in bed at 6.30 a.m. on Saturday morning, and as the result an inquest was held on Saturday evening by Mr P. M. Henderson, acting coroner. Catherine Curry, the mother, said she and her husband slept in the same bed as the child, the husband being at the back of the bed and child at the front. The child cried at about 4 a.m., and after she had fed it it went off to sleep again. Witness also went to sleep and at 6.30 was awakened by her husband, who noticed the child was very still, but its body was quite warm. She was very anxious, and went immediately for a doctor. Witness was a total abstainer. George Curry, the husband, corroborated his wife’s evidence. Dr P. W. Maclagan said he was called to the house shortly after 6.30, and found the child dead. There were no suspicious circumstances, and no external marks of violence. On a later examination he came to the conclusion that death resulted from asphyxia. A verdict in accordance with the medical evidence was returned.

BORDER O.B.E’s

COMMANDERS (CIVIL DIVISION)

Lieut. Col. C. W. Brims, M.C., T.D., was the Director of Extensions Department of Controller General of Merchant Ship-building. He is the son of the late Mr B. M. Brims, contractor, who was formerly at Berrington House, Beal. Lieut. Col. Brims was awarded the M.C. in October, 1918.

Mr T. W. H. Inskip, K.C., M.P., who has been head of the Naval Law Branch of the Secretary’s Department at the Admiralty, contested Berwick-on-Tweed Division in the Unionist interest.

The Duchess of Northumberland was the Commandant and Donor of Syon House Hospital, Brentford, Middlesex.

Capt. Alistair Houston Boswell Preston, who is Assistant Director of Road Transport, Ministry of Food, is the son of Col. T. H. Boswell Preston, Tweedhill, Berwick.

OFFICERS (Civil Division)

Mr J. Gilroy was Potato Distribution Adviser in the Northern Division. He is the son of the late Ald. Jas. Gilroy, Berwick, and was for some years resident in Ravensdowne before taking up business in Newcastle.

Mr W. T. Rainbow who was Fish Distribution Officer and Assistant Commissioner for Demobilisation, is well-known in Berwick as the handicapper of the Athletic Society’s Sports.

Miss E. M. H. Storey, who was Recruiting Commandant of the Northumberland and Durham Red Cross Society and the Order of St. John, is a grand-daughter of Mr Samuel Storey, of Sunderland.

Miss Annie Louise Simpson, who was made an Officer of the Civil Division, was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in June, 1918. She is the daughter of Mr Chas. Simpson, London, and grand-daughter of Mr Alex. Simpson, Coldstream. Miss Simpson is personal shorthand writer to the Prime Minister, and is raised to this high class of the Order for services rendered in connection with the Peace Conference.

MEMBERS (Civil Division)

Dr Alex. Dey, M.B.C.M., who acted as Medical Officer, 12 Northumberland V.A.D., at Fowberry and Heton Hospital, and the 13th Northumberland V.A.D. Hospital at Etal Manor, is the Medical Officer of Glendale, and a well known and popular figure in Wooler, where he has been practising for a long time.

Robert Yelloly, awarded the Order for services as Supt. of Newcastle Police Force, has been associated with criminal investigation work for many years. He is the son of the late Mr Robert Yelloly, High Court Bailiff, Berwick, and is married to a Berwick lady.

THE EDITOR OF “COUNTRY LIFE”

Mr P. Anderson Graham, writing in “The Times” against the proposed removal of the Scotsgate, says :- “The excuse put forward is that this well-known gate was reconstructed in 1858, and the claim is made that it is not an integral part of the wall. The truth about the matter is that in 1850 the Ordinance Department proposed to pull down the ramparts from the Scots Gate to the Flagstaff.

The Scotsgate Arch. @ Copyright: Michael Dibb, Creative Commons License (cc-by-sa/2.0).

The negotiations were divulged at a meeting of the council held in July of 1850, but public opinion took fire at once, and in deference to the remonstrance made the scheme was abandoned and the walls handed over to the local Board of Health on condition that they should be maintained as a walk for the public convenience. If the proposal had been  to rebuild or widen the gate no fault would have been found with it. But it is an unhappy proposal to destroy this feature in Berwick for the purpose of putting up a war memorial on the stumps of the mutilated wall.”

LOCAL NEWS

The Compton Comedy Company from all we can hear reached high water mark last week in “The School for Scandal.” We cannot recall a performance which gave more pleasure, and  the writer has seen Forbes Roberston, Mrs Patrick Campbell, Mr Charles Terry, Lewis Waller, Walter Farren, and Cyril Maude, all appearing together one evening at the Lyceum in this immortal comedy. We were particularly pleased with Rowley, and Joseph Surface was also very well done.

Playbill for Sheridan’s ‘The School for Scandal.’  Scanned from The Dramatic Works of Richard Brinsley Sheridan. © In public domain

Generally Joseph is made so oily that any one can see through him, but on Thursday he was bluff enough to deceive a saint. Sir Benjamin Backbite was a real maccaroni, and the behaviour of Sir Peter Teazle, with all his temper and in all his mistakes could not fail to command the sympathy of the audience. Here was an English gentleman. We also much enjoyed Sir Oliver Surface, – we should imagine a fairly easy part to play. The costumes of Sir Peter and Sir Oliver were also most artistic. Both of them looked like old masters when the curtain drew up. In our opinion the gentlemen were superior to the ladies, but that was all. It was an excellent company, and we hope Mrs Mather will be able to arrange for their return. We feel sure that, even if it were necessary to raise the price of the seats, Berwick people would support companies of a similar standard.

+ More