Extract from The History and Antiquities of the County of Leicester by John Nichols 1795

 (Transcribed as written except for the long S being replaced by a normal s.)

The Examination of Anne Baker, of Bottesford, in the County of Leicester, Spinster, taken March 1, 1618, by the Right Honourable Francis Earle of Rutland, Sir George Manners, Knight, two of his Majestie's Justices of the Peace for the County of Lincolne, and Samuel Fleming., Doctor of Divinitie, one of his Majesties Justices of the Peace for the County of Leicester aforesaid.

She saith, that there are foure colours of planets, blacke, yellow, greene, and blew, and that blacke is alwaies death ; and that shee sawe the blew plannet strike Thomas Fairebarne, the eldest sonne unto William Fairebarne, of Bottesford aforesaid, by the Pinfold there, within the which time the said William Fairebarne did beat her and breake her head, whereuppon the said Thomas Fairebarne did mend ; and, being sked who did send the planet? Answered it was not I.
Further shee saith, that shee saw a hand appeare unto her, und that shee heard a voyce in the ayre said unto her, Anne Baker save thyselfe, for to-morrow thou and thy maister must be slain ; and the next day her maister and shee were in a cart together, and suddainely shee saw a flash of fire, and said her prayers, and the fire went away, and shortly after a crow came and picked upon her cloathes, and shee said her prayers againe, and bad the crow go to whom hee was sent, and the crow went unto her maister, and did beat him to death, and shee with her prayers recovered him to life ; but he was sicke a fortnight after, and saith, that if shee had not had more knowledge then her maister, both he and shee and all the cattell had been slaine.
Being examined concerning a childe of Anne Stannidge, which shee was suspected to have bewitched to death, saith, the said Anne Stannidge did deliver her childe into her hands, and that shee did lay it upon her skirt, but did no harme unto it ; and being charged by the mother of the childe, that upon the burning of the haire, and the paring of the nailes of the said child, the said Anne Baker came in and set her downe, and for one houre's space coulde speake nothing, confesseth shee came into the house of the said Anne Stannidge in great paine, but did not know of the burning of the haire and nailes of the said childe ; but saith she was so sicke that she did not know wither she went.
Being charged that shee bewitched Elizabeth Hough, the wife of William Hough, to death, for that shee angred her in giving her almes of her second bread, confesseth that she was angry with her, and said she might have given her of her better bread, for she had gone too often on her errands, but more she saith not.
This examinat confesseth that shee came to Joane Gylle's house, her child being sicke, and that shee intreated this examinat to look on the child, and to tell her whether it was forspoken or no, and this examinate said it was forspoken ; but when the said child died cannot tell.
And being asked concerning Nortley carrying of his child home unto his owne house, where the said Ann Baker was, shee asked him, who gave the said child that loafe, he told her Anthony Gill ; to whom this examinate said, hee might have had a child of his owne if hee would have sought in time for it ; which words shee confessed shee did speake.
Being blamed by Henry Milles in this sort : A fire set on you! I have had two or three ill nights! To whom shee made answere, "You should have let me alone then!" Which shee confesseth.
The said Ann Baker, March 2, 1618, confessed, before Samuel Fleming, doctor of divinitie, that, about 3 yeares agoe, shee went into Northamptonshire, and that at her comming back againe, one Peake's wife and Dennis his wife, of Belvoyre, told her that my young lord Henry was dead, and that there was a glove of the said lord buried in the ground ; and as that glove did rot and wast, so did the liver of the said lord rot and wast.
Further the said, March 3, 1618, before S^r George Manners, knight, and Samuel Flemming, doctor of divinity, that she hath a spirit which hath the shape of a white dogge, which shee calleth her goode spirit.
Samuel Fleming, test.

The Examination of Joan Willimot, taken the 28 of February, in the 16 Yeare of the Raigne of or Soveraigne Lord James, over England, King, &c. and over Scotland the 52, before Alexander Amcotts, Esquire, one of his Majesties Justices of the Peace of the said Parts and County.
This Examinat saith, that Joane Flower told her that my lord of Rutland had dealt badly with her, and that they had put away her daughter, and that, although she could not have her will of my lord himselfe, yet she had spied my lord's sonne and had stricken him to the heart. And she saith, that my lord's sonne was stricken with a white spirit, and that shee can cure some that send unto her, and that some reward her for her paines, and that of some she taketh nothing.
She further saith, that upon Fryday night last, her spirit came to her, and told her there was a bad woman in Deeping, who had given her soule to the divell ; and that her said spirit did then appeare unto her in a more ugly forme than it had formerly done, and that it urged her much to give it something, although it were but a peece of her girdle, and told her that it had taken great paines for her ; but she saith that she would give it nothing, and told it that she had sent it to no place but onely to see how my lord Rosse did, and that her spirit told her that he should doe well.

The Examination of the said Joan Willimot, taken the second Day of March, in the Yeare abovesaid, before the said Alexander Amcotts.

This examinate saith, that shee hath a spirit which she calleth Pretty, which was given unto her by William Berry, of Langholme, in Rutlandshire, whom she served three yeares ; and that her master, when he gave it unto her, willed her to open her mouth, and he did blow into her mouth ; and that presently after his blowing, there came out of her mouth a spirit, which stood on the ground in the shape and form of a woman, whiche spirit did aske of her her soule, which shee then promised unto it, being willed thereunto by her master. Shee further confesseth, that shee never hurt any body, but did help divers that sent for her, which were stricken or forespoken ; and that her spirit came weekely to her, and would tell her of divers persons that were stricken and forespoken. And shee saith, that the use which shee had of the spirit, was to know how those did which shee had undertaken to amend ; and that shee did helpe them by her owne spirit ; neyther did she imploy her spirit in any thing, but onely to bring word how those did which shee had undertaken to cure.
And shee further saith, that her spirit came unto her this last night (as she thought) in the forme of a woman, mumbiling, but she could not understand what it said. And being asked whether shee were not in a dreame or slumber when shee thought shee saw it, shee said no, and that she was as waking as this present.
Alexander Amcotts,
Thomas Robinson, test.

The Examination of Joan Willimot, of Goadby, in the County of Leicester, Widdow, taken the 17 of March, 1618, by Sir Henry Hastings, Knight, and Samuel Fleming, Doctor of Divinitie, two of his Majesties Justices of the Peace of the said County of Leicester.

She saith, that she tould one Cooke's wife, of Stathorne, in the said county, labourer, that John Patchett might have his child alive, if he would have sought forth fot it in time, and if it were not death-stricken in her wayes, and that Patchett's wife had an evill thing within her, which should make an end of her, and that she knew her by her girdle.
She saith further, that Gamaliel Greet, of Waltham , in the said county, shepheard, had a spirit like a white mouse put upon him in his swearing ; and that if hee did looke upon any thing with an intent to hurt it, it should be hurt, and that he had a marke on his left arme, which was cut away ; and that her owne spirit did tell her all this before it went from her.
Further she saith, that Joane Flower, Margaret Flower, and shee, did meet about a weeke before Joane Flower's apprehension in Blackborrow-hill, and from thence home to the said Joan Flower's house ; and there she saw two spirits, one like a rat, and the other like an owle ; and one of them did suck under her right eare, as shee thought ; and the said Joan told her, that her spirits did say that shee should neyther be hanged nor burnt.
Further she saith, that the said Joan Flower did take some earth and spet upon it, and did worke it with her finger, and put it into her purse, and said, though shee could not hurt the lord himselfe, yet she had sped his sonne, which is dead.
H. Hastings, Samuel Fleming.

The Examination of Ellen Greene, of Stathorne, in the County of Leicester, taken the 17 of March, 1618, by Sir Henry Hastings, Knight, and Samuel Fleming, D. of Divinitie, two of his Majesties Justices of the Peace of the said County.

Shee saith, that one Joan Willimot, of Goadby, came about sixe yeares since to her in the wowlds, and perswaded this examinate to forsake God, and betake her to the divel, and she would give her two spirits, to which shee gave her consent, and thereupon the said Joan Willimot called two spirits, one in the likenesse of a kitlin, and the other of a moldiwarp ; the first the said Willimot called pusse, the other hisse, hisse, and they presently came to her, and she departed and left them with this examinate, and they leapt on her shoulder, and the kitlin sucked under her right eare on her neck, and the moldiwarp on the left side in the like place. After they had suckt her, she sent the kilin to a baker of that towne, whose name shee remembers not, who had called her a witch and stricken her, and bad her said spirit goe and bewitch him to death : the moldiwarpe shee then had go to Anne Dwarfe of the same towne and bewitch her to death, because she called this examinate witch, whore, jade, &c. and within one fortnight after they both dyed.
And further this examinate saith, that she sent both her spirits to Stonesby, to one Willison, a husbandman, and Robert Williman, a husbandman's sonne and bad the kitlin goe to Willison and bewitch him to death, and the moldiwarp to the other and bewitch him to death, which they did ; and within tenne dayes dyed. These foure were bewitched while this examinite dwelt at Waltham aforesaid.
About three years since, this examinate removed thence to Stathorne, where she now dwelt. Upon a difference betweene the said Willimot and the wife of John Patchett, of the said Stathorne, yeoman, shee the said Willimot called her this examinate to goe and touch the said John Pratchet's wife and her Childe, which shee did, touching the said John Patchet's wife in her bed, and the childe in the grace wife's armes, and then sent her said spirits to bewitch thenm to death, which they did, and so the woman lay languishing by the space of a moneth and more, for then shee dyed ; the childe dyed the next day after she touched it.
And she further saith, that the said Joane Willimot had a spirit sucking on her under the left flanke, in the likenesse of a little white dogge, which this examinate saith that she saw the same sucking in the barley-harvest last, being then at the house of the said Joane Willimot.
And for herselfe, this examinate further saith, that shee gave her soule to the divell, to have these spirits at her command ; for a confirmation whereof she suffered them to suck her always, as aforesaid, about the change and the full of the moone.
H. Hastings, Samuel Fleming.

The Examination of Phillip Flower, Sister of Margaret Flower, and Daughter of Joane Flower, before Sir William Pelham, and Mr. Butler, Justices of the Peace, Febr. 4, 1618, which was brought in at the Assizes as Evidence against her Sister Margaret.

She saith, that her mother and her sister maliced the earle of Rutland, his countesse, and their children, because her sisterMargaret was put out of the ladies service of laundry, and exempted from the other services about the house, whereupon her said sister, by the commandment of her mother, brought from the castle the right-hand glove of the lord Henry Rosse, which she delivered to her mother, who presently rubd it on the back of her spirit Rutterkin, and then put it into the boyling water ; afterward she pricked it often, and buried it in the yard, wishing the lord Rosse might never thrive ; and so her sister Margaret continued with her mother, where shee often saw the cat Rutterkin leape on her shoulder and sucke her necke.
Shee further confessed, that shee heard her mother often curse the earle and his lady, and thereupon would boyle feathers and blood together, using many divellish speeches and strange gestures.

The Examination of Margaret Flower, Sister of Phillip Flower, &c. about the 22d of January, 1618.

She saith and confesseth, that aboute foure or five years since her mother sent her for the right-hand glove of Henry lord Rosse, afterward that her mother bade her goe againe into the castle of Beaver, and bring down the glove, or some other thinge of Henry lord Rosse ; and shee askt, What to doe? Her mother replyed, To hurt my lord Rosse. Whereupon shee brought downe a glove, and delivered the same to her mother, who stroked Rutterkin her cat with it after it was dipt in hot water, and so prickt it often ; after which Henry lord Rosse fell sicke within a weeke, and was much tormented with the same.

She further saith, that finding a glove about two or three years since of Francis lord Rosse, on a dung-hill, she delivered it to her mother, who put it into hot water, and after tooke it out and rubd it on Rutterkin the cat, and bad him go upwards ; and after her mother buried it in the yard, and said, A mischiefe light on him, but he will mind againe.
Shhe further saith, that her mother and shee, and her sister, agreed together to bewitch the earle and his lady, that they might have no more children ; and being demanded the cause of this their mallice and ill will, shee saith, that aboute foure years since the countesse (growing into some mislike with her) gave her forty shillings, a bolster, and a mattresse, and bad her lye at home, and come no more to dwell at the castle ; which shee not onely tooke in ill part, but grudged at it exceedingly, swearing in her heart to be revenged. After this, her mother complained to the earle against one Peake, who had offered her some wrong, wherein she conceived that the earle tooke not her part as she expected ; which dislike, with the rest, exasperated her displeasure against him, and so watched an oppertunity to be revenged ; whereupon she tooke wooll out of the said mattresse, and a paire of gloves, which were given her by Mr. Vavasor, and put them into warme water, mingling then with some blood, and stirring it together ; then she tooke the wooll and the gloves out of the water, and rubd them on the belly of Rutterkin her cat, saying, The lord and the lady should have more children, but it would be long first.
Shee further confesseth, that, by her mother's commandment, shee brought into her a peece of a handerkercher of the lady Katherine the earle's daughther, and her mother put it into hot water, and then taking it out rubd it on Rutterkin, bidding him slye and go ; whereupon Rutterkin whined and cryed mew ; whereupon shee said, that Ruttekin had no power over the lady Katherine to hurt her.

The Examination of Phillip Flower, the 25 of February, 1618, before Francis Earle of Rutland, Francis Lord Willoughby of Eriby, Sir George Manners, and Sir William Pelham.

Shee confesseth and saith, that shee hath a spirit sucking on her in the forme of a white rat, which keepeth her left breast, and hath done so for three or foure yeares ; and, concerning the agreement betwixt the spirit and herselfe, she confesseth and saith, that when it first came unto her, shee gave her soule to it, and it promised to do her good, and cause Thomas Simpson to love her, if shee would suffer it to sucke her, which shee agreed unto ; and so the last time it suckt was on Tuesday at night, the 23d of February.

The Examination of Margaret Flower, at the same Time, &c.

Shee confesseth, that she hath two familiar spirits sucking on her, the one white, the other black-spotted within the inward parts of her secrets.
When she first entertained them, shee promised them her soule, and they covenanted to doe all things which she commanded them, &c.
Shee further saith, that about the 30 of January last past, being Saturday, foure divells appeared unto her in Lincolne gayle, at eleaven or twelve a clocke at midnight : the one stood at her feete, with a blacke head like an ape, and spake unto her, but what she cannot well remember, at which shee was very angery, because hee would speake no plainer, or let her understand his meaning ; the other three were Rutterkin, Little Robin, and Spirit, but shee never mistrusted them, nor suspected herselfe, till then.

There is another Examination of Margaret Flower, taken the fourth of February, 1618, tending to this Effect :
That, being asked what shee knoweth concerning the bewitching of the earle of Rutland, his wife, and children, shee saith, that it is true, that her selfe, her mother, and sister, were all displeased with him, especially with the Countesse, for turning her out of service, whereuppon some foure yeare since her mother commanded her to goe up to castle, and bring her the right-hand glove of the lord Henry Rosse, the earl's eldest sonne ; which glove she found on the ruthes in the nurcery, and delivered the same to her mother, who put it into hot water, prickt it often with her knife, then tooke it out of the water, and rubd it upon Rutterkin, bidding him height and goe, and doe some hurt to Henry Lord Rosse whereupon he fell sicke, and shortly after dyed, which her mother hearing of said it was well ; but after she had rubd the glove on the spirit Rutterkin, she threw it into the fire and burnt it, &c.

These examinations, and some others, were taken and charlly preserved for the continuing of sufficient evidences against them ; and when the judges of the assise came down to Lincolne about the first weeke of Marche, being Sir Henry Hobert, lord chiefe justice of the common pleas, and Sir Ed. Bromley, one of the barons of the exchequer, they were presented unto them, who not only wondered at the wickedness of these persons, but were amazed at their pratctises and contracts with the divel to damne their own soules ; and although the right honourable earle had sufficient griefe for the losse of his children, yet, no doubt, it was the greater to consider the manner and how it pleased God to inflict on them such a fashion of visitation!

1 28 February1618

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