The Pendle Swindle, 1634

Which King took a ‘personal interest’ in the 1634 Pendle case?

Charles I

What was the name of the 10 year old that instigated the case?

Edmund Robinson

Why is it interesting that Jennet Device was accused of witchcraft?

Gave evidence against her own mother at the original trials

Why did Robinson initially suggest that witchcraft had been used against him?

Originally blamed witchcraft to avoid punishment for not looking after his father’s cattle when he was supposed to

November 1633, approached by 2 greyhounds and made no movement when hare ran past

What did Robinson allegedly see?

Black greyhound changed into Frances Dickinson and brown greyhound changed into an unknown boy

Found a gathering of witches

Who were Richard Shuttleworth and John Starkie?

Local magistrates who were informed after 3 months

How many witches did Robinson identify?

25 across various churches

How many were found guilty?

17 found guilty

What was the Privy Council?

Private council of the monarch, made up of advisors handpicked by the King

What did the Privy Council rule?

• Despite the witches being found guilty based on evidence presented in court, begun to have doubts about written evidence and spoken testimony

• Henry Bridgeman, Bishop of Chester, investigated some of the women

• Had to be interrogated for the Devil’s mark by surgeons and later questioned by Charles himself

What did the surgeons, including William Harvey, find when they examined the women?

Nothing unnatural or diseased

Why was the case of Margaret Johnson particularly confusing?

Did confess to witchcraft and told story of selling her soul to the Devil, claimed she had met other witches

Why might it be relevant that the King may have reprieved many of the accused?

Began to have scepticism and thus postponed the punishment - kept a number or original suspects in custody at Lancaster 3 years later

What happened to Edmund Robinson?

Became known as a witchfinder to visit church services in Lancashire where he identified witches in the congregation

Why is a cow important?

Edmund (young) admitted Edmund’s story was fictitious and was motivated by revenge against Frances Dickinson, entered dispute over payment for a cow

Why would this have led to increased scepticism?

Accusations of witchcraft motivated by wholly non-supernatural reasons and instead personal motives, under the façade of witchcraft

Why were the authorities sceptical about Edmund Robinson’s claims?

Why do you think some of the accused were kept in jail by the authorities in Lancaster, despite being given a pardon by the King?

Why was the Pendle Swindle a key development in the growth of scepticism?