Pendle Notes

Causes:

Social/religious Conditions

  • Religious tensions, Lancashire viewed as susceptible to Catholicism, reputation for recusants

  • Reformation less impactful in Lancashire

  • Gunpowder Plot 1604 - fears of Catholicism in England

  • Witches accused of plotting to blow up Lancashire Jail with gunpowder at Malkin Tower

  • BUT only isolated instances of religious transgression eg 2 Catholics found hiding at Henry Standen’s house but not acted on by church courts

  • 1600 George Moore credited two Puritan Ministers with ending possession, older witches charged with using spells based on corrupted versions of old prayers

  • Closing of Whalley Abbey leading to the dominance of Puritan gentry as could take over the land

  • Turn of 17th century attempted to clamp down on drunkenness and reduce strength of ale served around Pendle Forest

  • BUT white magic present in over 100 court cases, however normal part of local life, Old Demdike said to be involved

  • Salmesbury witches let off as convinced judge victims of a Catholic plot

  • Pendle had a number of Puritan gentry in the area and the publication of More’s A Discourse Concerning Possession was used as a guide in the trial of 1612; one family whose members were accused (the Nutters) were Catholic

Economic Conditions

  • Population increase, tenants on Pendle Forest population of 100 originally grew to 1,620 by 1650

  • Scarcity of resources, Pendle took place across a time of growing economic tensions due to rapid population growth, not supported as Whalley Parish 10,000 population, 180 sqm

  • Enclosure in a pastoral economy, limited arable farming, strong cloth trade

  • Chattox still carding wool for wife of James Robinson well into 70s in 1606

  • Agriculture unreliable, cow cost £3, expensive, 6 months wages

  • John Nutter's cow bewitched to death, tenants faced threat of eviction

  • Land system, 1507, Cattle farms no longer leased to tenants on an informal basis, fixed rents and entry fines

  • Since 1507 rent increase of 39%, non copyholders had to pay forest entry fines

  • 1609 copyholders expected to pay 12 years rent to confirm rights and privileges, many forced to sell or morgage parts of land

  • Subtenants rents 25x higher on average than copyholders, contracts often a year or less

  • Demdike and Chattox fall out over theft of clothing and gain from Alizon Device (granddaughter of Demdike) worth 20 shillings

  • Nutter’s accusation based on the fact that his brother threatened to evict Chattox + Redfearnes, illegal subtenants and died soon after, then father

  • Accusations stemmed from Alison Device’s begging

Legal

  • 1604 Witchcraft Act and Daemonologie Conjouring of spirits + familiars made a capital offence, promoted pact with Devil

  • Gave the public a mandate to fight witches and led to an increase in accusations

  • Alizon - black dog familiar used to harm John Law

  • Nowell, Decision to wait for Assize courts in August instead of dealing with matter on a local level

  • The ambitions and zeal of the local magistrate Roger Nowell prompted the witch hunt and he was particularly focussed on identifying non-conformists.

  • Decision to investigate following the meeting at Malkin Tower

  • Use of torture - previous case of Edmund Hartley, accused after 2 children he looked after became sick never blew up as no torture used

  • Alice Nutter a Catholic widow, Nowell’s strong anti recusancy beliefs

  • Bromley/Atham (+ James) - Decision to accept child and spectral evidence as outlined in Daemonologie, desire to appease James, both high profile Puritan gentry members, established political careers, former MPs for Bridgenorth (Bromley) and Bramber (Altham), Altham knighted 1605, Bromley 1610, educated as a Calvinist, role as mediator for Scotland-England Union proposals, James head of judiciary

Extent:

Individuals

  • The ambitions and zeal of the local magistrate, Roger Nowell, drove the witch hunt and were crucial in the accusations reaching a trial

  • Nowell’s actions following Alizon Device’s confession to him, ensured that the witch hunt became more widespread

  • Nowell acted on rumours of meetings at Malkin Tower and resumed his investigations, reviving the hunt and resulting in eight further accusations

  • Nowell had strongly believed in the dangers of recusancy and this had an influence upon those he chose to question; Alice Nutter was a Catholic widow

  • Although Nowell could have tried the accused women himself, he chose to send the detained to Lancaster Assizes, which raised the profile of the cases

  • 11 people were detained as a result of Nowell’s accusations.

Legal

  • The Witchcraft Statute of 1604, which legislated that conjuring spirits was a capital offence, gave the public a mandate to fight witches and led to an increase in accusations

  • Plus encouraged Altham and Bromley to prosecute and continue the trials

Social-religious:

  • Religious tensions were central to the accusations; three of the accused women were able to convince the judge that they were victims of a Catholic plot and were let off

  • Some of those accused, e.g. Old Demdike, were said to be involved in ‘white’ magic as well as maleficium, so there was a strong local belief in magic and witchcraft, which helped create the climate for a witch hunt Local rivalry and accusations led to the Lancashire witch hunt; 6 of the 11 witches on trial were from two rival families who had experienced poverty and were headed by widows.