The Pendle Witches: England's Most Famous Trial
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Introduction: The Shadow of Pendle Hill
In 1612, in the shadow of Pendle Hill in Lancashire, England, twelve people were tried for witchcraft. Ten were hanged at Lancaster Castle—the largest mass execution of witches in English history. The Pendle witch trials became England's most famous witch case, immortalized in contemporary accounts and modern retellings.
What makes Pendle unique is the survival of detailed trial records written by court clerk Thomas Potts in The Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of Lancaster (1613). These records reveal a story of poverty, family feuds, religious tension, and the deadly consequences of accusation in a society gripped by fear.
This is the ninth article in our Witch Hunts series, completing our examination of geographic distribution. We now explore England's most notorious witch trial, the rival families at its center, and why Pendle became a symbol of witch hunt injustice.
The Setting: Lancashire in 1612
Geography
- Pendle Hill: Dramatic moorland hill in Lancashire, northern England
- Villages: Scattered farming communities (Newchurch, Barley, Roughlee)
- Isolation: Remote, poor, difficult terrain
Social Context
- Poverty: Lancashire was one of England's poorest regions
- Religious tension: Catholic recusants (refusing to attend Anglican church) vs. Protestants
- Weak authority: Local magistrates had significant power
- Superstition: Folk magic and cunning folk were part of daily life
The Families: Demdike vs. Chattox
The Demdike Family
Matriarch: Elizabeth Southerns ("Old Demdike")
- ~80 years old, blind, impoverished
- Reputation as cunning woman (healer, fortune teller)
- Claimed to have familiar spirit named Tibb
Family members accused:
- Elizabeth Device: Demdike's daughter
- James Device: Demdike's grandson (~10 years old)
- Alizon Device: Demdike's granddaughter (~20 years old)
The Chattox Family
Matriarch: Anne Whittle ("Old Chattox")
- ~80 years old, rival to Demdike
- Also reputation as cunning woman
- Accused of cursing and causing deaths
Family member accused:
- Anne Redferne: Chattox's daughter
The Feud
- Demdike and Chattox families were rivals for decades
- Competed for clients (healing, fortune telling, curse removal)
- Accused each other of theft and witchcraft
- Poverty and desperation fueled animosity
The Trigger: Alizon Device and the Peddler
March 18, 1612
What happened:
- Alizon Device (Demdike's granddaughter) encountered John Law, a peddler
- She asked him for pins (used in folk magic)
- He refused or ignored her
- Shortly after, Law collapsed (likely a stroke)
Alizon's reaction:
- Felt guilty, believed she had cursed him
- Visited Law's son, confessed she had caused the stroke
- Law's son reported her to magistrate Roger Nowell
The Confession
Alizon confessed to:
- Having a familiar spirit (a black dog named Ball)
- Cursing John Law
- Learning witchcraft from her grandmother Demdike
Why confess? Likely believed in her own power, felt genuine guilt, or was coerced
The Arrests: The Net Widens
March-April 1612
Roger Nowell (local magistrate) arrested:
- Old Demdike (died in prison before trial)
- Old Chattox
- Anne Redferne (Chattox's daughter)
- Alizon Device
The Good Friday Meeting (April 10, 1612)
What happened:
- While Demdike and others were in prison, family members gathered at Malkin Tower (Demdike's home)
- Purpose: Likely to discuss the arrests, share food (it was Good Friday)
How it was portrayed:
- Magistrate Nowell claimed it was a witches' sabbath
- Accused of plotting to blow up Lancaster Castle to free prisoners
- Accused of Devil worship and conspiracy
Result: More arrests
Additional Arrests
- Elizabeth Device (Demdike's daughter)
- James Device (Demdike's grandson, ~10 years old)
- Alice Nutter (wealthy woman, unclear connection)
- Katherine Hewitt
- John Bulcock and Jane Bulcock (mother and son)
- Alice Gray
- Jennet Preston (tried separately in York, hanged)
The Trial: August 1612
The Court
- Location: Lancaster Castle
- Judges: Sir James Altham and Sir Edward Bromley
- Prosecutor: Roger Nowell (the magistrate who arrested them)
The Evidence
Types of evidence:
- Confessions: Extracted through fear, guilt, or coercion
- Accusations: Families accused each other
- Spectral evidence: Claims of seeing familiars and spirits
- Reputation: Being known as a cunning woman was evidence
- Child testimony: Jennet Device (9 years old) testified against her own family
Jennet Device: The Child Witness
Who: 9-year-old daughter of Elizabeth Device, granddaughter of Old Demdike
Testimony:
- Identified her mother, brother, and others as witches
- Described familiars (spirits in animal form)
- Claimed to witness witchcraft at Malkin Tower
Impact: Her testimony was crucial in convicting her own family
Why did she testify?
- Coached by authorities
- Promised safety or reward
- Didn't understand consequences
- Genuinely believed what she said
Later life: In 1634, Jennet herself was accused of witchcraft (ironic reversal)
The Verdicts and Executions
Convicted and Hanged (August 20, 1612)
- Anne Whittle (Old Chattox)
- Anne Redferne (Chattox's daughter)
- Elizabeth Device (Demdike's daughter)
- James Device (Demdike's grandson, ~10 years old)
- Alizon Device (Demdike's granddaughter)
- Alice Nutter (wealthy woman)
- Katherine Hewitt
- John Bulcock
- Jane Bulcock (John's mother)
- Isabel Robey
Died in Prison
- Elizabeth Southerns (Old Demdike): Died before trial
Acquitted
- Alice Gray: Found not guilty
The Execution
- Method: Hanging (England didn't burn witches)
- Location: Gallows Hill, Lancaster
- Date: August 20, 1612
- Public spectacle: Large crowd witnessed
The Unique Case of Alice Nutter
Who Was She?
- Wealthy gentlewoman
- Owned property and land
- No obvious connection to Demdike or Chattox families
- No reputation as cunning woman
Why Was She Accused?
Theories:
- Religious motive: She may have been Catholic recusant (refusing Anglican church)
- Property seizure: Her wealth made her a target
- Political enemy: Someone wanted her land or to settle a score
- Wrong place, wrong time: Present at Malkin Tower meeting
Her Silence
- Alice Nutter maintained her innocence
- Refused to confess or accuse others
- Went to her death in silence
Thomas Potts's Account
The Book
Title: The Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of Lancaster (1613)
Author: Thomas Potts, court clerk
Purpose:
- Official record of the trials
- Propaganda to justify the executions
- Warning against witchcraft
Why It Matters
- Most detailed English witch trial record
- Provides verbatim testimony and confessions
- Reveals trial procedures and evidence
- Shows how accusations escalated
England's Witch Hunt Context
England vs. Continental Europe
- Total English executions: ~500 (1542-1736)
- Method: Hanging (not burning)
- Torture: Illegal in England (unlike Continent)
- Evidence standards: Higher than Continental courts
- Skepticism: More judicial restraint
Why Fewer Executions?
- Common law tradition (jury trials)
- No torture allowed
- Centralized legal system
- Skeptical judges
Modern Legacy
Tourism and Memory
- Pendle Hill: Popular hiking destination
- Pendle Witch Trail: Walking route connecting sites
- Museums: Pendle Heritage Centre
- Annual events: Pendle Witch Weekend
Cultural Impact
- Novels, plays, films about Pendle witches
- Symbol of injustice and persecution
- Tourist industry built around the trials
Commemoration
- Plaques and memorials
- Educational programs
- Ongoing research and historical study
Conclusion: England's Enduring Witch Story
The Pendle witch trials were England's largest mass execution for witchcraft, driven by poverty, family feuds, religious tension, and the deadly power of accusation. The survival of detailed records makes Pendle uniquely documented, revealing how fear, superstition, and injustice combined to kill ten people in a single day.
In the next article, we will explore Herbalism as Heresy: When Healing Became Witchcraft. We will examine how female healers were targeted, how herbal knowledge was reframed as demonic, and how the witch hunts destroyed centuries of women's medical wisdom.
Ten hanged at Lancaster. Their names remembered. Their injustice never forgotten.
For Old Demdike and Old Chattox. For Alice Nutter, who died in silence. For young James Device, only 10 years old. For all the Pendle witches. We remember.
As you reflect on the shadowy history of the Pendle Witches and the enduring power of fear, you may feel called to honor your own inner light and intention. To deepen your connection with the unseen, the 40 manifestation rituals intention to reality can guide you in weaving your own sacred path from thought to form. For those drawn to the lunar cycles that once governed the witches' rites, the 13 new moon rituals lunar beginnings offer a gentle way to plant seeds of renewal under the moon's dark veil. And should you wish to explore the archetypes and deep truths within, the jung and the archetype tarot astrology and the bridge of the unconscious serves as a luminous bridge between history and your own soul's story.
