Katherine Hewit
W
Ho but Witches can be proofes, and so witnesses of the doings of Witches? since all their Meetings, Conspiracies, Practises, and Murthers, are the workes of Darkenesse: But to discouer this wicked Furie, God hath not only raised meanes beyond expectation, by the voluntarie Confession and Accusation of all that are gone before, to accuse this Witch (being Witches, and thereby witnesses of her doings) but after they were committed, by meanes of a Child, to discouer her to be one, and a Principall in that wicked assembly at Malking-Tower, to deuise such a damnable course for the deliuerance of their friends at Lancaster, as to kill the Gaoler, and blow vp the Castle, wherein the Deuill did but labour to assemble them together, and so being knowne to send them all one way: And herein I shall commend vnto your good consideration the wonderfull meanes to condemne these parties, that liued in the world, free from suspition of any such offences, as are proued against them: And thereby the more dangerous, that in the successe we may lawfully say, the very Finger of God did point thē out. And she that neuer saw them, but in that meeting, did accuse them, and by their faces discouer them.
This Katherine Hewyt, Prisoner in the Castle at Lancaster, being brought to the Barre before the great Seate of Iustice, was there according to the former order and course Indicted and Arraigned, for that she felloniously had practized, exercised, and vsed her Deuillish and wicked Arts, called Witch-crafts, Inchantments, Charmes, and Sorceries, in, and vpon Anne Foulds; and the same Anne Foulds, by force of the same witch-craft, felloniously did kill and murder. Contra formam Statuti, &c. Et contra Pacem dicti Domini Regis, &c.
Vpon her Arraignement to this Indictment, shee pleaded not guiltie; And for the triall of her life put her selfe vpon God and her Countrie.
So as now the Gentlemen of the Iurie of life and death, stand charged with her as with others.
The Euidence against Katherine Hewyt,
Prisoner at the Barre.
The Examination of Iames Device,
Sonne of Elizabeth Device, taken the seuen and
twentieth day of Aprill, Anno Reg. Regis Iacobi, Angliæ,
Franciæ, & Hiberniæ, decimo, et Scotiæ quadragesimo
quarto.
Before
Roger Nowel, and Nicholas Bannester,
Esquires; two of his Maiesties Iustices of Peace,
in the Countie of Lancaster.
Against
Katherine Hewyt, alias Movld-heeles
of Colne. viz.
THis Examinate saith, that vpon Good-Friday last, about twelue of the Clock in the day time, there dined at this Examinates Mothers house a number of persons: And hee also saith, that they were Witches; and that the names of the said Witches, that were there, for so many of them as he did know, were amongst others Katherine Hewyt, wife of Iohn Hewyt, alias Mould-heeles, of Colne, in the Countie of Lancaster Clothier; And that the said Witch, called Katherine Hewyt, alias Mould-heeles, and one Alice Gray, did confesse amongst the said Witches at their meeting at Malkin-Tower aforesaid, that they had killed Foulds wifes child, called Anne Foulds, of Colne:[P4a1] And also said, that they had then in hanck a child[P4a2] of Michael Hartleys of Colne.
And this Examinate further saith, that all the said Witches went out of the said house in their own shapes and likenesses, and by that time they were gotten forth of the doores, they were gotten on Horse-back like vnto foales, some of one colour, some of an other, and the said Prestons wife was the last: And when she got on Horse-back, they all presently vanished out of this Examinates sight. And before their said parting away they all appointed to meete at the said Prestons wifes house that day twelue Moneths: at which time the said Prestons wife promised to make them a great feast, and if they had occasion to meete in the meane time, then should warning be giuen that they all should meet vpon Romlesmoore.
The Examination and Euidence of Elizabeth
Device, Mother of the said Iames
Device.
Against
Katherine Hewyt, alias Movld-heeles,
Prisoner at the Barre vpon her Arraignement and Triall,
taken the day and yeare aforesaid. viz.
THis Examinate vpon her oath confesseth, that vpon Good-Friday last there dyned at this Examinates house, which she hath said are Witches, and verily thinketh to bee Witches, such as the said Iames Deuice hath formerly spoken of: amongst which was Katherine Hewyt, alias Mould-heeles, now Prisoner at the Barre: and shee also saith, that at their meeting on Good-Friday at Malkin-Tower aforesaid, the said Katherine Hewyt, alias Mould-heeles, and Anne Gray, did confesse, they had killed a child of Foulds of Colne, called Anne Foulds, and had gotten hold of another.
And shee further saith, the said Katherine Hewyt with all the rest, there gaue her consent with the said Prestons wife for the murder of Master Lister.
The Examination and Euidence of
Iennet Device,
Against
Katherine Hewyt, alias Movld-heeles,
Prisoner at the Barre.
THe said Examinate saith, That vpon Good-Friday last, there was about twentie persons, whereof two were men to this Examinates remembrance, at her said Grand-mothers house, called Malkin-Tower aforesaid, about twelue of the clock: All which persons this Examinates said mother told her were Witches, and that shee knoweth the names of sixe of the said Witches.
Then was the said Iennet Deuice commanded by his Lordship, to finde and point out the said Katherine Hewyt, alias Mould-heeles, amongst all the rest of the said Women, whereupon shee went and tooke the said Katherine Hewyt by the hand: Accused her to bee one, and told her in what place shee sate at the feast at Malkin-Tower, at the great Assembly of the Witches, and who sate next her; what conference they had, and all the rest of their proceedings at large, without any manner of contrarietie: Being demanded further by his Lordship, whether Ioane a Downe were at that Feast, and meeting, or no? shee alleaged shee knew no such woman to be there, neither did shee euer heare her name.
If this were not an Honorable meanes to trie the accusation against them, let all the World vpon due examination giue iudgement of it. And here I leaue her the last of this companie, to the Verdict of the Gentlemen of the Iurie of life and death, as hereafter shall appeare.
Heere the Iurie of Life and Death, hauing spent the most part of the day, in due consideration of their offences, Returned into the Court to deliuer vp their Verdict against them, as followeth.