1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,960 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:08,160 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hi, I'm Eves and Welcome to This Day 3 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:12,039 Speaker 1: in History Class, a show that on covers history one 4 00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 1: day at a time. Today is augusteen. The day was 5 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:33,840 Speaker 1: August eighteen, six twelve. One of the most famous witch 6 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:37,559 Speaker 1: trials in English history, the trial of the Pendle Witches, 7 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:43,000 Speaker 1: began at Lancaster Assizes. As sizes were periodic sessions of 8 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 1: courts held in English counties for civil and criminal trials. 9 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:52,199 Speaker 1: The trial is well documented in The Wonderful Discovery of 10 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 1: which is in the County of Lancaster, published by the 11 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: Clerk to the Court, Thomas Potts. King James the First 12 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 1: came to power in sixteen oh three. He was deeply 13 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 1: interested in witchcraft and inspired fear in witches. Six years 14 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:11,520 Speaker 1: before he took the throne, while Elizabeth the First was queen, 15 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:15,240 Speaker 1: he released a book called Demonology, which was a treatise 16 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:19,800 Speaker 1: on witchcraft that encouraged the trial and persecution of people 17 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:24,199 Speaker 1: who practiced it. In his view, women were more likely 18 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:28,240 Speaker 1: than men to use witchcraft. There were also witch hunts 19 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 1: under Elizabeth the First, but the paranoia and punishment surrounding 20 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:36,039 Speaker 1: witchcraft in England was not quite as severe as it 21 00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 1: was elsewhere in Europe. For example, torture was not allowed 22 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: as part of the investigation or punishment process for witches, 23 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:50,680 Speaker 1: and witches were hanged rather than burned. But when Elizabeth 24 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 1: died and James the First took the throne, he made 25 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 1: the punishments against people accused of witchcraft much harsher. He 26 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 1: made hanging mandatory for a first offense of witchcraft, and 27 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 1: if an accused person had a mark on their body 28 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:09,640 Speaker 1: deemed to be the devil's mark, then they would be 29 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:14,359 Speaker 1: put to death. Cases against witchcraft went from declining under 30 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 1: Elizabeth to increasing under James. Pendle Hill in Lancashire, England 31 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:22,799 Speaker 1: was said to be a wild and lawless place at 32 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 1: the time. In sixteen twelve, justices of the Peace in 33 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:30,959 Speaker 1: Lancashire were ordered to create lists of recusants in their areas, 34 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:34,920 Speaker 1: such as people who would not take communion. Roger Noel 35 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 1: was the Justice of the Peace and pendel Hill brought 36 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:41,919 Speaker 1: to Knowl's attention was an incident between a Halifax peddler 37 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 1: named John Law and Alison Device of Pendle. Law accused 38 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:50,240 Speaker 1: Device of cursing him after he refused to give her 39 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:53,840 Speaker 1: pens that she had asked for. He blamed a stroke 40 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 1: he had not long after the exchange on her device, 41 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:00,240 Speaker 1: confessed to Noel that she had called on the will 42 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 1: to curse John Law. When she was questioned, she accused 43 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 1: her grandmother of witchcraft, as well as members of the 44 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:12,640 Speaker 1: rival Chaddock's family. More people confessed to selling their souls, 45 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:16,520 Speaker 1: and Noel made more arrests of accused witches who lived 46 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:20,799 Speaker 1: in the area around Pendle Hill. Twelve Pendle witches were 47 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 1: accused of witchcraft, one of whom died while in prison. 48 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:28,080 Speaker 1: Six of them were from the dim Dyke and Chaddocks families. 49 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: John and Jane Woolcock were tried for causing madness and 50 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 1: for being at a witches sabbath. Alice Nutter and Katherine 51 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 1: Hewitt were accused of killing people, and Margaret Pearson was 52 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 1: charged with bewitching one of her neighbors horses to death. 53 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 1: The Psalmsbury witches were also tried at the same assizes 54 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 1: and before the same judge as the Pendle witches. Under 55 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:58,360 Speaker 1: King James, the first normal due process was not necessary 56 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:02,320 Speaker 1: in the prosecution of witches. The accused weren't allowed defense 57 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 1: counsel or to call witnesses and children, women and liars 58 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 1: could be called as witnesses and cases of high treason 59 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:13,760 Speaker 1: against God. Out of the eleven Pendle witches who went 60 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 1: to trial, one was tried at York s sizes and 61 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:21,440 Speaker 1: found guilty, nine were tried at Lancaster and found guilty, 62 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:25,680 Speaker 1: and the last was found not guilty at Lancaster. A 63 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 1: notable part of the trial was the testimony of Janet Device, 64 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:33,279 Speaker 1: the nine year old daughter of the accused Elizabeth Device. 65 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:38,480 Speaker 1: She spoke of witches on flying ponies, clay images made 66 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 1: to cause death, and of a sabbath held on Good Friday. 67 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:47,720 Speaker 1: Some of the accused confessed their guilt, while others maintained 68 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:51,520 Speaker 1: their innocence and worked to clear their names. Even though 69 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:55,640 Speaker 1: the prosecution's evidence was based on gossip and false confessions, 70 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:59,479 Speaker 1: Janet's testimony helped convince the jury of the guilt of 71 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:03,880 Speaker 1: the accused. Past On August ten, people were hanged at 72 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:08,040 Speaker 1: Lancaster for having bewitched people to death by devilish practices 73 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:12,359 Speaker 1: and hellish means. Margaret Pearson was sentenced to be pillar 74 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 1: read and serve a year in prison. The Salmsbury witches 75 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:22,400 Speaker 1: were acquitted as claiming healing, magical or witchcraft powers made 76 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:25,719 Speaker 1: people money. At the time, the rival families involved in 77 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:28,880 Speaker 1: the Pendual trial could have been competing to maintain their 78 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 1: reputations and livelihoods. I'm Eaves, Jeffcode, and hopefully you know 79 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 1: a little more about history today than you did yesterday. 80 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:43,240 Speaker 1: You can learn more about history by following us on Twitter, Facebook, 81 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 1: and Instagram at t d i h C podcast. Thank 82 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:51,640 Speaker 1: you so much for listening, and I hope to see 83 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:57,479 Speaker 1: you again tomorrow for more tidbits of history. For more 84 00:05:57,480 --> 00:05:59,960 Speaker 1: podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, 85 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:02,640 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.