The Witches of Pendle by STACEY HALLS

article by 𝕃𝕪𝕕𝕚𝕒 𝕄𝕖𝕝𝕠𝕨

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Publisher's Summary:

“Lancashire, Pendle, 1612. At 17, Fleetwood Shuttleworth is pregnant for the fourth time. But after three miscarriages, the mistress of the Gawthorpe Hall estate has still not given her husband an heir. When she crosses paths with Alice Gray, a young midwife who knows medicinal plants perfectly, Fleetwood sees in her his last hope. But when a huge witchcraft trial opens in Pendle, all eyes turn to Alice, accused like so many other learned, solitary or troublesome women. While Fleetwood's belly continues to round out, the young girl has only one obsession to save her life and that of her baby: to exonerate Alice. Time is running out and three lives are at stake. Being a woman is the greatest risk there is.

Stacey Halls is an English journalist born in Lancashire, where the infamous Pendle witch trials took place in 1612. Fascinated by this story, she researched, traced the events and wrote a critically acclaimed historical novel. The Pendle Witches is her first book and has become a bestseller.

Book of 310 pages

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This novel is inspired by English historical facts, dating from 1612. The Pendle witch trials are one of the most famous witch trials in English history and the best documented of the 17th century. Originally from the Pendle Hill region in Lancashire, 12 witches were accused of murdering 10 people by witchcraft. All but two were tried with the Samlesbury witches at Lancaster Assizes on 18 and 19 August 1612, in a series of trials known as the Lancaster Witch Trials.

These trials were unusual in England at the time in two respects. One is the official publication of the trial in the book The Wonderful Discovery of Witches in Lancaster County by the court clerk Thomas Potts, and the number of witches hanged at the same time.

It is estimated that fewer than 500 witches were executed in all the witch trials in England from the early 15th to the early 18th century. The Pendle witch trials therefore represented 2% of the total.

The Pendle Witches:

Elizabeth Southerns ("Demdyke"), her daughter Elizabeth Device and their grandsons James and Alizon Device

Anne Whittle (Chattox) and her daughter Anne Redfern

Jane Bulcock and her son John Bulcock

Alice Nutter

Catherine Hewitt

Alice Gray

Jennette Preston

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The Pendle witches were tried in a group that also included the Samlesbury witches accused of infanticide and cannibalism, and Margaret Pearson, known as the Padiham Witch. She was tried for a third time for witchcraft, this time for killing a horse. Some of the Pendle defendants, such as Alizon Device, were convinced of her guilt. The others maintained their innocence to the end.

Jennet Preston was the first person tried at the York Assizes on 27 July 1612, and was found guilty and immediately hanged. Nine others (Alizon Device, Elizabeth Device, James Device, Anne Whittle, Anne Redferne, Alice Nutter, Katherine Hewitt, John Bulcock and Jane Bulcock) were convicted and hanged at Gallows Hill in Lancaster on 20 August 1612. Elizabeth Southerns died while awaiting trial. 28 Only Alice Gray was exonerated.

"How many children would you like to have?" I clasped my arms around my breast.

"Two. So that they will never be alone as I have been."

"A boy and a girl?"

"Two boys. I wish no one a girl's life."