The Witches of Pendle Trivia Quiz

Answer: 1612

The trial of eleven of the witches commenced on Tuesday, 18th August 1612. It lasted just two days and on the third day all but one were were executed. The trial was annotated in writing by Clerk of the Court Thomas Potts. The other trial was in York and is commented upon in other "interesting facts" notes.

Answer: Lancaster

The trial of eleven of the witches took place in Lancaster Gaol. Of the 13 witches 10 were sentenced to death at Lancaster. Jennet Preston was similarly sentenced at York; Elizabeth Southerns (Owd Demdike) died whilst in gaol and Margaret Pearson was acquitted of murder and instead sentenced to one year imprisonment for witchcraft.

Answer: Hanging

The 10 witches sentenced at Lancashire were hanged at the gaol the day after their conviction on 20th August 1612. Jennet Preston, convicted at York, was hanged on 29th July following her slightly earlier trial.

Answer: False

There were eleven females and two males;

Anne Whittle (a.k.a. Chattox) - hung at Lancaster
Anne Redfern (daughter of Chattox) - hung at Lancaster
Elizabeth Southerns (aka Demdike) - died in prison whilst awaiting trial
Elizabeth Device (daughter of Demdike) - hung at Lancaster
James Device (son of Elizabeth Device) - hung at Lancaster
Alizon Device (daughter of Elizabeth Device) - hung at Lancaster
Jane Bullock - hung at Lancaster
John Bullock (son of Jane) - hung at Lancaster
Katherine Hewitt (a.k.a. Mouldheels) - hung at Lancaster
Alice Nutter - hung at Lancaster
Isobel Robey - hung at Lancaster
Jennet Preston - hung at York
Margaret Pearson - acquitted of murder but sentenced to one year's imprisonment

Answer: She lived across the border from Pendle in Yorkshire

The witches came from the villages around Pendle Hill which is in Lancashire close to the border with Yorkshire. Jennet Preston technically lived in Yorkshire and so her case was heard in York. Lancaster and York were then the county towns of these two northern England counties.

Answer: Demdike and Chattox

Owd Demdike, whose real name was Elizabeth Southern, was feuding with Chattox, whose real name was Anne Whittle. It was their testomony against one another that was a mainstay of the prosecution evidence that led to their downfall.
When Demdike died in custody before trial Chattox began to change her evidence to claim that it had been Demdike who had compelled her into witchcraft. She hung regardless.

Morticia and Lily are from the "Adams Family" and "The Munsters".
Samantha and Endora are from "Bewitched". The Wicked Witch of the West and Wicked Witch of the East featured in "The Wizard of Oz".

Answer: He was a pedlar who refused to sell her some pins

Alizon Device was reported to the authorities for her self-confessed witchcraft by the son of the deceased pedlar, John Law. It was this first confession that led to an investigation into witchcraft in the area of Pendle.

The following is an extract of her confession as recorded by Clerk of the Court Thomas Potts;

'At which time this examinate (Alizon Device) met with a pedler on the high-way, called Colne-field, neere unto Colne: and this examinate demanded of the said pedler to buy some pinnes of him; but the said pedler sturdily answered this examinate that he would not loose his packe; and so this examinate parting with him. Presently there appeared to this examinate the blacke dogge, which appeared unto her as before, which black dogge spake unto this examinate in English, saying; "what wouldst thou have me to do unto yonder man?", To whom this examinate said, "what canst thou do at him?." And the dogge answered againe, "I can lame him", whereupon this examinate answered, and said to the said black dogge, "lame him". And before the pedler was gone fortie roddes further, he fell downe lame and this examinate then went after the said pedler, and in a house about the distance aforesaid, he was lying lame, and so this examinate went begging in Trawden forest that day, and came home at night. And about five dayes next after, the said black-dogge did appeare to this examinate, as she was going a-begging, in a close neere the new-church in Pendle, and spake againe to her, saying; "stay and speake with me", but this examinate would not. Sithence which time this examinate never saw him'.

Source: http://www.pendlewitches.co.uk/content.php?page=alizon

Answer: Chattox

Chattox (real name Anne Whittle) claimed that she had sold her soul to a 'familiar spirit' that went by the name of 'Fancie'. In return for her soul she could call upon 'Fancie' to harm or kill those that displeased her. These were her victims:

John Device
Hugh Moore
John Moore
Anne Nutter
Robert Nutter

Demdike was convicted of the slayings of Richard Assheton and the unnamed son of Richard Baldwin. Henry Mitten was jointly murdered by Demdike, her daughter Elizabeth Device and Alice Nutter.

Alice Nutter was convicted of the Henry Mitten murder with Demdike and Elizabeth Device.

James Device murdered John Duckworth, Blaze Hargreaves, John Hargreaves and Ann Townely.

Answer: A yellow ladybird

A 'familiar spirit' was part of witchraft mythology in Western Europe especially Great Britain and France. Such spirits allegedly served as domestic servants, spies and companions and in their more sinister form served to bewitch enemies of their master or mistress.

Several Pendle witches claimed to have had such a spirit;

Alizon Device - a black dog
Elizabeth Device - a ball
James Device - a brown dog called Dandie
Chattox - a spirit called Fancie
Demdike - a spirit called Tibbe
Jennet Preston - a white foal
Margaret Pearson - a cloven hoofed man

Answer: "Mist Over Pendle"

"Mist Over Pendle" is based very solidly upon the investigation and subsequent trials of the Pendle witches. It depicts the culture of the age well, the superstitions, the comparative ignorance of the time, the hierarchy of social status, the harshness of life in 16th century rural Britain and, witches apart, provides an intriguing insight to day to day life at the time.
ISBN: 0099067803

"Dead Witch Walking" is by Kim Harrison and was published 2004. A modern science fiction that bears no relationship to the Pendle witches.

"Son of a Witch" is by Gregory Maguire and was published 2005. The author of "Wicked", now a major musical, this book is also based in the land of Oz. Oz is nothing to do with Pendle!

"The Third Witch" is by Rebecca Reisert and was published in 2001. It is based upon "Macbeth" from the perspective of a witch called Gilly from Shakespeare's original story. Set in Scotland there is no relationship to Pendle.