A First Hand Account Of A Bizarre Witch Trial in 1736 Bedfordshire, England

The following letter was published in a number of New England newspapers in 1737, and recounts the witch trial of an older lady in Bedfordshire, England. This account is somewhat bizarre in that the witch trial frenzy of the colonies had died down by the end of the 17th century; the Salem witch trials having occurred in 1692, and their repercussions essentially ending the practice (in 1697-98 many accusers of witchcraft were countersued by the accused). This 18th century decline in hysteria generally proved true in England as well. In fact, the Witchcraft Act of 1735 made it a crime for a person in Great Britain to claim that someone had magical powers or was guilty of witchcraft.

THE VIRGINIA GAZETTE
January 20, 1737

"Extract of a Letter about the Trial of a Witch.
Oakley, Three Miles from Bedford

Sir,
The people here are so prejudiced in the belief of Witches, that you would think yourself in Lapland, was you to hear their ridiculous stories. There was not a village in the neighborhood but has two or three. About a week ago I was present at the ceremony of ducking a witch; a particular account of which, may not perhaps be disagreeable to you.

An old woman of about 60 years of age, had long lain under an imputation of witchcraft.; who, being willing (for her own sake and her children's) to clear her self, consented to be duck'd; and the parish officers promised he a guinea, if she would sink: The place appointed for the operation , was in the river Ouft, by a mill; there were, I believe, 500 spectators: About 11 o'clock in the forenoon, the woman came, and was tied up in a wet sheet, all but her face and hands; her toes were tied together, as were also her thumbs, and her hands tied to the small of her legs: They fastened a rope about her middle, and then pull'd off her cap to search for pins, for their notion is, if they have but one pin about 'em, they won't sink.

When all preliminaries were settled, she was thrown in; but, unhappily for the poor creature, she floated; tho' her head was all the while under water: Upon this there was a confus'd cry, A, WITCH! a Witch! Hang Her! Down Her! She was in the water about one minute and a half; and was then taken out half drown'd; when she had recovered breath, the experiment was repeated twice more, but with the same success; for she floated each time; which was a plain demonstration of guilt to the ignorant multitude: For notwithstanding the poor creature was laid upon the grass speechless and almost dead, they were so far from showing her any pity or compassion, that they strove who should be the most forward in loading her with reproaches. Such is the dire effect of popular prejudice! As for my part, I stood against the torrent, and when I had cut the strings which tied her, had her carried back to the mill, and endeavored to convince the people of the uncertainty of the experiment, and offered to lay five to one, that any woman of her age, so tied up in a loose sheet would float; but all to no purpose, for I was very near being mobb'd.

Some time after, the woman came out; and one of the company happen'd to mention another experiment to try a witch, which was to weigh her against the church bible; for a witch it seems, could not outweigh it. I immediately seconded that motion (as thinking it might be of service to the poor woman) and made use of an argument , which (tho' as weak as *King James, for their not sinking) had some weight with the people; for I told them, if she was a witch, she certainly dealt with the devil; and as the bible was undoubtedly the word of God, it must weigh more than all the works of the devil. This seem'd reasonable to several; and those that did not think it so, could not answer for it; At last, the question was carried, and she was weighed against the bible; which weighing about twelve pounds, she outweighed it. This convinc'd some, and staggered others; but some who beleived thro' think and thin, went away fully assured that she was a witch, and endeavored to inculcate that beleif into all other.

I am SIR,
You very nuymble servant.

*King James argument why witches would not sink, was this; They had renounced their baptism by water, and therefore the water would not receive them."

This account certainly makes the Monty Python witch trial scene seem much less comically ridiculous, and more tragically realistic...