LOWESTOFT AND THE WITCHES.
One of the dark spots resting upon the townspeople of more ancient times, is the share some of them took in the persecution of the “threescore witches” who were hanged in Suffolk. In 1663, Mr. Samuel Pacey commenced a prosecution against Rose Cullender and Amy Duny, two poor old widows, for witchcraft practised—as it was said—on his two daughters, children, respectively of the ages of eleven and nine years. After being placed in the stocks, and suffering other indignities, they were formally indicted at the lent assizes, held at Bury, on the 10th of March, 1664, before Sir Matthew Hale, Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer, for bewitching, amongst others, the aforesaid children. Being arraigned, they pleaded not guilty; but after a long course of the most absurd evidence, the poor creatures were found guilty, and sentenced to death. They suffered accordingly, on Monday, the 17th of March following. It appears, that the good sense of many persons present rejected the evidence, and they would very probably have been acquitted, had not the learned opinion of Dr. Brown, a physician of Norwich, who was desired by the court to give his sentiments concerning the prisoners, turned the scale against them. The Doctor stated “that he was clearly of opinion that the two girls were bewitched; for that in Denmark there had been lately a great discovery of witches, and from some books that had been published in that kingdom, it appears that the witches there had used the same method of afflicting persons as had been practised by the prisoners.”
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