APPENDIX B. Witchcraft.
Referred to on [page 386].
Marie Pipet.
There are many stories still told and firmly believed by the country people, of Marie Pipet, who was a noted “sorcière“ of the early part of the nineteenth century. She came of a race of witches and wizards, thus described in Redstone’s Guernsey and Jersey Guide, by Louisa Lane Clarke, (Second Edition, 1844), p. 86.
“On the road past St. Andrew’s Church, one of the lanes to the right leads to the village called “Le Hurel,”[354] a collection of mere huts; rude, dirty looking cottages, but remarkable from the people who tenant it. They are a kind of half gipsy, half beggar race, bearing the name of Pipet; and kept totally distinct from every other family, because no person would intermarry with them upon any consideration. Their appearance and features are quite unlike the rest of the Guernsey peasantry, who are extremely good-looking, clean, and active; whereas those Pipets may be found basking in the sun, with anything but a prepossessing exterior. The country people consider them as wizards and witches, and, at certain times of the year, about Christmas, when they are privileged to go round and beg for their Noël, or “irvières” (New Year’s gifts), no one likes to send them away empty handed for fear of the consequences to themselves, their cattle, or their children.” Even to this day the country people have a great dread of “Les Pipiaux.”[355]
My father’s old nurse, Margaret Mauger, told me that the cook at old Mr. Fred Mansell’s, of the Vauxbelets, (about the year 1850), was a great friend of hers, and told her that one day Marie Pipet came into the Vauxbelets kitchen, and demanded some favour which was refused. “Tu t’en repentiras,” she said, and went out of the door and sat on the adjoining hedge to await developments. Meanwhile the sirloin which was being cooked for Mr. Mansell’s dinner refused to be cooked! For hours she turned it round and round on the jack in front of the fire. The heat had apparently no effect on it, and it was as raw as when she first put it there. Finally, in despair, the cook went to her master, and told him what had happened. So he sent for Marie Pipet, and told her if she did not disenchant his dinner she would spend the night in gaol, (he was a Jurat of the Royal Court). With a curtsey she replied that if he would go into his kitchen he would find his sirloin ready for eating, and, at that moment, the cook declared, it suddenly turned brown!
There are many stories told of Marie Pipet in St. Pierre-du-Bois. One old woman, Judith Ozanne, told Miss Le Pelley that Marie Pipet, “la sorcière,” once asked her grandmother, old Mrs. Ozanne, for some milk. This was refused her, so she prevented the cows from eating, and they were all pining away. So then her grandfather took his pitchfork, and, going straight to the witch, compelled her, under the fear of corporal punishment, to undo the spell.
Judith Ozanne also tells the following story of Marie Pipet, which she affirms is true. One day Marie took her corn to the Grands Moulins (the King’s Mills) to be ground. The two young men who were in charge of the mill said “Oh dear no, they were not going to grind her corn,” and so she returned home, but the mill-stones turned round and round and round so quickly that no corn would grind, and nothing would stop them, so they had to call back Marie Pipet and promise to grind her corn for her, and, as soon as her corn was put in, the millstones worked as usual.
Mr. Métivier gives a story of Marie Pipet which was current in his day, in his Souvenirs Historiques de Guernesey.
“The incomparable Marie, so dreaded by the millers of the King’s Mills, because she often amused herself by unhinging our mills, rests in peace on the good side (au bon côté) of the Castel churchyard.[356] It is firmly believed, and frequently told, how she, and other members of her family, could metamorphose themselves as “cahouettes”—red-legged choughs. One day, in the form of one of these birds, she was discovered in a cow stable, and run through the thigh by the proprietor of the stable, with his pitchfork. The bird managed to escape, but the woman Marie Pipet was obliged to keep her bed for six months with a terrible and mysterious wound in her leg, by which of course the metamorphosis was proved.”[357]
Possibly a bird of such evil omen, having red legs, accounts for the fact that to this day our country people tell you that all witches who go to dance at the Catioroc wear red stockings.[358]
All witches are supposed to be endowed with the faculty of keeping the person they have bewitched walking—walking, for hours perhaps, in a circle, to which they cannot find a clue.
Marie Pipet, one day being offended with a man, made him walk backwards and forwards one whole night between the Vauxbelets and St. Andrew’s Church.[359]
[354] Hure, Hurel, and Huret, all frequently met with as place-names in Guernsey, mean “rocky ground.”—Métivier’s Dictionnaire.
[355] The Guernsey people have a way of making plurals of many words ending in “et” or “ert” or “el,” by substituting “iaux,” as:—Pipets = Pipiaux, Robert (a very common surname) Robiaux, Coquerel = Coqueriaux, bouvet, bouviaux, touffet, touffiaux.
[356] In Guernsey the south side of our churchyard was “le bon côté.” The north side, (according to the old Norse mythology, where hell and its attendant demons were situated in the north) was reserved for criminals, suicides, etc.
[357] The “Cahouettes” or red-legged choughs, have always, according to Mr. Métivier (see his Dictionnaire, art. “Cahouettes”), played a prominent rôle in the Néo-Latin mythology. According to the Council of Nismes, 1281, witches and wizards metamorphosed themselves into “Cahouets” and “Cahouettes.” Raphaël, Archbishop of Nicosia, capital of the island, excommunicated all cahouets and cahouettes, as well as all who maintained and encourage games of chance.
[358] From Margaret Mauger, who also said that in her youth if one met an old woman in the town wearing red stockings, it was always said “V’là une des sorcières du Catioroc!” In Holbein’s Crucifixion, 1477, now at Augsberg, a devil which carries off the soul of the impenitent thief has the head of an ape, bat-wings, and flaming red legs.
[359] From Margaret Mauger.
The Wizard of Sark.
About the end of the eighteenth century there lived in Sark a very notorious wizard called Pierre de Carteret. An old Sark woman called Betsy Hamon, now Mrs. de Garis, has given Miss Le Pelley, whose servant she is, the following particulars concerning him:—
Pierre de Carteret, called “le vieux diable,” lived in Sark. He always worked at night, and when the fishermen passed by his house at night they heard him talking to the little devils who worked for him. They could not understand, for it was the devil’s language they talked. He built a boat in a barn in one morning, and the Sark people were amazed to see it launched in the Creux harbour. This was Black Art, for the boat was too large to go out of the door, and also his house was not quite close to the sea.
He was very rich, partly owing to his having no expenses, as he had no workmen to pay, everything being done for him by these little devils, and partly from his first wife, whom he courted in France. Pierre went over to France alone, in a small open boat. The girl he married, who was herself a lady, thought he was of gentle blood. After he married her he was most cruel, and spoilt all her furniture. For instance, her parlour was mirrored from ceiling to floor, and he brought her horses up into the room, and the poor things became excited when they saw other horses, and kicked the looking-glasses and broke all the other furniture. This wife died of a broken heart, and for his second wife Pierre married a Sark girl, little more than a child.
If Pierre wanted his hedges repaired he simply gave the order to his little helpers, and the next morning they were done. Pierre’s daughter—“la petite Betsy”—used to feed the cow at night in the churchyard, and she was seen returning home at daybreak with the cow, looking thoroughly well fed. Consequently nobody would buy butter or milk from him.
When Pierre had nothing else to give his workers to do they used to forge money, and their hammers could be heard by the passers by.[360]
Old Mrs. Le Messurier, in Sark, also confirmed a great many of these details in 1896. She said he, Pierre de Carteret, was well known to be a famous sorcerer. He had pictures of the Devil on his walls, and little images of Satan were found in his house after his death, and promptly burnt by the incomers. He could build a boat, alter a loft, or build a wall in a single night, because he had “des esprits malins” to help him. He was an excessively bad man and used to smuggle ball and ammunition to France, to help the French against the English in the war. The English found him out and came over with bayonets to take him, but he hid down his well, and could not be found.
Out at St. Pierre-du-Bois they still tell the tale of a Frenchman, who was a “sorcier,” and in league with the Devil.
One day he entered a farm kitchen, where he found all the young people playing a game, in which they used a number of doubles, placed in a jam pot, for counters.
He said “I can turn all those doubles into mice.”
They did not believe him, so he took the pot, shook it, and turned it upside down on the table. Then he turned to one of the girls standing by and said “Now, take up that pot.” She did so, and numbers of mice ran out of it, all over the table, with their tails cocked up!
Of the same man another story is told. One morning he wanted some of his neighbours to play cards with him, but they said they could not spare the time, for they must weed their parsnips.
He replied—“If you will come, your parsnips shall be weeded by dinner time.”
So they played, but one man looked up, and saw through the window numbers and numbers of little demons weeding very quickly, and by mid-day the work was done.[361]
Mr. J. Linwood Pitts has also collected two stories bearing on the subject of the transformation of witches, both of which were related to him in perfect good faith by reliable witnesses.
Many years ago a Guernsey gentleman went over to Sark. While sitting on the cliffs above the Havre Gosselin he noticed a flock of birds, principally wild duck, circling round and round. He fired off his musket, but did not succeed in hitting any of them, or even, much to his astonishment, in frightening them away.
He thought there must be something mysterious about them, as wild duck are generally such shy birds, so he consulted a noted wizard, who told him that if he loaded his musket with a piece of silver having a cross on it it would take effect on any transformed witch. So he went over to Sark again with this silver bullet, and on returning to the Havre Gosselin again saw the birds. He picked out one, which seemed the finest of the flock, and apparently their leader. On firing at it he succeeded in winging it, though it disappeared, and he thought it had escaped.
That evening, on the return boat to Guernsey, a girl on board, who used to pay almost daily visits to Sark, and about whom there were many mysterious reports, appeared with a bad wound in her hand, about which she would vouchsafe no explanation, but looking very white and frightened. The man identified her in his own mind as the mysterious bird, but did not speak about the affair till long after.
[360] From Miss Le Pelley, who wrote it down word for word as it was said.
[361] Collected by Miss Le Pelley.
The Witch of Alderney.
A very respectable Alderney man used to tell old Mr. Barbenson, Wesleyan minister, about a noted Alderney witch.
He declared that one night, passing by her cottage, he looked in, and saw a blue flame blazing up, and the witch dancing in the middle of it, surrounded by little devils, also dancing.
“But how do you know that they were devils?” Mr. Barbenson asked:—“Because they were just like the pictures of Apollyon in my old Pilgrim’s Progress” was the reply. Another day, he said that, coming home from milking, he saw two large black birds revolving over his head. They both sank, almost at his feet, behind a small furze bush. Suddenly this woman rose up from behind the same bush, and ran away. He said the bush was made too small to hide the woman, and that it was quite impossible that she could have been concealed there. The man vouched for the truth of these stories.
Mr. Pitts has also kindly allowed me to include the following extract from an old MS. which was communicated to him by Mr. E. P. Le Feuvre, a gentleman of Jersey extraction, residing in London, and connected with some of our Guernsey families.
He also gave me the details of a remarkable local witch story, which he had found in a curious old MS. in the library of Dr. Witham, of Gordon Square, London. This MS., which is in two volumes folio, is entitled ‘Icones Sacræ Gallicanæ et Anglicanæ,’ and contains seventy biographies of ministers and clergymen. Among them is a sketch of the life of the Rev. Daniel Fautrat, of Guernsey, who was minister of the Câtel parish; then of Torteval; and who afterwards, in 1633 (in the reign of Charles I.), succeeded Mr. de la Marche, at St. Peter-Port. This MS. is by a John Quick (born 1636—died 1706). There were two Fautrats, Helier and Daniel, father and son, and the biographer somewhat confuses them.[362] This story of the witch—who was burnt alive in the Bordage during Daniel Fautrat’s ministry at the Town Church—is a very curious one, and is a decided acquisition to the witch-lore of the island. It is as follows:—
The Witch and the Raven.
“After Monsieur [Daniel] Ffautrat had spent some years at Torteval and St. Andrew’s [Guernsey] he was, upon the death of Monsr. de la Marche, called to succeed him in ye Pastorall charge of St. Peters Port, [in 1634, in the reign of Charles I.] which is ye Towne of this Island, a fair Markett Towne and priviledged with ye Sessions of ye whole Island, where all caisses Civill and Criminall are finally tryed and determined in ye Playderoye,[363] by ye Bayliffe and Jurates.
“During his ministry in this Towne, and about ye year 1640 [Charles I.] there happened a most remarkable event. Divines do say that it is a very rare thing for witches under Gospell Light to repent; and some have given this reason of their assertion—because they have committed that unpardonable sin against ye Holy Ghost. I cannot tell, but that this following story seems to confirm it.
“There was a certain woman of this Island, above four-score years of age, who had been imprisoned, indicted and found guilty upon full evidence, of that abominable sin of witchcraft, and for it was condemned to death. She gave out confidently that she should not dye. However, she is carried from prison to ye appointed place of Execution to be burnt alive.
“All the way, as she was going thither, a great Black Raven was seen hovering, and heard croaking after a dolefull manner over her head, till she came to ye stake. And now, while they be fastening ye chain, she begs of one of the Bystanders to give her a clew of thread, which having received, she fastens one end of it to her girdle, and taking ye other end, she flings it with her hand up into ye aire. The Raven, stooping down, catcheth at it with his Beak, and, mounting, carrys with him ye old witch from ye bottom of ye vale up into ye air. A young man of that Island, seeing her flying, being on ye top of ye hill, flings his Halbard so exactly betwixt her and ye raven, that it cuts ye thread asunder, and ye old witch is taken by him, but with many fearfull imprecations upon him, she vomityng out whole cartloads of curses against him.
“However, she is once again carryed down to ye stake, and there accordingly executed, being burnt to ashes. But this poor officious wardour, whose name was Gosslin—ye holy wise providence of God so permitting it—felt a short time after, ye bitter consequences of her rage and dying curses; for he grew sick of an incurable disease, lying under most exquisite torments, of which he could never be relieved by any means or medicines, till having languished some years he was at last released from his sufferings by death.”
“A girl was very ill, and the doctor did not know what was the matter with her, and, though he tried many remedies, none succeeded. One day a friend from the Vale, their native parish, called, and told the girl’s mother privately that the girl was bewitched, and that it was Mrs. —— who had done it, but that he could, with certain herbs, boiled in a particular manner, cause the witch to die, and then the girl would be well. The herbs were boiled, and a few days afterwards the witch died. During the funeral the girl jumped joyfully out of bed, quite well. This occurred within the last twenty years.”
“One day, two boys, well on in their teens were chaffing an old witch, when suddenly she got very angry, threw dust in the air, and gabbled some words very quickly. The boys went home and found they were covered with vermin. They were near neighbours. One of the boys was so angry that he took his gun and went to the old witch and said, “Now, take away the vermin, or I shoot you,” and he levelled his gun at her. They parleyed a little, but the boy was so determined that the witch suddenly took fright, threw dust in the air, repeated some words, and the vermin disappeared. The other boy was covered for three days.”[364]
The following story illustrating the widespread belief in these special powers of witches and wizards was told me by Mrs. Le Patourel, of St. Martin’s, who was told the story by the heroine, and who vouched for its authenticity.
Mrs. Le Patourel’s mother-in-law was a Miss Mauger, of Saints, very handsome and very well-to-do. In fact, she and her sister went to school in England, which was considered very grand in those days. On her return from school she, her sister, and a friend, all went together to one of the country dances then frequently held in the various parishes. They all “held their heads very high,” dressed very well, and would only dance with those whom they considered the “best” partners. They were dressed on this occasion in silk dresses with large white lace collars and ruffles. At the beginning of the dance, as they were all sitting in a row together, some man came up and asked each of them in turn to dance, but they all considered him unworthy of the honour, and each refused to dance with him. As the last refused he turned on his heel muttering that they would repent their rudeness. A minute or two later one of the girls leaned forward and cried to her sister, “Oh, Marie, what have you got there?” and pointed to an insect crawling on her lace. Covered with confusion the girl killed it, only to see swarms more crawling after it. The other two girls then discovered to their horror that they were likewise covered with swarms of vermin, and covered with shame and confusion they all had hurriedly to leave the dance. For three days they all remained in this condition, and then the vermin disappeared as suddenly as they came.
“The shame of it I can never forget,” Mrs. Le Patourel says was the way her informant always ended the story. “But,” said Mrs. Le Patourel, “that is nothing to what people can do who use the bad books.”[365]
She thinks it is the French people who have brought these evil arts to Guernsey, and in proof of her theory told me this story which happened to one of her own friends, “who has told it to me many a time.”
A Guernsey farmer living in St. Saviour’s parish had a French manservant, who slept on the premises. Suspicion being aroused by his haggard looks he was watched, and seen to leave the house every night and not come back till the morning. When asked where he had been and what he had been doing he returned evasive answers. So one night his master determined to follow him. He tracked him across some fields till he reached the Catioroc, and there he saw him lie down in the middle of a field, and then, in a few moments, a clear, bluish flame, like the flame of a candle, was seen issuing out of his mouth, and wandering off like a will-o’-the-wisp across the fields. When the astonished farmer went up to the body he found it lying rigid and lifeless, and no amount of shaking or calling could make any impression on it. After some time the flame was seen returning, and settled on the man’s mouth, and there disappeared, and shortly after the man sat up, looking dazed and tired, and absolutely declined to answer any of the questions with which his master greeted him.
On pp. 305 to 351 (ante) are given various trials for witchcraft, which took place in Guernsey during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, but Sir Edgar MacCulloch has not included the following, which I have found cited in an old MS. book compiled by Eleazar Le Marchant and Pierre Careye between the years 1728 and 1743.
“Le 26me Juillet 1594, pardevant Louis de Vick, baillif, et Messrs. Nicholas Martin, sen., Guillaume de Beauvoir, André Henry, Jean Andros, Jean de Sausmarez, Pierre de Beauvoir, Pierre Careye, William le Marchant, Nicholas Martin, jun., and François Allez, jurez.
“Marie Martin, alias Salmon, fille Osmond, deubment atteinte et convaincue d’avoir usé d’Art de Sorcelerie, dont elle a empoisonné, tourmenté et fait mourir jouxte sa propre et volontaire confession, Anne Careye[366], fem͠e de John de Vick, la fem͠e de Pierre Vodin, l’enfant de son oncle, Thomas Breton, l’enfant de John Briart, et deux enfants à Collas Nouell, et plusieurs bestes et autres maux, par elle commis par le dit art de Sorcelerie, comme apparoist par les procédures et enquestes sur ce passées. Est ajugée d’être aujourd’huy brulée tant que son corps soit reduit en cendres, et ses biens, meubles, et héritages confisquées à la Majesté de la Royne, et est com͠andé aux officiers de sa Majesté de voir la ditte execution être faitte, ainsi qu’ils en voudront répondre: et est après avoir en sur ceu l’advis et opinion de Henri de Beauvoir et John Effart, jurez.”
There are many other instances, which, did space permit, I could mention, of belief in witches and wizards, extending even down to the present day. Animals dying from no visible cause, bread turned sour and uneatable, wounds mysteriously inflicted and incurable by physicians, but at once healed by crossing running water, a woman sent mad by smelling a harmless-looking bouquet of flowers, and so on. Many involving the names of persons still living. For underneath the veneer of civilisation and education found in the island are the same old beliefs and superstitions, as deeply cherished and ingrained as they were in the days of Queen Elizabeth—“Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.”
In conclusion, I will give a few extracts respecting witchcraft from Elie Brevint’s note book. Elie Brevint was born in 1586, became minister of Sark in 1612, and died in 1674.
“Quelques uns tesmoignent avoir veu une nuée se lever d’Erm, et de là s’en aller sur le dongeon du Chasteau Cornet, où un certain Maugier depuis bruslé pour sortiléges estoit lors prisonnier, et ladite nuée s’estre dissipée et esvanouie sur le dit Chasteau, et que les bateaux pescheurs sur lesquels elle avoit passé avoyent cuide renversés.…”
“Histoire d’un juge, qui ne croyoit point qu’il y eust de sorciers; il advint qu’il luy mourut soudain plusieurs vaches et brebis. Pourtant depuis cette perte, laquelle il imputoit à belles personnes, il fist rigoureuse justice de sorciers.…”
“On dit que quelqu’un va à la graine de Feugère[367] quand par un livre de magie, ou par quelque autre voye il a communication avec le Diable, qui luy baille des poudres pour attenter et commettre diverses meschancetés, comme ouvrir serrures, violer femme et fille, &c., et faut bailler à ce m͠re pour ces drogues une beste vive, comme chien ou chat, autrement il poursuit N. pour le faire mourir.”
[362] The following is an abbreviated pedigree of the Fautrat family, showing what close connections there were between the leading families in Guernsey and Jersey before the wars of the Commonwealth, when—the islands taking different sides—was established a feud which has never properly been healed.
[363] The Court House used to be situated in the Plaiderie before the present Court House was built.
“About two centuries ago, public justice was administered in a building, which, like those still used in many country towns in England, was both Corn Market and Court House, which by a special ordinance was to be cleared by noon that the Market might commence; and after that a Court House was erected near Pollet Street, near a place called from the circumstance “La Plaiderie.” This, however, was soon found too small and inconvenient, and the present building was erected in 1799, at the expense of about £7000, paid by the States, and further improved in 1822.”—Redstone’s Guernsey and Jersey Guide, 2nd Edition 1844, p. 13.
[364] Collected by Miss E. Le Pelley in 1896.
[365] “I have heard of too many instances of this power of giving vermin being exercised to admit of doubt. The surprising part is the removal. I have not heard of a case for more than thirty years.”—Note by John de Garis, Esq., of Les Rouvêts.
[366] John de Vick, King’s Procureur, son of Richard, married first, the 15th of March, 1579, Anne Careye, daughter of Nicholas Careye, Seigneur of Blanchelande, and Collette de la Marche. I do not know the date of her death, but he married, secondly, December 15th, 1594, Elizabeth Pageot, and their son, Sir Henry de Vic, Knight, Baronet, and Chancellor of the Garter, was one of the most distinguished Guernseymen in our history. He was buried in Westminster Abbey the 24th of November, 1672.
[367] Graine de Feugère (fougère) = Fern seed.
