“John Puddington deposed that three years since, Goodwife Walford came to his mother’s. She said that her own husband called her an old witch; and when she came to her cattle, her husband would bid her begone, for she did overlook the cattle; which is as much as to say, in our country, bewitching.
“Agnes Puddington deposes, that, on the 11th of April, 1656, the wife of W. Evens came to her house, and lay there all night; and a little after sun-set, the deponent saw a yellowish cat; and Mrs. E. said she was followed by a cat wherever she went. John came and saw a cat in the garden—took down his gun to shoot her; the cat got up on a tree, and the gun would not take fire, and afterwards would not stand cocked. She afterwards saw three cats; the yellow one vanished away on a plain ground; she could not tell which way they went.
“John Puddington testifies to the same effect.
“Three other deponents say they heard Eliza, the wife of Nicholas Rowe, say, that there were three men witches at Strawberry Bank; one was Thomas Lurpin, who was drowned; another, old Hans; and the third should be ‘nameless,’ because he should be blameless. Goodwife Walford was bound over to the next Court.
“Court of Associates, June, 1656.
“Jane Walford being brought to this court upon suspicion of being a witch, is to continue bound until the next court, to be responsive.
“This complaint was probably dropped at the next term. Goodwife Walford brought an action of slander in the County Court, 22d of March, 1669, against one Robert Coutch, and laid her damages at one thousand pounds.
“Declaration in an action of slander for saying that the said Jane was a witch, and he could prove her one, which is greatly to her damage.
“Verdict for plaintiff, Walford, five pounds, and costs of court.”