The Devil in Britain and America

CHAPTER V

The next case (in chronological order) that I have met with is very similar to that of Mompesson, and, like that, shows the trivialities to which this species of Devil could descend, apparently, with no object.

‘There is a Farm in Burton, a Village in the Parish of Weobley, in this County,10 which Mr. William Bridges, a Linnen-Draper in London, has in Mortgage from one Thomas Tompkins, a decay’d Yeoman man. This Farm was, about Michaelmas, 1669. taken by Lease by Mrs. Elizabeth Bridges, to commence from February then next; Soon after this Tenant was entered on the Farm, and lodg’d in the House, some Familiar began to act apish Pranks, by knocking boldly at the door in the dusk of the Evening, and the like, early in the Morning, but no body to be seen.

‘After this, the Stools and Forms, though left in their proper places, were, every night set round the fire, which the Tenant perceiving, she set them next night under the Table, and next morning they were found set orderly about the fire as before, and a continual noise of Cats heard all night, but never seen.

‘Afterwards, the Tenant having in a Room a heap of Malt, and another of Vetches, the two parcels were found next morning exactly mingled together, and put into a new heap.

‘Another time she had baked a Batch of Bread, and laid the Loaves over night on a Table; next morning the Loaves were all gone, and, after search made, they were found in another Room, hid in Tubs, and covered with linnen Cloathes, and all this while the Tenant had the keys of the doors in her pocket, and found the doors in the morning fast lock’d as she left them over night: so, also, her Cheeses and meat were often carried out of one Room into another, whilst the doors were fast lock’d, and sometimes convey’d into the Orchard.

‘Then the Tenant having set Cabbidg-Plants in her Garden, in the night the Plants were pull’d up, and laid in several formes, as Crosses, Flower-de-Luces, and the like. She caus’d them to be set again, and the Ground finely raked about, to the end they might see if any footsteps might be discovered in the morning, when the Plants were found pull’d up as before, and no track or footstep to be found or perceived; the Plants were set a third time, and then they continued unmoved.

‘She had in her Cheese-chamber many Cheeses upon Shelves, and a Bag of Hops in the same Room. One night, the Cheeses were all laid on the floor in several formes, and the Hops all strewed about the Room, and the Chamber door found fast lock’d in the morning.

‘Another night in the Buttery there were several dishes of cold Meat left upon a hanging Shelf; in the morning, the Table Cloath was found orderly laid on the Floor, and the Dishes set on it, and most of the Meat eaten, onely a manners bit left in every Dish; yet there were silver Spoons, which lay by the Dishes, and none of them diminished.

‘At another time she had left half a rosted Pig, which was design’d for breakfast next day, when the Pig was call’d for, there was not one bit of either Skin or Flesh left, but the Bones of the Pig, lay orderly in the Dish, and not one of them unjoynted or misplac’d.

‘Whilst these, and many other such pleasant tricks were play’d in the Rooms that were lock’d to make a discovery of any deceipt, if possible, the entrance of the doors were all strew’d with sifted ashes, and no footstep or track of anything was found in the morning, when such pranks were play’d in the Room.

‘One night the Tenant having bought a quart of Vinegar in a Bottel, she set it in her Dairy-house, where there were six Cows Milk. In the Morning she found her Bottle empty, and her milk all turned, and made into a perfect Posset, with the Vinegar.

‘And the Cheeses were sometimes convey’d by night out of the Cheese Chamber, and put into the Trines of Milk in the Dairy-house.

‘The Tenant had, likewise, divers of her Cattel that dyed in a strange manner, among others, a Sow that leap’d and danc’d in several unusual postures, and, at last fell down dead.

‘The Hagg, having thus for above a moneth together, almost every night acted the part of Hocus pocus Minor, lay quiet for some moneths, and then began to act the Major, and do greater mischiefs; and to this purpose, One night, as the Tenant and her Maid were going to bed, and passing by the Hall, which was dressed with green boughs tyed on the Posts, after the Country fashion, they were all of a flame, and no fire had been made in that Room of a fortnight before, nor any Candle that night; but the fire was soon quenched by throwing water on it, yet an outcry being made, the neighbours came in, and watched the House all night.

‘Not long after, a Loft of Hay, dry, and well Inned, was set on fire in the daytime, and was, most of it, burnt, with the house it lay in; and no way could be found how it should come to pass, but by the same black hand.

‘And, after some time, a Mow of pulse and pease was likewise fired in the daytime, and all the grayn either burnt or spoiled, and in the middle of the bottom of the Mow were found dead burnt Coales, which in all the Spectators Judgements, could not be conveyed thither but by Witchcraft.

‘After these dreadful fires, which did endanger the whole Village had they not been at length quench’d by a numerous Company of the Neighbours, who came in to the Tenant’s Assistance, the poor Tenant dirst stay no longer in the House, but quitted it, with all her losses, when one John Jones a valiant Welchman of the neighbourhood, would needs give a signal proof of his Brittish Valour, and to that purpose undertook to lye in the House, and to incounter the Hagg, to which end he carried with him a large Basket hilted Sword, a Mastive Dog, and a Lanthorn and Candle to burn by him; he had not long lain on the Bed, with his Dog, and Sword ready drawn by him, but he heard a great Knocking at the Door, and many Cats, as he conceived, came into his Chamber, broke the Windows, and made a hideous noise, at which the Mastive howll’d and quak’d, and crept close to his Master; the Candle went out, and the Welchman fell into a cold sweat, left his Sword unused, and with much adoe found the door, and ran half a Mile without ever looking behind him; protesting, next day, he would not lye another night in the House, for a hundred pounds.’

The next in point of time is the following:

‘On Thursday, the 5th of October, one Mr. Tuers, a Gentleman, living at Yowell in the County of Surry, together with his wife, went forth upon occasion, leaving their Servant Maid, Elizabeth Burgiss, at home, to officiate in their absence, as she found occasion. In the meantime, or interim, one Joan Butts, a person that hath been for a long time suspected to be a Witch, came to the house of the aforesaid Mr. Tuers, and, framing some discourse to the Maid before named, she, at last, askt her for a pair of old Gloves; the Maid knowing her to be a person of ill repute, and being willing to be rid of her company, gave her a very short and sharp answer, telling her that she had no Gloves for her, or, if shee had, she could not spare time to look them out; whereupon this Joan Butts went away, but in a little time returned, asking the aforesaid Maid for a Pin to pin her Neckcloath, which she furnished her with, and so this Joan Butts departed, leaving the Maid without any dread or fear of any harm.

‘But, about fourteen days after, there happened strange and miraculous wonders, amazing and frightening all the Spectators; for stones flew about the Yard at such a strange rate, as if it had rained down showers of them, and many of them were as big as a man’s fist, and afterwards flew as thick about the House as before they did about the Yard, notwithstanding the doors were close shut, yet for all (that) they flew so thick about, they hit nobody but the Maid, to the great astonishment of her Master, Mistris and others; but more to be admired, the next day this maid was suddenly attacqued with intolerable pain in her back, and such unsufferable pricking of Pins, that she was not able to endure, or without lamentable complaining. The groans and skreeches she sometimes parted with, would have moved a stony heart to pitty her distress, and Mr. Tuers, her Master, commiserating her condition, asked if he should put his hand down her back, and feel what might be the cause of her pain or Torment, which she willingly agreed to, and, to the amazement of all persons present, pulled out a great piece of Clay as full of Pins as it could well be, and throwing them into the fire, she was for that present at great ease. But, after that, a second Torment did seize this Maid, which caused her to complain more grievously and lamentably than before; whereupon one Mr. Waters put his hand down her back, and pulled out a piece of Clay as thick of Thorns, as the other of Pins, so, throwing them into the fire, she was again at ease for that time.

‘The next day, as she was going a Milking, she saw, in Nonsuch Park, this wretched old Caitiff sitting amongst the Thorns and Bushes, bedaggled up to the Knees in Dew, and looking like one that had lately had converse with some Infernal Fiend; and, wondring to see her there so early, in that pickle (being, as it were, doubtful of her wickedness); and supposing her to be the cause of her (before mentioned) pain and misery, returned home to her Master’s house, telling him how she saw this Joan Butts in the place before named, adding in what strange garb and posture she sat in; which added to the suspicion of the (before doubtful) Master.

‘But the same night the Maid going into the chamber where she lay, to fetch a Trunk which was intended to be sent to London, all on a sudden cryed out, Master, Master, here is the old Woman: the master running hastily to see whether it were so or no, could see no old woman, but the Andirons thrown after the maid, and all her own Linnen thrown about at such a rate, as it is hard to believe, but that it will, upon occasion, be attested by unquestionable Evidence; and likewise a Wooden Bar which belonged to the street door, was strangely removed and conveyed up stairs, and came tumbling down after the maid, in the sight of her master.

‘About three days after, they were surprized with new wonders, for there was to be seen such sights as they never saw before, viz., the Bellows flew about the house, and Candlesticks and other things thrown after the Girl as she passed to and fro in her master’s house; and, going to her Mother’s house, which was at Astead, about three miles distant from Yowel, such numberless numbers of stones were thrown at her, that she found it hazardous to Travel, but had she returned, it might have been the same; and so she continued till she came to her mother’s house, where, on Sunday the 9th of October, they were possest with admiration, as well as those of her Master’s Family, for her Grandfather’s Britches were strangely found to be on the top of the house, as near as can be imagined, over his Bed; and, besides, such great quantities of Nuts and Acorns flew about, that the Spectators never beheld the like before. The pewter danced about the house in a strange manner, and hits a Gentleman such a blow on the back, that I suppose he will have but little stomach hereafter, to go to see the Devil dance.

‘But the same day happened another Wonder, no less strange than what is before recited, for there was a Fiddle close laid up in a Chest, which was strangely, and unknown to any of the house, hung up in the room, and, after, was removed to the top of the Bed-Tester, and, the third time, carried quite away, and hath no more been seen since.

‘But, on Thursday, the 18th of this present October, there being a Fair kept at Yowel, the mother of this afflicted maid came thither, and, meeting with this old suspected Witch (whom she had great reason to imagine so to be,) fell foul upon her, and so evilly Treated her, that she fetcht out some of her Hellish Blood, but the effects and event thereof, I must get time to acquaint you with.’

The Rev. Joseph Glanvill was a great collector of these stories, and after his death many were published, as being found among his papers. One is a story of a Mr. Jermin, minister of Bigner in Sussex, who had noises in his house like guns going off whilst it seemed that people ran swiftly down stairs, into his chamber, and there seemed to wrestle, whilst one day, when a physician was dining with him ‘there came a Man on Horseback into the Yard, in Mourning. His Servant went to know what was his Busness, and found him sitting very Melancholy, nor could he get any Answer from him. The Master of the House and the Physician went to see who it was; upon which, the Man clapt spurs to his Horse, and rode into the House, up Stairs into a long Gallery, whither the Physician followed him, and saw him vanish in a Fire at the upper end of the Gallery. But though none of the Family received hurt at any time, yet Mr. Jermin fell into a Fever with the Disturbance he experienced, that endangered his Life.’

Then we have the story of an extremely uncomfortable house ‘at Welton, within a mile of Daventry,’ where the younger daughter, ten years of age, took to vomiting three gallons of water in less than three days, and afterwards stones and coals, in number about five hundred. ‘Some weighed a quarter of a Pound, and were so big, as they had enough to do to get them out of her mouth… This Vomiting lasted about a Fortnight, and hath Witnesses good store.’ Things got rather lively in the house, and were thrown about; the Bible, being laid upon a bed, was hid in another bed; the things from the parlour were turned out into the hall; their milk was spilt, their beer mixed with sand, and their salt with bran. The man of the house, one Moses Cowley, seems to have had an especially bad time of it. ‘A knife rose up in the Window, and flew at him, hitting him with the Haft;’ and, to make the place more uncomfortable, ‘Every day abundance of Stones were thrown about the House, which broke the windows, and hit the people.’ Probably the Devil was disappointed, inasmuch as ‘they were the less troubled because, all this while no hurt was done to their Persons,’ and after a while the persecution ceased, with the exception of ‘great Knockings, and cruel Noise.’

Then there is ‘The Relation of James Sherring, taken concerning the matter at old Gast’s House of Little Burton.

‘The first Night I was there with Hugh Mellmore and Edward Smith, they heard, as it were, the Washing in Water over their Heads. Then, taking a Candle, and going up Stairs, there was a wet Cloth thrown at them, but it fell on the Stairs. They going up farther, there was another thrown as before. And, when they were come up into the Chamber, there stood a Bowl of Water, some of it sprinkled over, and the Water looked white, as if there had been Soap used in it. The Bowl, just before, was in the Kitchin, and could not be carried up but through the Room where they were. The next thing that they heard, the same Night, was a terrible noise, as if it had been a clap of Thunder, and, shortly after, they heard great scratching about the Bed stead, and, after that, great Knocking with a Hammer against the Beds-head, so that the two Maids that were in the Bed cryed out for Help. Then they ran up the stairs, and there lay the Hammer on the bed, and on the Beds-head there were near a Thousand Prints of the Hammer, which the violent Strokes had made. The maids said they were scratcht and pincht with a Hand that was put into the Bed, which had exceeding long Nails. They said the Hammer was lockt up fast in the Cup board when they went to Bed.

‘The second Night that James Sherring, and Tho. Hillary were there, James Sherring sat down in the Chimney to fill a pipe of Tobacco, he made use of the Fire-tongs to take up a Coal to light his Pipe, and by and by the Tongs were drawn up the Stairs, and after they were up in the Chamber, they were play’d withal (as many times Men do) and then thrown down upon the Bed. Although the Tongs were so near him, he never perceived the going of them away. The same Night one of the Maids left her Shoes by the Fire, and they were carried up into the Chamber, and the old Man’s brought down, and set in their places. The same Night there was a Knife carried up into the Chamber, and it did scratch and scrape the Bed’s head all the Night; but, when they went up into the Chamber, the Knife was thrown into the Loft. As they were going up the Stairs, there were things thrown at them, which were, just before in the low Room, and when they went down the Stairs, the old Mans Breeches were thrown down after them. These were the most remarkable things done that Night, only there was continual knocking and pinching the Maids, which was usually done every Night.’