Three of Bideford’s inhabitants were amongst the last to be legally hanged in England in the 17th Century
In 1682 a poor elderly woman, Temperance Lloyd, was arrested ‘upon suspicion of having used some magical art, sorcery or witchcraft upon the body of Grace Thomas……..’ The meeting in front of the magistrates took place in Higher Gunstone, whilst Grace’s illness consisted of a ‘griping’ in her ‘belly, stomach and breast.’
Grace Barnes was experiencing fits and Mary Trembles who was loitering outside Grace’s house, was accused of being a witch along with another old woman, Susanna Edwards. Grace was carried to the town hall to give evidence. Mary and Susanna were sent off to join Temperance at Exeter.
At the trial on August 1682 the three ‘very old, decrepit and impotent’ women all pleaded not guilty. All three seemed to have freely confessed to their ‘crimes’ during cross-examination.
They were found guilty and sentenced to be hanged. They were hanged on Friday 25 August 1682 at Heavitree in Exeter. They were among the last people to be executed in England for practicing witchcraft.
© Peter Christie 2009
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Bideford Witches