Authors: Dulcinea Norton-Smith
I
stood and stretched. My limbs ached. I had slept in the corner as always and
every part of me cracked as I stood up.
“
You an
’
all you scratty old cow.
”
The
Warden pushed Gran with his foot. She half rolled over then fell back again
like a pile of sticks and pebbles in a sack.
“
Come on you lazy old hag, get up
”
said the Warden. He kicked her
harder. She rolled over onto her stomach this time. Her limbs landed in an
unnatural position.
“
She
’
s dead
”
I said.
“
What? Dead?
”
The
Warden used his foot to turn Gran over onto her back again. He bent to look at
her. He looked at her staring eyes then nudged her wrinkled, baggy cheek with his
toe. Her head rolled to the side. She didn
’
t look so scary now, just a pile of
skin and bone. A soul-less bag. I wondered if Tibb had been in the night to
claim her soul.
"Damned
witches. What did you do to her?" asked the Warden. He didn't seem to care
too much what the answer was. "Oh well. At least we got her testimony last
night. One less witch to hang."
The
Warden chuckled and that sent Mam into a screaming fit. The Warden yelled as
she flew at him and started scratching at his face as she sobbed. The Warden
hit her hard with the back of his hand and she fell backwards onto the floor.
She crawled back to Gran and sat stroking her hand.
"Right
time to let go of that bag o' bones. I'm here to take the pair of you to the
court. Time to have your last say. Last time you'll get a word out before you
hang I reckon."
The
Warden stood back and his two henchmen from the night before came into the room
with the shackles. I tried not to wince when they put them on but they weren't
too gentle. Once we were shackled together they pulled us to our feet and
dragged us out of the cell and through the rest of the prisoners. Some laughed
manically, some spat but most backed off and tried not to catch our eye. Once
we were out of the cell we were dragged up the stone staircases that I had been
up once before. As we were dragged through the main hall I was surprised to see
that it looked different. There were a few housemaids scrubbing the rugs and
the whole room seemed to be covered by dust. One of the walls looked to have
had a big hole in it and it was now boarded up with planks of wood, though a
stiff breeze blew through the wide gaps of the hastily built new wall.
I
slowed down slightly as I looked around. Mam didn't seem to notice and didn't
slow down so I was pulled roughly forwards as she kept walking. Soon we were
making our way along a new corridor, one I had never been in. At the end of the
corridor stood a large wood door and in front of the door stood a man in a
fancy coat. As we reached him he pulled open the door and stood back. Me and
Mam were shoved through the doorway and into a large bright room. I blinked a
few times. My eyes watered and itched to be rubbed but, as I lifted my hands to
rub them, by bones jolted as she short chain between Mam and me pulled my
shackles back. I rubbed my streaming eyes on my shoulder as best I could and
blinked again to focus on the room.
Big
windows lined the top of the walls and the cold, white morning light shone
through them. The room was crammed with wooden benches. They reminded me of the
one time I had managed to sneak into church when none of my kin or the
villagers were around. At one side was a big fancy table and chair. I jolted
backwards and fell as the Warden yanked me and Mam
’
s shackles till we were sat on a
bench behind us. We were facing the other benches and the fancy table. A door
opened at the side of the room. My stomach lurched as Roger Nowell came in and
sat at the fancy table. He didn
’
t even look at me. He sat for a while, writing on paper
then gestured to a man stood by another door. The room was silent but as the
man opened the door the air was filled with talk. Mam shrank down in her seat
and the shackles pulled me closer to her. I stared at the door as a huge group
of men and women came in, talking and laughing and all looking at us like we
were animals or something. Suddenly something flew past me and hit Mama square
in the face. Liquid splashed at me and I turned to look at her. Her face was
covered in dark red mush and for a moment I thought that someone had thrown a
rock at her, smashing her face, but then I realised it was just rotten fruit, a
plum.
“
Remove that man!
”
shouted Roger and the man who had
opened the door hauled a shouting, laughing man out of the room.
“
Sit down all who wish to stay,
”
yelled Roger.
“
This is a court of law. You will show
the respect whilst in here that you would show to our benevolent King. Be
seated.
”
The
noise died down a bit and Roger went back to writing. Mam was a muttering and a
chunnering away next to me and I watched the people in the room finding spaces
to sit or stand. I needed the toilet. The fear was making my bladder weak and
my stomach throb. I began to get dizzy and thought I would fall off the bench
but then Roger spoke again and snapped me out of my trance.
“
I am your Justice of the Peace Roger Nowell. When I speak
you will be silent,
”
he said as he faced the crowd. Then he turned to look at
me and Mama. His eyes were cold and sent a chill through me. He was like a
messenger of God. He weren
’
t please with me and I
’
d wager God weren
’
t non to please either. I felt my
stomach and bladder settle. There was no way out of this.
“
Miss Alizon Device and Mrs Elizabeth Device. When I speak
to you, you will answer me. You will answer with the truth as this crowd and
God as witness. Do you understand?
”
Mam
snorted then went on chunnering but I nodded. A chance to speak might save my
body but what of my soul? I
’
d lamed the peddler, what chance did my soul have to get
into Heaven with that sin on my head?
“
Unfortunately the most wicked among you, the one known as
Old Demdike, passed away in the night. May her soul be forgiven her sins.
Before she was sent to the cells I had opportunity to speak with her and take
her testimony. She admitted to witchcraft, torture, curses and murder. We have,
this morning, seen the trials of the Chattox family and that of James Device.
All seen so far will be hanged by the neck until dead. This will be happen on
the morrow. We shall now commence our last two trials of the day; those of
Alizon and Elizabeth Device.
”
“
Mrs Elizabeth Device, we will discuss the charges against
you first.
”
The
Warden yanked on Mam
’
s chain and hauled her to her feet. I stood up too but the
Warden pushed me back down, leaving me to sit with my arms stretched upwards,
still linked to Mam
’
s. Mam
’
s chunnering and chattering came faster and louder and the
front row of people in the room shrank back.
“
She
’
s cursing us,
”
squealed a woman.
“
Be quiet that woman. Mrs Device stop your wittering and be
quiet.
”
As
Mr Nowell spoke a small, shrewish man by his side sat scribbling with a quill
and ink on a huge pile of paper. Mam stopped chunnering.
“
Mrs Device, you stand accused of witchcraft and murder by
witchcraft. You are accused of the murder of Henry Mitton of Roughlee, John
Robinson of Barley and James Robinson and the casting of curses on ten men,
women and children of Pendle Forrest.
How do you plead?
”
“
T
’
would take a powerful witch to do all that and no mistake.
”
The
crowd looked at Mam and leant forward to hear the first words from the witch.
“
Mrs Device, it would indeed take an evil and powerful
specimen to do the things of which you stand accused but I am not afeart of you
and I will not stand for your games in these Assizes. I ask you again, but one
last time only or you
’
ll see a good whipping. How do you plead?
”
“
Aye. I am that powerful witch. It were me.
”
The
crowd gasped, some let out small screams, all leant in further. I looked at
Mam. She looked right proud and ready to boast.
“
Well, I did not expect that answer but I am please that you
intend to be honest. It is what you owe the good people of this County. Penance
and repentance is good for the soul.
”
“
I'm not repenting you fool. I
’
m proud. Right powerful I am and you
should be shaking in your chair and the lot of you too.
”
Mam
cast her rabid, rolling eyed gaze over the crowd. There were more screams and
gasps and this time the crowd did move back a bit, all at once, like the room
had taken in a deep breath and sucked the watching crowd towards the back wall
and away from Mam.
“
I done all that and I loved it. Twas fun watching in my
bowl of water to see Henry twist and turn in agony as he died. See allsorts in
my bowl I do. Scrying and peeping on all the fancy, stupid folk of Pendle and
those dirty old farmers. More
‘
an one of em has had me in the haystack and they all loved
it. Sick of their dour old cows of wives and turning to a fine powerful witch
like me to get em satisfied. Call me beautiful when they want something then
spit at me in the streets.
”
The
men were looking interested, even more than before. The women were clutching
their hands to their mouths looking shocked. I couldn
’
t look at Mam
’
s proud face any longer. It made me
sick. I was doomed to be lost to God from the moment I was born. Mam was a
witch and a whore and I had her blood in me.
“
Mrs Device, are you admitting to murders by witchcraft?
”
“
Aye, I am. Henry Mitton, I made a clay doll of him alright;
rolled the clay with blood and bugs. He died with earwigs and worms in his
belly so he did; bloated and wriggling.
John
and James made pretty dolls too. Their deaths were slow and well deserved. Aye
a powerful witch I am and you should all be scared.
”
Mam
eyed the crowd and they shrank back from her squinting, rolling gaze again. A
few of them made to leave the room but the crowd was too tight, there was no
room for them to move to the door.
“
Comes to mind though that you be knowing about these
murders. Comes to mind those men didn
’
t tell you so how do you know the ways
of the witch eh? How did you come to know my name by theirs? Only three men I
’
ve killed and only three men you
’
ve named. How do you know my
business; a witch yourself I
’
d wager.
”
The
crowd gasped at her accusation then turned to look suspiciously at the
magistrate. Mam was squinting at Mr Nowell now and for once she was making
sense. Mam was always being accused of wrong doing but Mr Nowell had mentioned
just three names and none other. How had he known that only those were the
genuine victims of Mam? Even I hadn
’
t known.
“
Mrs Device, it seems we also have a witness. One who has
been watching and listening to you and your kin more than you know. She has
given us a lot of information about your deeds. Mr Potts please bring the
witness in.
”
At
this command the small man who sat, writing by Mr Nowell
’
s side stood up and hurried to the
door from which Mr Nowell had entered the room. He opened the door and went out
then returned seconds later leading a small, finely dressed girl into the room.
Her shiny ringlets were hanging down from under her bonnet and her dress was a
beautiful thick white material covered in embroidered blue and lilac flowers
and edged in ribbon. I stared at her face for a few seconds before I recognised
her. The perfect skin and tiny nose which I had known almost all my life and
dressed like a little princess and now standing close to the right shoulder of
Mr Nowell was Nettie, my Nettie.