44 



WITCHCRAFT IN DORSET. 



the same time that she was a witch and that she would draw her 

 blood for " witching " her daughter. 



The next instance is a West Dorset case, reported in the Dorset 

 County Chronicle for July, 1887, in which a working man conceived 

 the idea that certain mishaps which had recently occurred to him 

 were the result of supernatural agency employed by his next-door 

 neighbour, a quiet inoffensive woman, who felt the utmost indig- 

 nation at the charge. Her accuser, however, was not to be pacified, 

 but with reap-hook in hand was about to take what he considered 

 to be effectual means to " break the spell," when the interference 

 of a third person prevented him from carrying out his design. 



It would appear from the following account sent by a correspon- 

 dent, on the authority of a Dorsetshire clergyman, to Notes and 

 Queries (4th series, xi., 341) that the power of the person supposed 

 to be overlooking another did not always cease with the death of 

 the overlooker, but that something further was required before the 

 evil influence could be said to have entirely departed. 



An under-gardener in a gentleman's service did not appear one 

 morning at his usual time ; it turned out that he had been sitting 

 up with a dying man who he believed had bewitched him, in order 

 that the moment the man died he might set his foot on his neck, 

 and so break the spell ! 



The foregoing cases are instances where the " overlooking " 

 already existed, and where means were sought to " break the spell;" 

 but frequently steps were taken in order to prevent the approach or 

 advent of the evil. For this purpose the use of " charms," such as 

 the nailing up of a horseshoe, and various other means, were 

 adopted, presumably with more or less success. There were certain 

 physical obstacles, too, which sometimes were supposed to stand in 

 the witch's way ; for instance, a witch was always considered to 

 be hindered in working her spell if a stream of water should 

 happen to exist between her and her victim. 



There does not seem to be, so far as I can gather, any idea 

 existing amongst Dorset folk as to witches being in the habit of 

 meeting together for the purpose of working their spells, or other 



