102 



Witchcraft in Wiltshire. 



that, ungratefully and without provocation, shee had joined with Peacock and p 

 Witchell to bewitch her son, who in his fitts complayned of Tilling, Peacock, I 

 and Witchell, for tormenting him and doing him hurt severall ways. That her | 

 husband and shee (Mrs. Webb) had ever been very good friends to Ann Tilling and I j | 

 her deceased husband, and had employed them in their work, when they wanted | 

 work, and had been many ways uppon several occasions bountiful and beneficial 

 to them, even to the preventing of their utmost necessity ; uppon which Ann | 

 Tilling fell downe on her knees, and beg'd Mrs. Webb's pardon, confessing she j 

 had been wrought on by goody Peacock and Witchell, to agree that her son | 

 Thomas should be bewitched ; for which shee was very sorry, and would do | 

 what shee could at any time to helpe him to come out of his fitts. The boy * 

 continuing to have his fitts, Mr. Webb complayned to the Alderman, who having | 

 apprehended Ann Tilling sent to the Justices above-mentioned to have their [ 

 assistances in the examinations of Tilling and the two others above-named. ^ 

 Ann Tilling confessed before the Alderman and 3 County Justices, that herself e, , 

 persuaded by and joining with Peacock and Witchell, had harmed the boy, and | 

 caused those fitts, which, by the helpe of theyr spirits, they had brought upon | 

 him ; and that, three witches being needful to doe things of that nature, Goody E 

 Clark being bedrid, soe that she could not goe out with them, nor they have free | 

 recourse to her ; they had taken her, Ann Tilling, into the first 3 in Goody | 

 Clark's place ; that they had consultations often with other two threes, so that i 

 they were 9, about avenging themselves upon theyr enimys, and that the three I 

 threes had often mett since shee was admitted into the first 3 ; shee alsoe named [ 

 3 or 4 men and women confederates, but not frequently conversing with them- 

 That when they mett altogether, it was late at night, in some one of their 

 houses ; and that there and then they did eate and drink all together, and con- a 

 suited of their business, which was the avenging themselves uppon theyr enimys, ^ 

 Besides the three first uppon Tilling's confession, eleven persons, 2 men and nine ^ 

 women, were apprehended and examined, theyr examinations taken in writing, < 

 and mittimus making, and some made and signed, for sending them to the ( 

 County Goale. Whilst the clerks were finishing the mittimus, another Justice 

 of the Peace arrived, who had not been forward, not being perhaps very credulous 

 in matters of Witchcraft at least thinking that at Malmesbury they were rarer 

 than they were thought to be. He was much carressed by the Alderman and the 

 3 Justices, who began to despair of his company at that time, and desired him I 

 to read the information and confession of Ann Tilling and also the information | 

 of Thomas the son of Robert Webb, which having done, and seeing 14 persons 

 ready to be committed to the County Goale, he was extremely concerned at the j 

 precipitate proceeding of his fellow Justices, and very sadly prayed that they j 

 would be pleased to hear him, before they proceeded further uppon the committ- J 

 ment of the 14 persons then apprehended. It was agreed readily that the last 

 come Justice should be heard ; who thereupon moved that the room might be Lj 

 ushered, and that none should remayne but the Justices and those gentlemen of j, 

 quality that should desire to be present with them. It was done as agreed to j 

 and done ; some gentlemen sent for, and admitted ; and an audience given 

 to the last Justice, who spoke words to this purpose : — 



Gentlemen, —I see here are apprehended and designed to be committed 

 many persons, against whom by the informations which I have seen, there is ! 



