A story of witchcraft and wickedness

Published Date: 29 April 2008
By Neil Graham

Tuesday, 12.50pm - A VIOLENT, tragic and enthralling chapter in the history of the Vale of Belvoir will be laid bare in a new book released next week.

'Wicked Practise and Sorcerye: The Belvoir Witchcraft case of 1691', takes an in depth look at how a community came to turn on its own- leading to the hanging of two young women for witchcraft.

The story is told by Michael Honeybone, a former history teacher at St. Wulfram's Comprehensive School and author of the Book of Grantham, the Book of Bottesford and The Vale of Belvoir.

Michael said: "As I was working on the books on Grantham, Bottesford and the Vale of Belvoir, I realised there is a wonderful story here.

"I have been working on this book for 30 years. It's the sort of story that is well known in Bottesford and the Vale of Belvoir so I thought it would be nice to get to the bottom of it."

The story begins in the early 17th century, with the death of the Earl of Rutland's son, Henry, in 1613. Soon after, the Earl's other two children, Catherine and Francis, fall ill.

The Earl became convinced the devil was at work in the form of witchcraft- a commonly held view at the time.

Michael explains: "Even the monarch at the time, King James I, was very interested in witchcraft and often used to visit Belvoir Castle.

"The people at this time were extremely religious and one of the common theologies at the time was that God would test you by putting you through such difficulties to see if you could stand up to the pressure.

"So there was a lot of religions discussion as to what was the cause of the illness. One of the tests was that the devil was sent to try you and the technique the devil used was witchcraft."

Three women, Joan Flower and her two daughters Margaret and Philppa, were accused of being witches and had to go in front of the justice of the peace.

The trio were sent to Lincoln prison but Joan died on the journey at Ancaster. The remaining two women confessed and were hanged on March 11, 1619, for 'wicked practise and sorcerye'.

There is a memorial to the Earl in St. Mary's Church in Bottesford with a inscription which says both of his sons died in their infancy due to 'wicked practise and sorcerye'.

The book will be officially released on Bank Holiday Monday, May 5, at St. Mary's Church in Bottesford.

Michael said: "All being well it should be launched at 2pm and anybody who would like to can come along."