The Chilling tales of England

The Pendle Witches

In anient England in 1612 one of the most famous trials took place - The Pendle Witch trials.

There once lived a woman named Elizabeth Southern aka 'Old Demdike' and was the most famous and notorious witch of Pendle casting curses and spells and magic. Demike is probably the most famous witch of England and was said to be very powerful. It is believed she was the leader of a witches coven in England and its reign of terror upon the people. 

Old Demdike claimed in her confessions she met a boy once who claimed he was a demon and a devil. He offered her other worldy powers to possess and magic in return for her soul. He wore a black and brown coat and she seen him many times in her life. He went by the name of 'Tibb'. 

Occasionally Tibb would appear to her as a brown dog and demand to drink some of her blood.    

Demdike dwelt in the Forest of Pendle. She worked as an agent for the devil and his work himself and in her life no one truly knows how much she commited as a witch. She lived to be an old lady and brought her daughter Elizabeth up as a Witch and her granddaughter Alison. No man ever escaped the fury of Demdike. 

The rumour and legend has it the three witches were often seen digging up bodies from the local cemetry in Newchurch for body parts for magic spells. Taking them back to their coven to cast magic. 

Overall in the Witches coven was upto 12 people. They would often meet in the forest and down by the river and upon Pendle Hill. 

Demdike had a rival witch up against her - old Chattox an old hag of a witch with little sight. Her and her daughter Alice Redfearn were also witches and Demdike and Chattox had a rivalry. It is said Chattox had murdered many through witchcraft including a member of Demdikes family called John Device in 1601. 

The witches reign of terror came to an end in 1612 when Demdikes granddaughter Alison Device met a pedler on the road to Pendle and asked him for his pins. They were expensive in the day and good for healing rituals. The pedler refused so she pointed her finger at him and cursed him. 

A couple of yards up the road the pedler fell to the floor with a stroke. Alison Device became aware of her powers as a witch. She claims she asked the devil to strike him down. 

King James heard of the evil taking place and see it as a threat against himself and ordered the trial and death of all the witches. The greatest trial began. The Pendle witch trials of which seen the hanging of many witches and supposed witches in England. 

During the trials Alison Device confessed to what she had done to John Law the pedler and how she had bewitched a local child. Old Demdike blind and in her 80s confessed nothing. 

Elizabeth Device confessed nothing but spoke of the bites on old Demdikes arms done by Tibb. 

Alison in an act of revenge against Chattox for murdering her father and breaking into the Device home at Malkin tower confessed all to what Chattox had done. The reign of the witches was now over. 

Alison Device and her mother Elizabeth Device had been found guilty and were hung at the gallows and Chattox faced the same fate. Whereas old Demike died awaiting trial and always pleaded her innocence. The witch of Pendle escaped her punishment for her wicked ways in life. 

Years later digging up the ground round Malkin tower was the discovery of many human bones some of children and fingers and toes and animal parts. There was witchcraft symbols and shapes everywhere and this was evidence old Demdike had been commiting evil Witchcraft and sorcery and murder of many people including children. 

It is said a black cat has for many years sat on the grave of one of the witches. We all know the connection between black cats and witches. Perhaps he is her faithful companion and will wait there for eternity by magic guarding her forever. 

Does magic and sorcery really exist?  Can witches cast spells to harm others or rituals of healing and power. What became of Tibb and who does he have working for him now?  Perhaps there are witches now at work somewhere doing the devils work for him. 

Overall 9 women and 2 men were hanged for their crimes and sorcery. Demdike and Chattox were dead and gone but who knows what spells they cast in life. Perhaps they are set to return to the world one day under magic and cause more chaos. 

Who knows what will happen on a spooky Halloween night,  perhaps tonight is the night Demdike and her family and Chattox return to seek immortality and magic once again....