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It was often the practice to charge a whole family of witchcraft, even if only one individual was suspected. Accused witches who confessed often claimed that they learned witchcraft from a parent. Pierre de Lancre and Francesco Maria Guazzo believed that it was enough proof of a witch's guilt if they had parents who were accused witches. They ...
This description reflects the phenomenon that women were more likely to be accused of witchcraft if they deviated from the societal acceptance of being young, beautiful, and involved in society life. When looking at other interpretations of witches, forms of the arts are how early depictions of literature showcased what a witch would look like. [5]
Agnes Waterhouse (c. 1503 – 29 July 1566), also known as Mother Waterhouse, was one of the first women executed for witchcraft in England. [1] In 1566, she was accused of witchcraft along with two other women: Elizabeth Francis and Joan Waterhouse. [2] All three women were from the same village, Hatfield Peverel. [2]
If accused of witchcraft, the accused was forced to confess, even if they were innocent, through brutal torture, just to in the end be killed for their crimes. In certain instances, the clergy became truly concerned about the souls they were executing. Therefore, they decided to burn the accused witches alive in order to "save them". [16]
On August 29, 1957, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts voted to wipe from the books the convictions of six women that had been unjustly accused of being witches 265 years earlier. Gov. Foster Furcolo signed the legislation that intended to clear Susannah Martin, as well as Ann Pudeator, Bridget Bishop, Alice Parker, Margaret Scott and Wilmot ...
At 50 years old, Thomas Waples testified on August 7, 1668 that Harrison was a "noted [liar]" that has read William Lilly's book in England and spun excessively, [14] a common argument made against women accused of witchcraft as the myth told that the spindle assisted witches in flying their sabbath. Waples also accused Harrison of telling ...
Two parents allegedly tried to choke their 17-year-old daughter outside her high school in an attempted “honor killing” for refusing an arranged marriage with an older man, according to police.
Another account says that Glover said that killing her would be useless because it was someone else who had bewitched the children. [14] Either way, Ann Glover did believe in witches. A Boston merchant who knew her, Robert Calef , said that "Goody Glover was a despised, crazy, poor old woman, an Irish Catholic who was tried for afflicting the ...