The Pendle Witches – A Haunting Tale from England’s Past
As we walked around the ruined battlements of Clitheroe Castle, Pendle Hill was bathed in sunshine a few miles to the south. The pleasant outlook was in stark contrast to the chilling tale of The Pendle Witches which unfolded 400 years ago in the villages surrounding Clitheroe. The tale of the Pendle Witches and their trials in 1612, is a story of superstition, poverty and sectarian fear which ended in tragedy.
Historical Context of the Pendle Witches
The story begins in a time of religious unrest and widespread belief in the supernatural.King James I, a Protestant and a staunch believer in witchcraft, had just published his book Daemonologie, encouraging the prosecution of witches. Against this backdrop, the Pendle area, still a stronghold of Catholicism, was viewed with suspicion, even hostility, by the Protestant authorities. Catholic priests often visited the area in secret and the areas association with the “old ways”, both in terms of religion and folklore, made it a prime target for scrutiny.
The Demdikes and The Chattoxes – The Central Figures
The drama of The Pendle Witches centred on two families: the Demdikes and the Chattoxes. Both families were led by elderly matriarchs who were famed locally for their powers of healing as well as for charms and curses. At this point in England’s history medicine was primitive and folk remedies were often the only help available, but their positions in society made them easy targets if things went amiss.
Alizon Device, a granddaughter of Elizabeth Southerns (Old Demdike) cursed a peddler who then suffered a stroke. She was questioned and confessed to witchcraft and implicated her grandmother as well as members of the Chattox family. The local magistrate, Roger Nowell used the confessions to pursue further accusations against the two families.
The Trial
12 people were arrested and brought to trial at Lancaster Castle in August of 1612. Unlike in modern times, the accused had no defense counsel and much of the evidence was hearsay and the testimony of nine year old Jennet Device, who testified against her own family. Ten were found guilty and hanged.
Unlike many such trials from this era, detailed court records remain, offering a rare glimse into the fears and social dynamics of the time. They show how poverty, rivalry and belief in magic combined to tragic effect. Follow this link for a more detailed description of the trial.
Dandy the Dog
An often overlooked character in the tragedy of The Pendle Witches is Dandy the dog who belonged to Elizabeth Device, one of the accused witches and daughter of Old Demdike. Witches were believed to have familiars, often cats or dogs, who acted as demonic assistants. Elizabeth’s daughter, Jennet, claimed Dandy would speak to her mother and do her bidding thus adding to the “evidence” used to convict Elizabeth. A striking sculpture of Dandy now stands in Clitheroe to commemorate what was probably just a loyal pet.
The Enduring Legacy of the Pendle Witches
Today, Pendle Hill has become a place of eerie fascination. Visitors walk the “Witch Trail” and explore the myths that have grown around the story. The Pendle witches serve as a haunting reminder of how fear can twist justice and how easily communities can turn on their own.
Their legacy endures — not as villains, but as victims of a society caught between the old world and the new.
Two further blog posts about Vlitheroe and The Ribble Valley are available at: Clitheroe and The Ribble Valley 1 and Clitheroe and The Ribble Valley 2