Excerpts from the Witch Trial of Bess Clarke,
1645
Elizabeth
"Bess" Clarke (also sometimes called Elizabeth Bedingfield) was
the first person accused of witchcraft in the series of
persecutions led by the notorious self-styled "Witchfinder
General" Matthew Hopkins in Manningtree, England in 1645. Some
accounts state that she was as old as 80 by the time of her
accusation, but other records suggest that she was only in her
late 30s, and had had a child out wedlock just two years before
the trials. The accounts indicate that she was poor and disabled,
having lost her leg under unknown circumstances. Under continuous
questioning and sleep deprivation imposed by Hopkins and his
associates, Clarke confessed to conjuring animal familiars and
having sexual relations with the devil, and implicated several
other women from the area, including her neighbor Anne Weste, who
she said had initiated her into witchcraft. Clarke was executed by
hanging for her supposed crimes. Her gender, poverty, and
disability, as well as the fact that her trial occurred during the
tense era of the English Civil War, are all very typical of
European witch trials during the early modern period.
THE INFORMATION OF MATTHEW HOPKINS, OF MANNINGTREE, GENT. TAKEN
UPON OATH BEFORE US THE 25TH DAY OF MARCH. 1645.
This Informant saith, That the said Elizabeth Clarke (suspected
for a Witch as aforesaid) being by the appointment of the said
Justices watched certaine nights, for the better discovery of her
wicked Practises, this Informant came into the roome where the
said Elizabeth was watched; as aforesaid, the last night, being
the 24th of this instant March, but intended not to have stayed
long there. But the said Elizabeth forth with told this Informant
and one Master Sterne there present, if they would stay and do the
said Elizabeth no hurt, shee would call one of her white Impes,
and play with it in her lap; but this Informant told her, they
would not allow of it; And that staying there a while longer, the
said Elizabeth confessed shee had had carnall copulation with the
Devill six or seven yeares; and that he would appeare to her three
or foure times in a weeke at her bed side, and goe to bed to her,
and lye with her halfe a night together in the shape of a proper
Gentleman, with a laced band, having the whole proportion of a
man, and would say to her, Besse I must lye with you, and shee did
never deny him: And within a quarter of an houre after there
appeared an Impe like to a Dog, which was white, with some sandy
spots, and seemed to be very fat and plumpe; with very short
legges, who forthwith vanished away: And the said Elizabeth said
the name of that Impe was, Jarmara: And immediately there appeared
another Impe, which shee called Vinegar Tom, in the shape of a
Grey∣hound with long legges: And the said Elizabeth then said that
the next Impe should be a black Impe, and should come for the said
Master Sterne, which appeared, but presently vanished: And the
last that appeared was in the shape of a Polcat, but the head
some∣what bigger. And the said Elizabeth then told this Informant
that shee had five Impes of her owne, and two of the Impes of the
old Beldam Weste (meaning one Anne Weste, widow) who is now al∣so
suspected to be guilty of Witchcraft: And said sometimes the Impes
of the old Beldam sucked on the said Elizabeth, and some∣times her
Impes sucked on the old Beldam Weste. And the said Elizabeth
further told this Informant, that Satan would never let her rest,
or be quiet, untill shee did consent to the killing of the Hogges
of one Mr Edwards of Manningtree aforesaid, and the Horse of one
Robert Tayler of the same Towne: And this Informant further saith,
That going from the House of the said Mr Edwards to his own House
about nine or ten of the Clock that night, with his Greyhound with
him, he saw the Greyhound suddenly give a jumpe, and ran as shee
had been in a full course after an Hare; And that when this
Informant made haste to see what his Grey∣hound so eagerly
pursued; He espied a white thing about the bignesse of a Kitlyn,
and the Greyhound standing aloose from it; and that by and by the
said white Impe or Kitlyn daunced about the said Greyhound, and by
all likelihood bit off a piece of the flesh of the shoulder of the
Greyhound; for the Greyhound came shrieking and crying to this
Informant with a piece of flesh torne from her shoulder. And this
Informant further saith, That com∣ming into his own Yard that
night, he espied a black thing, pro∣portioned like a Cat, onely it
was thrice as big, sitting on a straw∣berry-bed, and fixing the
eyes on this Informant; and when he went towards it, it leaped
over the pale towards this Informant, as he thought, but ran quite
through the Yard, with his Greyhound after it to a great Gate,
which was underset with a paire of Tumbrell Strings, and did throw
the said Gate wide open, and then vanished; And the said Greyhound
returned againe to this Informant, shaking and trembling
exceedingly.
***
THE EXAMINATION OF THE SAID ELIZABETH CLARKE, ALIAS BEDINGFIELD,
TAKEN BEFORE THE SAID JUSTICES THE 25TH OF MARCH. 1645.
This Examinant saith, That about six moneths since shee met with
the said Anne Weste, widow, (who is now likewise apprehended) in a
field neere the house of the said Elizabeth, where the said
Elizabeth was picking up a few sticks; The said Anne Weste seemed
much to pitie this Examinant for her lamenesse (ha∣ving but one
leg) and her poverty; And said to this Examinant, That there was
wayes and meanes for her to live much better then now shee did:
And said, that shee would send to this Examinant a thing like a
little Kitlyn, which would fetch home some victualls for this
Examinant; and that it should doe her no hurt. And this Examinant
saith, that within two or three nights after there came a white
thing to her in the night, and the night after a gray one, which
spake to this Examinant, and told her they would doe her no hurt,
but would helpe her to an Husband, who should maintaine her ever
after: And that these two things came into this Examinants bed
every night, or every other night, and sucked upon the lower parts
of her body.
Source:
A true and exact relation of the severall informations,
examinations, and confessions of the late witches, arraigned and
executed in the county of Essex, London, 1645.
(https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/A85006.0001.001?rgn=main;view=fulltext)