 THE WONDERFUL DISCOVERY OF ELIZABETH SOUYA, A WITCH, LATE OF EDEMONTON by Henry Goodcall read by David Nicholl this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org THE WONDERFUL DISCOVERY OF ELIZABETH SOUYA a witch, late of Edmonton her conviction and condemnation and death together with the relation of the devil's access to her and their conference together written by Henry Goodcall minister of the word of God and her continual visitor in the jail of Newgate the author's apology to the Christian readers who wishes to them all health and happiness the publication of this subject, whereof now I write has been by importunity extorted from me who would have been content to have concealed it knowing the diversity of opinions concerning things of this nature and that not only among the ignorant but among some of the learned for my part I meddle here with nothing but matter of fact and to that end produce the testimony of the living and the dead which I hope shall be authentic for the confirmation of this narration and free me from all censurious minds and mouths it is none of my intent here to discuss or dispute of witches or witchcraft but desire most therein to be dispensed with all knowing that in such a little treatise as this is no matter that can be effectual can be comprised especially in so short a time of deliberation as three or four days and the rather do I now publish this to purchase my peace which without it being done I could scarce at any time be it quiet for many who would take no nay but still desired of me written copies of this ensuing declaration another reason was to defend the truth of the cause which in some measure had received a wound already by most base and false ballads which were sung at the time of our returning from the witches' execution in them I was ashamed to see and hear such ridiculous fictions of her bewitching corn on the ground of a ferret and an owl daily sporting before her of the bewitched woman braining herself of the spirits attending in the prison all of which I knew to be fitter for an ale bench than for a relation of proceeding in a court of justice and thereupon I wonder that such lewd ballad mongers should be suffered to creep into the printer's presses and people's ears and so I rest at your opinions and judgments your well-wisher in the Lord Jesus Henry Goodcall a true declaration of the manner of proceeding against Elizabeth Sawyer, late of Edmonton, Spinster and the evidence of her conviction a great and long suspicion was held of this person to be a witch and the eye of Mr Arthur Robinson a worthy justice of peace who dwelleth at Tottenham near to her was watchful over her and her ways and that's not without just cause still having his former long suspicion of her by the information of her neighbours that dwelt about her from suspicion to proceed to great presumptions seeing the death of nurse children and cattle strangely and suddenly to happen and to find out who should be the author of this mischief an old ridiculous custom was used which was to pluck the thatch of her house and to burn it and it being so burned the author of such mischief should presently then come and it was observed and affirmed the court that Elizabeth Sawyer would presently frequent the house of them that burnt the thatch which they plucked of her house and come without any sinning for this trial, though it was slight and ridiculous it settled a resolution in those whom it concerned to find out by all means they could endeavour her long and close carried witchery to explain it to the world and being described to pay in the end such a worker of iniquity her wages and that which she had deserved namely shame and death from which the devil that had so long deluded her did not come as she said to show the least help of his under her to deliver her being described in his ways and works immediately he fled leaving her to shift an answer for herself with public and private marks on her body as followeth one her face was most pale and ghost like without any blood at all and her countenance was still dejected to the ground two her body was crooked and deformed even bending together which so happened but a little before her apprehension three that tongue which by cursing swearing blaspheming and imprecating as afterwards she confessed was the occasioning cause of the devil's access unto her even at that time and to claim her thereby as his own by it discovered her lying swearing and blaspheming also evident proofs produced against her to stop her mouth with truth's authority at which hearing she was not able to speak a sensible or ready word for her defence but sends out in the hearing of the judge jury and all good people that stood by many most fearful implications for destruction against herself then to happen as here to fore she had wished and endeavoured to happen on diverse of her neighbours to which the righteous judge of heaven whom thus she invocated to judge then and discern her cause did reveal thus God did wonderfully overtake her in her own wickedness to make her tongue to be the means of her own destruction which had destroyed many before and in this manner namely that out of her false swearing the truth were of she little thought should be found but by her swearing and cursing blended it thus far made against her that both judge and jury all of them grew more and more suspicious of her and not without great cause for none that had the fear of God or any the least motion of God's grace left in them would or durst to presume so impudently with execrations and false oaths to affront justice on Saturday being the fourteenth day of April Anno Domini 1621 this Elizabeth Sawyer late of Edmonton in the county of Middlesex, Spinster was arraigned and indicted three several times at Justice Hall in the Old Bailey in London in the parish of Saint Sepulchres in the ward of Farrington without which indictments were vis that she the said Elizabeth Sawyer not having the fear of God before her eyes but moved and seduced by the devil by diabolical help did out of her malicious heart because her neighbours where she dwelt would not buy brooms of her would therefore thus revenge herself on them in this manner namely which to death their nurse children and cattle but for brevity's sake here I omit forms of law and informations she was also indicted for that she the said Elizabeth Sawyer by diabolical help and out of her malice of forethought did which under death Agnes Ratcliffe a neighbour of hers dwelling in the town of Edmonton where she likewise did dwell and the cause that urged her there unto was because that Agnes Ratcliffe did strike a sow of hers in her sight for licking up a little soap where she had laid it and for that Elizabeth Sawyer would be revenged of her and thus threatened Agnes Ratcliffe that it should be a dear blow unto her which accordingly fell out and suddenly for that evening Agnes Ratcliffe fell very sick and was extraordinarily vexed and in a most strange manner in her sickness was tormented oath whereof was by this Agnes Ratcliffe's husband given to the court the time when she fell sick and the time when she died which was within four days after she fell sick and further then related that in the time of her sickness his wife Agnes Ratcliffe lay foaming at the mouth and was extraordinarily distempered which many of his neighbours seeing as well as himself bred suspicion in them that some mischief was done against her and by none else but alone by this Elizabeth Sawyer it was done concerning whom the said Agnes Ratcliffe lying on her deathbed these words confidently spake namely that if she did die at that time she would verily take it on her death that Elizabeth Sawyer her neighbour whose sow with a washing-beetle she had stricken and so for that cause her malice being great was the occasion of her death to prove her innocencey she put herself to the trial of God and the country and what care was taken both by the honourable bench and jury the judicious standards by can witness and God knows who were awarded the jury hearing this evidence given upon oath by the husband of the above named Agnes Ratcliffe and his wife's speeches relating to them likewise an oath as she lay on her deathbed to be truth that she had said unto her husband namely that if she died at that time she the said Elizabeth Sawyer was the cause of her death and maliciously did by her witchery procure the same this made some impression in their minds and caused due and mature deliberation not trusting their own judgements what to do in a matter of such great import as life they deemed might be conserved the foreman of the jury asked of master Hennig Finch recorder his direction and advice to whom he Christian like thus replied namely do in it as God shall put in your hearts master Arthur Robinson a worshipful justice of peace dwelling at Tottenham had often and diverse times upon the complaints of the neighbors against this Elizabeth Sawyer laboriously and carefully examined her and still his suspicion was strengthened against her the doubtless she was a witch and information was given unto him by some of her neighbors that this Elizabeth Sawyer had a private and strange mark on her body by which their suspicion was confirmed against her and he sitting in the court at that time of her trial informed the bench thereof desiring the bench to send for women to search her presently before the jury did go forth to bring in the verdict concerning Elizabeth Sawyer whether she was guilty or no to which motion of his they most willingly condescended the bench commanded officers appointed for those purposes to fetch in three women to search the body of Elizabeth Sawyer to see if they could find any such unwonted mark as they were informed of one of the women's names was Margaret Weaver that keeps the sessions house for the City of London a widow of an honest reputation and two other grave matrons brought in by the officer out of the street passing there by chance were joined with her in this search of the person named who, fearing and perceiving she should buy that search of theirs be then discovered, behaved herself most sluttishly and loathsomely towards them intending thereby to prevent their search of her which my pen would forbear to write these things for modesty's sake but I would not vary in what was delivered to the bench expressly and openly spoken yet nevertheless, niceness they laid aside and according to the request of the court and to that trust proposed to them by the bench they all three severally searched her and made severally their answer unto the court being sworn there unto to deliver the truth and they all three said that they a little above the fundament of Elizabeth Sawyer the prisoner there indicted before the bench for a witch found a thing like a teat the bigness of the little finger and the length of half a finger which was branched at the top like a teat and seemed as though one had sucked it and that the bottom thereof was blue and the top of it was red this view of theirs and answer that she had such a thing about her which boldly she denied gave some insight to the jury of her who upon their consciences returned the said Elizabeth Sawyer to be guilty by diabolical help of the death of Agnes Ratcliffe only and acquitted her of the other two indictments and thus much of the means that brought her to her deserved death and destruction I will address to inform you of her preparation to death which is alone pertinent to my function and declare unto you her confession verbatim out of her own mouth delivered to me the Tuesday after her conviction though with great labour it was extorted from her and the same confession I read unto her at the place of her execution and there she confessed to all people that were there the same to be most true which I shall here relate and because it should not be thought that from me alone this proceeded I would have other testimony thereof to stop all contradictions of so palpable avarity that heard her deliver it from her own mouth in the chapel of Newgate the same time in testimony whereof the persons that were then present with me at her confession have here unto put to their hands and if it be required further to confirm this to be a truth will be ready at all times to make oath thereof a true relation of the confession of Elizabeth Sawyer spinster after her conviction of witchery taken on Tuesday the 17th day of April Anno 1621 in the jail of Newgate where she was prisoner then in the presence and hearing of diverse persons whose names to verify the same are here subscribed to this ensuing confession made unto me Henry Goodcull minister of the word of God ordinary and visitor for the jail of Newgate in dialogue manner are here expressed the persons that she murdered and the cattle that she destroyed by the help of the devil in this manner I was enforced to speak unto her because she might understand me and give unto me answer according to my demands for she was a very ignorant woman question by what means came you to have acquaintance with the devil and when was the first time that you saw him and how did you know that it was the devil answer the first time that the devil came unto me was when I was cursing swearing and blaspheming he then rushed in upon me never before that time did I see him or he me when he namely the devil came to me first words that he spoke unto me were these oh have I now found you cursing swearing and blaspheming now you are mine a gentleman by name Mr. Maddox standing by and hearing of her say the word blaspheming did ask of her three or four times whether the devil said have I found you blaspheming and she confidently said I a wonderful warning to many whose tongues are too frequent in these abominable sins I pray God that this her terrible example may deter them to leave and distaste them to put their tongues to a more holy language than the accursed language of hell the tongue of man is the glory of man and it was ordained to glorify God but worse than brute beasts are they who have a tongue as well as men that they are with they at once both bless and curse question what said you to the devil when he came unto you and speak unto you were you not afraid of him if you did fear him what said the devil then unto you answer he was in a very great fear when I saw the devil but he did bid me not to fear him at all for he would do me no hurt at all what would do for me whatsoever I should require of him and as he promised unto me he always did such mischiefs as I bid him to do both on the bodies of Christians and beasts if I did bid him vex them to death as often times I did so bid him it was then presently by him so done question whether would the devil bring unto you word or know what he had done for you at your command and if he did bring you word how long would it be before he would come unto you again to tell you answer he would always bring me word what he had done for me within the space of a week he never failed me that time and would likewise do it to creatures and beasts two manner of ways which was by scratching or pinching of them question of what Christians and beasts and how many were the number that you were the cause of their death and what moved you to prosecute them to the death answer I have been by the help of the devil the means of many Christians and beasts death the cause that moved me to do it was malice and envy for if anybody had angered me in any manner I would be so avenged of them and of their cattle and do now further confess that I was the cause of those two nurse children's death for the which I was now indicted and acquitted by the jury question whether did you procure the death of Agnes Ratliff for which you were found guilty by the jury answer no I did not by my means procure against her the least hurt question how long is it since the devil and you had acquaintance together and how often times in the week would he come and see you and you company with him answer 8 years since our first acquaintance and 3 times in the week the devil would come and see me after such his acquaintance gotten of me he would come sometimes in the morning and sometimes in the evening question in what shape would the devil come on to you answer always in the shape of a dog and of two colours sometimes of black and sometimes of white question what talk had the devil and you together when that he appeared to you and what did he ask of you and what did you desire of him answer he asked of me when he came at me how I did and what he should do for me and demanded of me my soul and body threatening then to tear me in pieces if that I did not grant unto him my soul and body which he asked of me question what did you do after such the devil's asking of you to have your soul and body and after this his threatening of you did you for fear grant unto the devil his desire answer yes I granted for fear unto the devil his request of my soul and body and to seal this my promise made unto him and then gave him leave to suck of my blood the which he asked of me question in what place of your body did the devil suck of your blood and whether did he himself choose the place or did you yourself appoint him the place tell the truth I charge you as you will answer unto the Almighty God and tell the reason if that you can why he would suck your blood I demanded this question of her to confirm that the women's search of her concerning that she had such a mark about her which they upon their oaths informed the court that truth it was she had such a mark answer the place where the devil sucked my blood was a little above my fundament that place chosen by himself and in that place where in tenual drawing there is a thing in the form of a teat and the which the devil would suck me and I asked the devil why he would suck my blood and he said it was to nourish him question whether did you pull up your coats or no when the devil came to suck you this I asked of her very earnestly and she thus answered me without any studying for an answer answer no I did not but the devil would put his head under my coats and I did willingly suffer him to do what he would question how long would the time be that the devil would continue sucking of you and whether did you endure any pain the time that he was sucking of you answer he would be sucking of me the continuance of a quarter of an hour and when he sucked me I didn't felt no pain at all question what was the meaning that the devil when he came unto you would sometimes speak and sometimes bark I asked this question because she said that the devil did not always speak to her answer it is thus when the devil spake to me then he was ready to do for me what I would bid him to do and when he came barking to me he then had done the mischief that I did bid him to do for me question by what name did you call the devil and what promises did he make to you answer I did call the devil by the name of Todd and he promised to do for me whatsoever I should require of him question what were those two ferrets that you were feeding on a form with white bread and milk when diverse children came and saw you feeding of them I asked this of her because that some children of a good bigness and reasonable understanding informed the court that they had diverse times seen her feed two white ferrets with white bread and milk answer I never did any such thing question what was the white thing that did run through the thatch of your house was it a spirit or devil I asked this question of her because her husband testified to the bench he saw such a white thing run through the thatch of his house and that he couched at it but could not get it and he thought it was a white ferret answer so far as I know it was nothing else but a white ferret question did anybody else know but you yourself alone of the devils coming unto you and of your practices speak the truth and tell the reason why you did not reveal it to your husband or to some other friend answer I did not tell anybody thereof that the devil came unto me neither I durst not for the devil charged me that I should not and said that if I did tell it to anybody that he's next coming to me and he would tear me in pieces question did the devil at any time find you praying when he came unto you and did not the devil forbid you to pray to Jesus Christ but to him alone and did not he bid you pray to him the devil as he taught you upon my very general suspicion I asked if I had this question answer yes he once found me praying and he asked of me to whom I prayed and I answered him to Jesus Christ and he charged me then to pray no more to Jesus Christ but to him the devil and he the devil taught me this prayer Santibiseta nomen tuam Amen I do here relate the self-same words upon this question propounded unto her what prayer the devil taught her to say question were you ever taught these Latin words before by any person else or did you ever hear of it before of anybody or can you say any more of it answer no you was not torrid it by anybody else but by the devil alone neither do I understand the meaning of these words nor can speak any more Latin words question did the devil ask of you the next time he came unto you whether that you used to pray unto him in that manner as he taught you answer yes at his next coming to me he asked of me if that I did pray unto him as he had taught me and I answered him again that sometimes I did and sometimes I did not and the devil then does threaten me it is not good for me to mock him question how long is it since you saw the devil last answer it is three weeks since I saw the devil question did the devil never come unto you since you were in prison did you answer unto Almighty God I asked this question because it was rumoured that the devil came to her since her conviction and shamelessly printed and openly sung in a ballad to which many give too much credit answer the devil never came unto me since I was in prison nor we thank God I have no motion of him in my mind since I came to prison neither do I now fear him at all question how came your eye to be put out the reason why I asked this was because her father and mother's eye one of theirs was out answer with a stick which one of my children had in the hand that night my mother did die it was done for I was stooped by the bedside and I by chance did hit my eye on the sharp end of the stick question did you ever handle the devil when he came unto you I asked of her this question because some might think this was a visible delusion of her sight only answer yes or he did stroke him on the back and then he would beg unto me and wag his tail as being there with contented question would the devil come unto you all in one bigness answer no when he came unto me in the black shape he then was biggest and in the white the least and when there I was praying he then would come unto me in the white color question why did you at your trial for swear all this that you do now confess answer he did it thereby hoping to avoid shame is all this truth which you have spoken here unto me and that I have now written answer yes it is all truth as I shall make answer and all might eat God question what moves you now to make this confession did any urge you to it or bid you do it is it for any hope of life you do it answer no we do it to clear my conscience now having done it I am the more quiet and the better prepared and willing thereby to suffer death for I have no hope at all of my life though I must confess I would live longer if I might a relation what she said at the place of execution which was at Tyburn on Thursday the 19th day of April 1621 all this being by her thus freely confessed after her conviction in the jail of Newgate on Tuesday the 17th day of April I acquainted master recorder of London therewith who thus directed me to take that her confession with me to the place of execution and to read it to her and to ask of her whether that was truth which she had delivered to me in the prison on Tuesday last concerning what she said and how she died I will relate unto you Elizabeth Sawyer you are now come unto the place of execution is that all true which you confessed unto me on Tuesday last when that you were in prison I have it here and will now read it unto you as you spake it then unto me out of your own mouth and if it be true confess it now to God and to all the people that are here present answer this confession which is now read unto me by master Henry Good-Cole minister with my own mouth I spake it to him on Tuesday last at Newgate and I here do acknowledge to all the people that are here present that it is all truth is ironing you all to pray unto Almighty God to forgive me my grievous sins question by what means hope you now to be saved answer by Jesus Christ alone question will you now pray unto Almighty God to forgive unto you all your misdeeds answer I with all my heart and mind this was confirmed in the hearing of many hundreds at her last breath what for Malaysian prison confessed to me and at that time spake more heartily than the day before of her execution on whose body law was justly inflicted but mercy in God's power reserved de bistot when and where he pleases my labor thus ended concerning her to testify and vouch to the world and all opposes hereof this to be true those that were present with me in the prison that heard her confession I have desired here their testimonies which is as followeth we whose names are here subscribed do thereby testify that Elizabeth Sawyer late of Edmonton in the county of Middlesex spinster did in our hearings confess on Tuesday the 17th of April in the jail of Newgate to master Henry Goodcull minister of the word of God the repeated foul crimes and confirmed it at her death the 19th of April following to be true and if we be there unto required we'll be ready to make faith of the truth thereof namely that this was her confession being alive and a little before her death conclusion dear Christians lay this to heart namely the cause and first time that the devil came unto her then even then when she was cursing swearing and blaspheming the devil rages and malice reigneth in the hearts of many oh let it not do so for here you may see the fruits thereof is a plain way to bring you to the devil nay, that it brings the devil to you for it seemed that when she so fearfully did swear her oaths did so conjure him that he must leave then his mansion place and come at this riches command and will which was by her imprecations stand on your guard and watch with sobriety and test him the devil your adversary who waiteth on you continually to subvert you that so you that do detest her abominable words and ways may never taste of the cup nor wages of shame and destruction of which she did in this life from which and from whose power Lord Jesus save and defend of the wonderful discovery of Elizabeth Sawyer a witch late of Edmonton by Henry Goodcull