A Full and True Relation of the Tryal, Condemnation, and Execution of Ann Foster, (Who was Arrained for a Witch) on Saturday the 22th of this Instant August, at the place of Execution at Northampton.
With the Manner how she by her malice and VVitchcraft set all the barns and corn on fire belonging to one Joseph Weeden living in Eastcoat, and bewitched a whole Flock of Sheep in a most lamentable manner, and betwitching all his Horses, with his other cattle, to the utter ruin and undoing of the said Joseph Weeden. And also in what likeness the Devil appeared to Her while she was in Prison, and the manner of her Deportment at her Tryal.
London, Printed for D.M. 1674
A Full and True Relation of the Tryal, Condemnation and Execution of Ann Foster, (who was Arraigned for a Witch) on Saturday the 22th of this instant August, at the place of Execution at Northampton.
Notwithstanding that many have taken very great pains to confute, by reason of the opinon so long held in the world, that there have been and are Witches, arguing against the Express Text of Scripture, Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to live; and falsly finding out Sophismes to make the Witch of Endor, I know not what kind of Cunning Woman, taught only to play tricks by the Idolatrous Priests; for why should a Law be made so severely against Witches if there had been none? Or why should the Scripture record so peculiar a Story of the witch of Endor, if she had known no more then some few Tricks of Legerdemain, and had not had a particular converse with Infernal Spirits.
I say, notwithstanding all the clutte, these men have made to introduce this unbelief of witches into the World, by alleadging first that there is such thing as a witch in Scripture. And secondly, that the […] of Witchcraft first took Birth from Heathen Fables, and was afterwards improved by Popish Impostures, and laughing at all the strange and wonderful stories related by so many credible witnesses in Confirmation of it, yet certainly there are such lewd and wicked people, who give themselves over to the Dominion of the Prince of the Power of the Air to have his aid and assistance in executing their Malice and Revenge; of what follows will be a very pregnant Testimony, which being no less true than it is sad and wonderful.
There lived and still liveth in the Town and Eastcoat near Fosters-Booth in Northampton Shire, a Rich and substantial Grazier, who happening about April last, (when Mutton was very dear and scarce) to have killed a Sheep for the use of his own Family, there came to his house an old woman who long had been observed to be muttering to herself, came into his House, and would needs have some of his Mutton, but he neither willing to spare it, nor she to give the price it was then worth, he utterly refused to let her have any; whereupon she went away murmerring and grumbling, and told him he had as good have done what she desired, and took her mony; He took so little notice of what she said, that some few days after he did not all remember it, when it happened, that going into his Pasture he found thirty of his sheep in a condition dead, and in a strange and miserable manner, their Leggs broke in pieces, and their Bones all shattered in their Skins; whereupon amazed at the strangeness of the spectacle, he sent for several of his Neighbours to view them, who no loss wondring at it then he, entred into a suspition that they must needs be bewitched, and advised him to take one of them and burn it, for they said, that they had heard it confidently affirmed by Men of reputed knowledge, that upon doing so the Witch would appear; Whereupon, the honest Grazier, over-perswaded by his Neighbours, took one of the Sheep and threw it into the Fire; but though they could by no means burn it, yet immediately came the same old Woman runing in a great hurry, that would some days before have brought some of this Mutton, and in a mighty Chase, asked him what he meant, to offer to burn his Sheep, which fully increasing his suspition, having a knife in hand, and led, perhaps by that general opinon, that fetching blood of the witch takes a way her power of doing any harm, he gave her a little cut over the hand and fetching blood of her, she little regarding and neglecting to apply any remedy to it, it wrankled and swell’d extreamly, whereupon she came again, and threatened that she would arrest and trouble him for it; and he to avoid any thing of trouble, being a quiet Man, was content to give her twenty shillings towards her cure, which she had no sooner received of him, but she returned these of the link words, that that was the Divils money, and that now she had power enough to punish him, nor did she delay to execute her Malice, but soon after, being afflicted by Satan, her colleague, about the 22th of May laft fer his House and Barns on fire, and notwithstanding all the help of his Neighbours to quench it, they could nothing prevail, but that one of his Barns was quite burnt to the ground, and sometimes the fire would be in his wheat, and sometimes in his Chambers, so that they knew not which way to turn themselves to extinguish it, at length with much pain and labour and the good Spirit prevailing over the bad, they made a shift to put it out. Without any considerable damage to his houshould Goods, save only that the Barn beforementioned, was quite consumed; among the rest of the Neighbours that came to assist at this fire, came likewise this old woman, who was observed to tell several of the others, that all they did, was but in vain, and that do what they could, the should never be able to quench the fire, whereupon they were more and more confirmed in the former strong presumptions they had, that all this mischief was done by her devilish art, and thereupon laying hands on this suspected witch, carried her before the next Justice of the Peace, where being charged for having by Devlish practises and combination with the Prince of Darkness ; first causeed this poor mans Sheep to die in that strange and miserable manner, and afterwards to have kindled the fire in his Barns and Houses, she freely confessed all, and boasted that she would make many more die as well as herself: Upon which confession of hers, she was by Mittimus from the Justice of Peace committed to Northampton Goal, there to remain till the next Affizes.
No sooner was she brought in, but the Keepers of the Goal caused her to be Chained close to a Post that was in the Goal; but she had not been long so tied before she began to swell in all parts of her Body, that her skin was ready to bust, which caused her to cry out in a most lamentable manner, insomuch that they were forced to unchain her again, and to give her more liberty that the devil come to such her, the which he usually did, coming constantly about the dead time of the Night in the likeness of a Rat, which at his coming, made a most lamentable and hideous noise which affrighted the people that did belong to the Goal, which caused many to come and see her during her abode there, and several hath been with her when the Devil hath been coming to her, but could see nothing but things like Rats, and heard a most terrible Noise; Not long after, the Affizes being come, this witch that went by the Name of Ann Foster, was called to the Bar, and being asked whether she were guilty of those crimes that were there alleadged against her: she at the first pleaded non guilty, but it being so evidently proved that she was the person that had committed al those things before mentioned, she then confessed, and said that the Devil did provoke her to do all those mischiefs, and seeing that sentence of death was past upon her, she prayed to God to forgive her, and desired the Man (on whom she had so much spent her Malice, which was to the Ruine of him) to forgive her likewise, for she could no way make him amends but only by satisfying the Law, according to the sentence which was pronounced against her. She said that she could bring out many more that were as bad as her self. After Sentence of Death was past upon her, she mightily desired to be burned, but the Court would give no Ear to that, but that she should be hanged at the Common place of Execution, which accordingly was performed on Saturday last being the 22th of this Instant August.
FINIS
How to Cite
Anon. A Full and True Relation of the Tryal, Condemnation, and Execution of Ann Foster. ed. Kirsten C Uszkalo. The Witches in Early Modern England Project. 2011. [date of access]. <http://witching.org/>.
About this case and its sources
The research database records what this source says. Follow these links to the records in Throwing Bones.
All events citing this source in Throwing Bones
Events
- 1673, August 22: Joseph Weedon is advised by his neighbors to burn the sheep that have been killed, who tell him that doing so "would make the Witch come to the place, that so they might know who was the Authour of the Mischief." When he does, Mary/Ann Foster approaches the fire and demands to know what he is doing, though "it is not known or believed she had any business there or that way."
- 1674: Mary/Ann Foster allegedly mutters "You had been better let me have it, for you shall have more Mutton shortly lye upon your hands then you know what to do with" after Joseph Weedon refuses to sell her mutton for the price she offered.
- 1674: Joseph Weedon's neighbours suspicions are confirmed when Mary/Ann Foster comes to Joseph Weedon's barn fire, and "thereupon laying hands on this suspected witch," carry her before the next Justice of the Peace.
- 1674: Once incarcerated in the Northampton Goal, Mary/Ann Foster is chained to a post. Her body swells up, and she is forced to be unchained, giving her more opportunity to allow the Devil to come and suck from her body.
- 1674: The Devil comes at night in the form of a rat, in order to suck on Ann Foster, causing a "most lamentable and hideous noise which affrighted the people that did belong to the Goal."
- 1674: Ann Foster is put on trial, where she at first pleads not-guilty, "but it being so evidently proved that she was the person that had committed al those things before mentioned, she then confessed," all of which she accomplished with the help of the Devil.
- 1674: Ann Foster bewitches the farmer Joseph Weedon's horses and his other cattle.
- 1674, April: For the next several days after Joseph Weedon refused to sell Mary/Ann Foster mutton, he allegedly finds over 30 of his sheep "in a miserable condition, with all their Leggs broken to pieces in several places" and "their Bones all shattered in their Skins." Foster is suspected in their demise.
- 1674, April: Joseph Weedon attempts to scratch Mary/Ann Foster with his fingernails, and when they prove too dull, slices her hand open with a knife. He is encouraged in this endeavour by the "general opinion, that fetching blood of the witch takes a way her power of doing any harm."
- 1674, April: Joseph Weeden, of the Town of Eastcoat near Fosters-Booth in Northampton Shire, refused to spare the old woman, Ann Foster, some of his mutton, no matter how much she offered him for it. Ann Foster "went away murmerring and grumbing," warning Joseph Weeden that he should have done as she asked.
- 1674, April: After Joseph Weedon draws blood using a knife from Mary/Ann Foster, her wound "wrankled and swell'd extreamly," and she returns to threaten Joseph Weedon with arrest.
- 1674, April: After drawing blood from Mary/Ann Foster and causing a swelling wound, Joseph Weedon offers Mary/Ann Foster some "twenty shillings towards her cure," which she refuses, claiming that she would punish him.
- 1674, August 18: Mary/Ann Foster is imprisoned in Northampton Gaol for arson and witchcraft by a Justice of the Peace. She is to remain there until the next Assizes.
- 1674, August 18: Mary/Ann Foster confesses to setting Joseph Weedon's barn on fire with the help of the Devil, as well as causing his sheep to die "in that strange and miserable manner." She further boasts that she would make many more die as well as herself.
- 1674, August 22: After confessing to her crimes, Mary/Ann Foster is sentenced to death. She begs forgiveness and to be burned, but the court deems that she "should be hanged at the Common place of Execution, which accordingly was performed," on the 22nd of August, 1674.
- 1674, May 22: Joseph Weedon's hay barn catches on fire and burns to the ground on the 22nd of May following a threat from Mary/Ann Foster. The fire is almost impossible to put out. Weedon moves his family out of their home, fearing for their safety, and indeed they, and the barn, remain safe for the whole two weeks of his absence. Days later, his corn barn also catches on fire, as do his wheat crops. The fire jumps to his house, which also burns to the ground. The damages total over 300 pound, and he blames Mary/Ann Foster for his loss.
- 1674, May 22: While Joseph Weedon's property burns, many of his neighbours come out to help, including Mary/Ann Foster, who was observed to tell several people that "all they did was but in vain, and that do what they could, they should never be able to quench the fire," confirming among the minds of the town that Mary/Ann Foster is involved with "devilish art."