The Pendle Witches
Twelve accused witches were tried and ten hanged in England's most famous witch trial. The bleak Lancashire moors still echo with their memory. Some say they never left.
In 1612, the Pendle Hill area of Lancashire saw one of England’s most famous witch trials. Ten people were hanged at Lancaster Castle, and the wild moorland has been associated with witchcraft and supernatural activity ever since.
The Trial
According to historical records:
Two families—the Demdikes and the Chattoxes—lived in poverty on Pendle Hill. Both families practiced folk magic and were accused of cursing, healing, and consorting with demons.
The accused included:
- Elizabeth Southerns (Old Demdike) - died in prison
- Anne Whittle (Old Chattox) - hanged
- Elizabeth Device - hanged
- James Device - hanged
- Alizon Device - hanged
- Anne Redferne - hanged
- Alice Nutter - hanged (a gentlewoman, unusually)
- Katherine Hewitt - hanged
- John Bulcock - hanged
- Jane Bulcock - hanged
The trial was extensively documented by clerk Thomas Potts, providing unprecedented detail about English witch trials.
The Accusations
The charges included:
- Causing death by witchcraft
- Making clay images to harm enemies
- Familiars (spirit servants in animal form)
- Attendance at witches’ sabbaths
- A gathering at Malkin Tower where further harm was plotted
The Location
Pendle Hill itself has long been associated with the supernatural:
- Pre-Christian significance as a sacred site
- Isolation and harsh conditions bred folk beliefs
- The hill dominates the landscape, visible for miles
- Fog and mist create an eerie atmosphere
Modern Hauntings
The Pendle area reports ongoing paranormal activity:
Malkin Tower (site unknown):
- The exact location is lost
- Several farms claim to be the site
- Whichever location, ghostly gatherings are reported
- Sounds of celebration and chanting on Halloween
Pendle Hill:
- Figures in period clothing seen on the slopes
- Lights moving across the hillside
- The sensation of being watched
- Animals refuse to traverse certain paths
Lancaster Castle:
- Where the trials and executions took place
- Ghostly figures in the cells
- Sounds of weeping and praying
- A dark presence in the execution area
The Alice Nutter Mystery
Alice Nutter’s inclusion in the trial remains puzzling:
- She was a wealthy, respectable landowner
- Unlike the others, she wasn’t a poor healer
- She maintained her innocence to the death
- Some suggest she was framed for property reasons
Her ghost is said to walk near her former home, still protesting her innocence.
Pendle Today
The area has embraced its dark heritage:
- The Pendle Witch Trail tourist route
- Annual Halloween celebrations
- Walking tours of accused witches’ homes
- Lancaster Castle tours include the dungeon
Some visitors report feeling unwelcome, as if the spirits of the condemned don’t appreciate the tourism.