Source: Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft
by Rosemary Ellen GuileyHanging of Three Chelmsford Witches (English Pamphlet 1589)
Excerpt from www.thecryptmag.com
At Chelmsford, Essex in 1566, the first notable witch trial in England occurred. The charges against three defendants, Elizabeth Francis, Agnes Waterhouse and her daughter Joan were typical of most English trials as the highly imaginative stories of young children were accepted as evidence.
Agnes Waterhouse was hanged on July 29, 1566 (possibly the first woman hanged for witchcraft in England). Elizabeth Frances was imprisoned for a year, and then in 1579, she was charged with witchcraft again and hanged and Joan Waterhouse was found not guilty.
Another notable trial in Chelmsford occurred in 1589, which involved one man and nine women four were hanged and three were found not guilty.
Three of the witches were executed within two hours of sentencing: Joan Coney, Joan Upney and Joan Prentice.
A mass trial at Chelmsford took place in 1645, in which thirty-two women were accused and nineteen were hanged.Return to Index of Images of Witches, Demons, Devils, and Werewolves
Article last updated October 22, 2005
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