We don’t know much about Margery Jourdemayne; we know she was born around the end of the 14th century; we know she married a man named William Jourdemayne, and we know she had an awful […]
Tag: witches
Gwen ferch Ellis of Llandyrnog – the First Witch of Wales
Witchcraft and magic were not unusual in Wales during the early modern period (1500-1800 AD). Like much of Europe, cunning folk – common people who could provide healing and assistance – were commonplace in its […]
The Witches of Belvoir
In the early 17th century the Rutland family – of Belvoir Castle, North East Leicestershire – experienced tragedy upon tragedy. In 1613 the 6th Earl, Countess and their son Henry fell ill and, sadly, Henry […]
Witch Trials in the British Isles: a Very Brief Introduction
The early modern period was one of transition and uncertainty; Europe ‘teemed with invisible supernatural entities, which constantly influenced…the lives of men’ (Wilby 2005). Unexpected and catastrophic hardship caused by disease, political upheaval and crop […]