Pendle Witches
19th October 2025 by | UncategorizedPendle Witches
At this time of year, I often find myself still at my desk long after night has settled. The candle burns low, its light throwing uneven shadows across the pages. Outside, the wind rattles against the panes, as though something presses close, eager to be heard. In such moments the mind turns more readily to the stories of those who once lived in fear — or in power — of the unseen.
So it was in Lancashire, 1612, that the tale of the Pendle Witches unfolded. Twelve souls stood accused of witchcraft, swept into a storm of superstition, family rivalries, and neighbourly grudges. The Demdike and Chattox families — two local clans long at odds — were caught in a tangle of whispers and accusations that spiralled into the courts.
Their trial at Lancaster Castle became one of the most notorious in English history. The testimony of a nine-year-old girl, Jennet Device, sealed their fate. Before the gaze of magistrates, she pointed to her own family as witches, her childish words twisted into evidence. By the end, ten were condemned; nine were hanged upon the moor.
The story of the Pendle Witches lingers still, not only as a tragedy of fear and suspicion, but as a warning of how swiftly neighbour can turn against neighbour, and how fragile truth becomes when shadows lengthen.
If you would like to read a more detailed account of these horrid trials, see my blog at: www.murderinthetower.london
Gemma
The past is never silent