Tonight on Loreplay, we’re headed straight into the misty hills of Lancashire to unravel one of the most infamous witchcraft trials in history — the 1612 Pendle Witch Trials.
This episode dives into the crumbling social order of early-17th-century England, where famine, disease, political paranoia, and neighborly grudges created the perfect storm for witchcraft accusations. We unpack the lives of Demdike, Chattox, Alizon Device, Old Mother Nutter, and the rest of the so-called witches who were swept up in a tale of curses, confessions, and good old-fashioned government fearmongering.
From “soft torture” in the Lancaster Gaol, to a ten-year-old child testifying against her entire family, to King James I obsessively hunting witches like he was trying to complete some kind of satanic Pokémon set — this story has everything.
It’s eerie. It’s tragic. It’s wildly human.
And in true Loreplay fashion, I’ll make you laugh at least twice before you gasp out loud.
Primary & Historical Sources
- Thomas Potts, The Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of Lancaster (1613).
The official contemporary account of the trials. Biased and prosecutorial, but essential. - James I, Daemonologie (1597).
The king’s witch-hunting bible that set the tone for the era.
Academic Books & Articles
- Sharpe, James. The Lancashire Witches: Histories and Stories. Manchester University Press.
A deep academic look at the social and political context. - Barstow, Anne Llewellyn. Witchcraze: A New History of the European Witch Hunts.
Helpful for understanding the larger witch-hunt framework. - Goodare, Julian. “The Scottish Witch-Hunt in Context.” Manchester University Press.
Contextualizes James I’s influence and policy shaping. - Essex, Helen. “Re-evaluating Confessions in the Pendle Witch Trials.” (Essex Open Access Research).
Discussions of coercion, interrogation, and credibility.
Modern Summaries & Museum Resources
- The Lancashire Museums / Lancaster Castle official archives
Context for the gaol, conditions, and trial procedures. - The Pendle Witch Visitor Centre & Official Pendle Witches Trail
Modern historical interpretations, maps, and family histories. - BBC History: “The Pendle Witches.”
A concise overview of events with standard UK scholarship.
Secondary Sources / Journalism
- The Guardian: “Pendle witches: the story”
Modern analysis and historical re-evaluation. - History Today articles on 17th-century witchcraft and trial standards
