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The hysteria surrounding witch-hunting spread from Europe to the UK in 1590. King James VI of Scotland, who later became James I of England, was the most notorious royal involved in the witch hunts. He even authored Daemonologie (the study of demons) to stoke the fervor of witch-hunting fanatics. James labeled witchcraft as 'high treason against God,' justifying horrific methods of extracting confessions from the accused. Many of the practices that would later define the Salem witch trials a century later were first forged in the execution of around 4,000 witches in the small country of Scotland.
It seemed that almost any form of testimony or evidence, no matter how ludicrous, could be used to convict people deemed undesirable by society. Here are ten of the most outrageous reasons people were condemned as witches and sentenced to death.
10. Found Guilty by Floating
Our witch-hunt begins in the quaint village of Milton in Bedfordshire, set in the year 1613. Two horses hauling a cart of corn to the market were startled by a black pig on the road. The sow was said to have turned in circles, causing the horses to bolt. Although the servants managed to calm the animals, the same event occurred again on their return. Later, the pig was seen entering the home of Mother and Mary Sutton. Rumors quickly spread, reaching Enger, the landowner. His 7-year-old son decided to throw stones at Mary, calling her a witch. Just days later, the boy died.
Enger accused Mary and her mother of witchcraft, attempting to prove her guilt through a 'swimming' test. First, she was dunked in a dam with a rope tied around her waist and only sank slightly. Unsatisfied, they tied her thumbs to opposite big toes and dunked her again. She spun around as if trapped in a whirlpool and floated—this was taken as proof of her witchcraft. As the saying went, 'If we turn a woman into a wheel, she’s bound to spin like one!' Mother and Mary were found guilty of witchcraft and hanged on 7th April 1613.
9. The Witch’s Bridle
Agnes Sampson was a respected healer and midwife, but in 1592, she became embroiled in the infamous North Berwick witch-hunt. King James VI and his Danish wife were caught in a storm during their return voyage, and these misfortunes were blamed on witchcraft and a plot to assassinate the king.
Torture and sleep deprivation were used to force confessions, and Sampson was restrained with a device known as a witch’s bridle—four prongs inserted into the mouth and attached to a device that was fastened to the wall. Agnes was one of around 70 people who confessed to witchcraft. (Anyone who has ever had braces will understand how desperate one can be to make the pain stop.) She was strangled to death, and her body was burned.
8. A Child’s Testimony
Imagine, the next time your child gets angry for limiting their Xbox time, they had the power to sentence you to death. That’s precisely how 10 people in Pendle, Lancashire met their doom in 1612. Jennet Device lived with her mother Elizabeth, grandmother Demike, older sister Alizon, and brother James. Demike, not particularly liked by the villagers, was notably marked by the appearance of one eye higher than the other, which looked in different directions. So when Alizon cursed a pedlar who then collapsed, fingers quickly pointed at her and Demike.
Jennet Device walked into the courtroom where her grandmother Demike and sister Alizon were accused of witchcraft. Her mother Elizabeth screamed at her, reducing the young girl to tears. Jennet demanded her mother be removed, then climbed onto the table and calmly delivered a convincing testimony. 'My mother is a witch, and I know this to be true. I’ve seen her spirit in the form of a brown dog, which she called Ball.' The court believed her and convicted her entire family, along with many neighbors, of causing death through witchcraft. The very next day, they were hanged at Gallows Hill.
7. The Witchfinder General
Above a window at number 17 Tuesday Market Place, Kings Lynn, there’s a heart carved into the stone. This is where Margaret Read’s heart allegedly struck the wall at the moment of her death by burning. Her heart then supposedly beat its way to the nearby River Ouse, where it sank beneath the churning waters. Margaret had been convicted of witchcraft.
In the same part of East Anglia, around 1646, roughly 60 years later, Matthew Hopkins, the Witchfinder General, was paid handsomely to rid towns of witches. Along with torture and sleep deprivation, Hopkins used a spike to probe any scar or nipple to test for immunity to pain, which was thought to indicate a witch had suckled the devil. This test, however, was grossly unfair, as the 3-inch needle retracted into a spring-loaded handle when pressure was applied. Ironically, a heartless fraudster like Hopkins earned £20—when the average worker earned only 2 pence—for condemning the poor. Surely we wouldn't let such injustice happen today!
6. Familiars
We all judge people based on the kind of pet they own, and sometimes, owners even resemble their pets. But imagine having a black cat named Rutterkin—such a familiar could easily label you as a witch. That’s exactly what happened to the witches of Belvoir in 1690, who were convicted for consorting with familiars.
Joan Flower and her two daughters, Margaret and Philippa, worked at Belvoir Castle until Margaret was dismissed for theft. Shortly after, the entire family fell ill, and the Earl’s eldest son, Henry, died. The Earl and Countess became convinced that the three women were to blame and had them imprisoned in Lincoln jail. Joan refused to confess and demanded bread and butter be brought to her. She claimed that if she were guilty, she would choke on it. After taking one bite, she collapsed and died. Her daughters quickly confessed to practicing witchcraft, performing incantations, and consorting with the familiar Rutterkin. They were convicted and hanged. We might suggest a dog for your next pet!
5. The Vicious Kiss
On a cold night in Cork, Ireland, an elderly woman named Florence Newton asked for a piece of bread at the home of John Pyne. She was refused and sent away by the maid, Mary Longdon. Later, Florence caught up with Mary as she was carrying a pail of clothes for washing. Florence threw the pail from Mary’s head and violently kissed her, saying, 'Mary, I pray thee, let us be friends; for I bear thee no ill will.'
Mary soon began to experience fits and trances, even vomiting up needles, pins, horse nails, wool, and straw. Newton was brought to trial on charges of witchcraft. One of the tests she had to undergo was reciting the Lord’s Prayer, which she struggled with. Her jailor, Davy Jones, assisted her in learning the prayer, and in gratitude, she kissed his hand. A few weeks later, Davy passed away, cursing the kiss. While records of the trial's outcome are lost, it’s likely she was sentenced to death.
4. Unable to Recite the Lord’s Prayer
The last woman to be condemned to death for witchcraft in England was Jane Wenham, the so-called witch of Walkern, in 1712. Once again, her inability to recite the Lord’s Prayer became a key accusation. She allegedly struggled with the words 'forgive us our trespasses' and 'lead us not into temptation' during her interrogation. Her accusers also pricked her with a pin up to her head, but rather than drawing blood, only a watery liquid was released. This was taken as irrefutable proof of her guilt.
Attitudes toward witchcraft were beginning to shift, and Judge John Powell was particularly skeptical of the witchcraft claims. He showed sympathy for the elderly woman, dismissing accusations that she could fly by remarking that no law forbids it. Despite Powell’s skepticism, the jury still convicted Jane of witchcraft, sentencing her to death. However, Powell suspended the execution, and eventually, Jane may have been granted a royal pardon from Queen Anne herself.
3. Backwards Writing
The witch-hunting frenzy largely passed Wales by, as their courts were so overwhelmed with criminal cases that pursuing witchcraft charges seemed like a luxury. In total, only five individuals were executed for witchcraft in Wales. The first of these was Gwen Ferch Ellis in 1594. Known for her healing abilities, Gwen found herself under suspicion—could her powers also have been used for evil? If she had kept a low profile, she might have escaped notice.
Her fatal mistake came when she crossed social boundaries. The act that led to her trial was leaving a backward-written charm, a poem, in the parlor of a wealthy household. It was interpreted as an ill-intended curse. Though she had the opportunity to escape, she stood firm in her claim of innocence. Many of the people she had helped with her charms testified against her. She was convicted and hanged.
2. Too Brave to Be Just a Woman
Janet Forsyth was gifted with an ability to predict the weather, but in 1627, such a talent wouldn't lead to a popular TV career! One morning, after having a premonition, she begged her lover, Benjamin Garrioch, not to go to sea. He ignored her warning and set sail, only for a thick fog to descend, causing the entire crew to be lost. Janet was branded a witch and became more and more isolated as a result.
Years later, a ship was seen in distress off Westray. Janet gathered the village to help rescue it, but most were more interested in scavenging the ship's cargo than offering assistance. Undeterred, Janet single-handedly piloted a small boat to the ship, bringing it safely into Pierowall Bay. This brave act sealed her fate—people couldn't accept that a mere woman was capable of such a feat. She was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death for witchcraft. But the story has a twist: On the day of her execution, her dungeon was found empty. Her lover, who had been thought lost, had actually been press-ganged into the navy. He returned just in time to help her escape.
1. Convicted by Roof Tile
If you thought you'd heard all the most outlandish methods of determining guilt in witchcraft cases, consider this: conviction by roof tile! In 1586, in Faversham, Kent, Sarah Cooke’s daughter Jane fell seriously ill. Sarah was told to retrieve a tile from the roof of a woman she suspected of being responsible for the illness. The tile was to be placed in the fire where it would 'sparkle and spin around the cradle.' Sarah chose a tile from her neighbor, Joan Cason, and the ritual seemed to confirm her guilt. To make matters worse, when Joan visited Sarah’s home to inquire about Jane’s health, the child passed away shortly after locking eyes with Joan.
At Joan's trial, the jury showed some mercy, clearing her of murder and convicting her only for conjuring spirits. However, a lawyer present questioned the charge of spirit conjuring, and Joan was hanged just three days later. Shouldn’t the roofers who installed those faulty tiles have been held accountable instead?
