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Accused: British Witches throughout History
The image of the witch - crook-nosed, unpleasant of disposition and with a penchant for harming her neighbors - is well established in the popular imagination. For hundreds of years the accusation of witchcraft has been leveled against women throughout the British such women were feared, persecuted, revered and reviled, with many ending their journeys at the stake or noose. Far from a mass of pitiable, faceless victims however, each case tells its own story, with a distinct woman at its heart, spanning the centuries down to the present.
What did it really mean to be accused as a witch? Why, and by whom, were such accusations made? Was it possible to survive, and what awaited those who did? Prepare to delve into the captivating history of witchcraft with an in-depth exploration of some of the most fascinating and notorious women accused of being witches from across the British Isles. On a journey from 14th century Ireland to 20th century Hampshire, Accused examines the why, the how, and, most importantly, the who of these tantalizing and evocative cases.
Using trial documents, contemporary pamphlets, church and census records and a wealth of other sources, eleven accused women are brought to life in a biographical approach that will take the reader back in time. Meticulously researched and skillfully and painstakingly woven, this book will be indispensable to anyone with an interest in the popular topic of the history of witchcraft and a love of fascinating and diverse individuals. Setting each of the accused in their social and historical context, Willow Winsham delivers a fresh and revealing look at her subjects, bringing her unique style and passion for detail to this captivating read.
What did it really mean to be accused as a witch? Why, and by whom, were such accusations made? Was it possible to survive, and what awaited those who did? Prepare to delve into the captivating history of witchcraft with an in-depth exploration of some of the most fascinating and notorious women accused of being witches from across the British Isles. On a journey from 14th century Ireland to 20th century Hampshire, Accused examines the why, the how, and, most importantly, the who of these tantalizing and evocative cases.
Using trial documents, contemporary pamphlets, church and census records and a wealth of other sources, eleven accused women are brought to life in a biographical approach that will take the reader back in time. Meticulously researched and skillfully and painstakingly woven, this book will be indispensable to anyone with an interest in the popular topic of the history of witchcraft and a love of fascinating and diverse individuals. Setting each of the accused in their social and historical context, Willow Winsham delivers a fresh and revealing look at her subjects, bringing her unique style and passion for detail to this captivating read.
184 pages, Paperback
Published May 31, 2022
35 people are currently reading
366 people want to read
About the author
Willow Winsham
18 books31 followersWillow Winsham brings readers regular tales of witches and witchcraft at her blog, The Witch, the Weird and the Wonderful. Combining a passion for research and history with a love of storytelling, she dedicates her time to investigating some of the most intriguing stories from the history of the British Isles.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 8, 2020
An effectively researched and engagingly written exploration of the cases of eleven women accused of witchcraft in Britain over the last 600 years.
July 29, 2016
This an incredibly well researched and cleverly put together book, and fascinating with it. Accused is a series of studies of just a few of the witches of our history, each one explored in great depth, giving details not only of the accusations levelled against the so-called sorceress in question but also her life. Each paints the picture of the woman and the time in which she lived, providing insight into the social structure of the time (such as how a woman might be demoted from the title 'Mistress' to that of 'Goodwife'), the effects of economic instablity, fears of divine retribution ~ and, sadly, how easily events could be manipulated by those higher up the social strata for their own benefit, as in the case of Joan Flowers. She was accused of causing the deaths of the two heirs to the title Earl of Rutland, but others suggest that the deaths were caused by the man who sought the hand in marriage of their sister, who would, thus, bring the lands with her as a dowry if her brothers were no more.
Willow Winsham talks of the swimming of witches, the ducking stools, the rarity of burning in this country, and of corsned, something I hadn't heard of before, which involved the 'witch' eating consecrated bread to see if she could swallow it. Then there is Isobel Gowdie and her Scottish coven, the case of Welsh witch Gwen fetch Ellis, and possibly the most well-known English witch, Jane Wenham.
The book moves into the 18th century, when belief in witchcraft itself was outlawed, leading to more support for anyone, like Susannah Sellick, who was accused ... and then to the case of spiritualist Helen Duncan, in 1944, who strikes me as being little more than a charlatan aiming to make money from people who had lost loved ones in the war. However, one thing I noticed about this books is that, to a certain extent, Ms Winsham leaves the reader to make up his or her own mind as to whether or not certain whisperings of the supernatural kind might have been present at any one time. I liked that.
I read the hardback edition of this book, which is definitely worth getting. The middle includes many pictures of the locations mentioned, of the indictments of the witches of hundreds of years ago, and the art and literature of the time based on the belief of the existence of witches. Finally, the author suggests that in these modern times, other groups of people have risen to be victimised in the place of the witch, people who, in the eyes of the common man, threaten 'to consume all that is held dear'. In other words, nothing changes....
A stunning and admirable piece of work, highly recommended.
I received a review copy of this book from the publishers, Pen and Sword books, the receipt of which has not influenced my assessment.
Willow Winsham talks of the swimming of witches, the ducking stools, the rarity of burning in this country, and of corsned, something I hadn't heard of before, which involved the 'witch' eating consecrated bread to see if she could swallow it. Then there is Isobel Gowdie and her Scottish coven, the case of Welsh witch Gwen fetch Ellis, and possibly the most well-known English witch, Jane Wenham.
The book moves into the 18th century, when belief in witchcraft itself was outlawed, leading to more support for anyone, like Susannah Sellick, who was accused ... and then to the case of spiritualist Helen Duncan, in 1944, who strikes me as being little more than a charlatan aiming to make money from people who had lost loved ones in the war. However, one thing I noticed about this books is that, to a certain extent, Ms Winsham leaves the reader to make up his or her own mind as to whether or not certain whisperings of the supernatural kind might have been present at any one time. I liked that.
I read the hardback edition of this book, which is definitely worth getting. The middle includes many pictures of the locations mentioned, of the indictments of the witches of hundreds of years ago, and the art and literature of the time based on the belief of the existence of witches. Finally, the author suggests that in these modern times, other groups of people have risen to be victimised in the place of the witch, people who, in the eyes of the common man, threaten 'to consume all that is held dear'. In other words, nothing changes....
A stunning and admirable piece of work, highly recommended.
I received a review copy of this book from the publishers, Pen and Sword books, the receipt of which has not influenced my assessment.
September 18, 2017
Throughout so many centuries we have read of witchcraft and the so many hangings of innocent people of being accused of such heinous crimes, such as hexing ones neighbor or a relative and so on. So many of us are familiar with the Salem witch trials in New England, I’m here to tell you of another hysteria in a different country of the British Isles, there are eleven overwhelming tales of witchcraft.
Willow Winsham had done her research well and put it into a story, these are true encounters of people and of their families that were accused of being a witch. There were suspicious deaths that couldn’t be explained surrounding these so called witches and the community sometimes couldn’t explain these horrendous situations. Naturally before evidence was dug up to reveal foul play the circumstances of these women and the families it became very bitter for and against their loved ones. And with that the community had turned tensions into fear, as each accuser saw themselves as the victims and with anger of being betrayed, lied to and practically friendless. They seen no choice but to take matters in their own hands and they cursed the ones that brought them suffering. With spells and potions and a visit from the devil to guide them, sickness and death would follow the victims. Was this just a coincidence or did these people really possess the power to control ones fate?
There are helpful notes in back of the book that will explain the background history of the time and the people involved. Once you read this book it will be hard to put it down, not only do you learn about the people in the story but you will also learn a little history that surrounds them. Finding as it was hard to be a women back then and sometimes being a single mother fighting society and men for just survival. The pressure they must of been under emotionally just to survive when no one would come to their aid to defend help them. Read about the accused and then decide your verdict, innocent or witch.
Willow Winsham had done her research well and put it into a story, these are true encounters of people and of their families that were accused of being a witch. There were suspicious deaths that couldn’t be explained surrounding these so called witches and the community sometimes couldn’t explain these horrendous situations. Naturally before evidence was dug up to reveal foul play the circumstances of these women and the families it became very bitter for and against their loved ones. And with that the community had turned tensions into fear, as each accuser saw themselves as the victims and with anger of being betrayed, lied to and practically friendless. They seen no choice but to take matters in their own hands and they cursed the ones that brought them suffering. With spells and potions and a visit from the devil to guide them, sickness and death would follow the victims. Was this just a coincidence or did these people really possess the power to control ones fate?
There are helpful notes in back of the book that will explain the background history of the time and the people involved. Once you read this book it will be hard to put it down, not only do you learn about the people in the story but you will also learn a little history that surrounds them. Finding as it was hard to be a women back then and sometimes being a single mother fighting society and men for just survival. The pressure they must of been under emotionally just to survive when no one would come to their aid to defend help them. Read about the accused and then decide your verdict, innocent or witch.
April 29, 2024
This was very well researched and written, easy to follow and extremely informative. Thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish, it gives an excellent grounding to the reader, of which laws were in place, when and where, and how they applied to each case.
It was intriguing to see how perceptions of witchcraft - the core of which remained the same - were built upon through previous cases and manipulated to fit the target(s) of situations which followed later. There’s nothing like the benefit of precedence to press your point, regardless of the absurdity and injustice of what went before.
That said, if the complaints from medieval Ireland were removed to the Old Bailey in 1944, or vice versa, the fundamentals of the cases in hand would probably have been recognisable to them all. I’d like to say that, nowadays, it says more about historical human nature than a genuine belief in the wickedness of the accused, but as Willow Winsham explains, the arrival of so-called enlightenment didn’t change much amongst some communities, even with major changes to the law, and there’s no reason to believe it’s finally extinct now. In fact, her afterword is pretty sobering, highlighting examples of modern-day demographics which have replaced the “witch” as the quarry of those intolerant of the otherness around them.
Very well worth a read if you’re interested in British witch cases and want to know more about the socio-political elements at play, but equally as absorbing if you just want to get a sense of worlds maybe not as lost to us as you might think.
It was intriguing to see how perceptions of witchcraft - the core of which remained the same - were built upon through previous cases and manipulated to fit the target(s) of situations which followed later. There’s nothing like the benefit of precedence to press your point, regardless of the absurdity and injustice of what went before.
That said, if the complaints from medieval Ireland were removed to the Old Bailey in 1944, or vice versa, the fundamentals of the cases in hand would probably have been recognisable to them all. I’d like to say that, nowadays, it says more about historical human nature than a genuine belief in the wickedness of the accused, but as Willow Winsham explains, the arrival of so-called enlightenment didn’t change much amongst some communities, even with major changes to the law, and there’s no reason to believe it’s finally extinct now. In fact, her afterword is pretty sobering, highlighting examples of modern-day demographics which have replaced the “witch” as the quarry of those intolerant of the otherness around them.
Very well worth a read if you’re interested in British witch cases and want to know more about the socio-political elements at play, but equally as absorbing if you just want to get a sense of worlds maybe not as lost to us as you might think.
August 19, 2019
In Accused, Willow delivers us eleven stories about eleven different women who were accused of witchcraft. Although they all share this feature of being accused, their stories are totally different from each other. After gathering a lot of material, Willow wrote these incredible chapters in a pleasant way that makes us feel comfortable reading.
I felt like I was reading to some fairy tales - but with no fairies at all! Even though these stories are real, I couldn't help getting involved with the characters and right on the first page of each chapter I was already cheering for (or against) the witches: Is she going to escape? Is she going to be free? Are people really going to accuse her? Is she going to die? And the most incredible thing: there are some plot twists! Nothing is predictable here!
I highly recommend Accused for you who are into Witchcraft (that's probably the reason why you're here!) and for you who are interested in History in general. It's fantastic to dive into History assuming the role of such controversial and unique people like these eleven witches.
Video review here: https://youtu.be/p4Xb5kdw1cM
I felt like I was reading to some fairy tales - but with no fairies at all! Even though these stories are real, I couldn't help getting involved with the characters and right on the first page of each chapter I was already cheering for (or against) the witches: Is she going to escape? Is she going to be free? Are people really going to accuse her? Is she going to die? And the most incredible thing: there are some plot twists! Nothing is predictable here!
I highly recommend Accused for you who are into Witchcraft (that's probably the reason why you're here!) and for you who are interested in History in general. It's fantastic to dive into History assuming the role of such controversial and unique people like these eleven witches.
Video review here: https://youtu.be/p4Xb5kdw1cM
April 4, 2018
Having always been interested in the Salem witch trials, I was curious to read about witch trials, that had taken place in other countries. This book does a great job of looking into cases from Ireland, Scotland, Wales to England. The author delves into these women's stories, displaying the pure hysteria that was going on during these times, and how one, could easily be accused, if they lead, even a slightly abnormal existence. I was surprised to learn that more than a few times, these women would confess that they were in-fact witches, and would go into such detail of their witchcraft, such in the case of Isobel Gowdie and Agnes Waterhouse. It makes one wonder, if they did this out of fear, or because of the undoubted belief in witchcraft at that time, they actually believed they had powers and were guilty of these crimes. Which now of course, to the modern eye seems inconceivable. My only critique of this book, is that, I wish the author could of gone into more lengthy detail on some of the cases. But its a fascinating read, one I do recommend!
February 4, 2020
An informative book on witchcraft history in the U.K., however it was often a little confusingly arranger. The story of the accused witches were often not told in a chronological way so on occasion it was a little difficult to work out which stage of the woman’s life the author was talking about. Adding a little more context of how life was at the time of each woman being discussed could also have been beneficial for readers who don’t have detailed historical knowledge.
Despite this, I found the book to be an enjoyable read. The writing style was consistent and it was evident that the author had a lot of passion and knowledge on witchcraft history. Although it’s not an incredibly entertaining book, I still enjoyed learning a lot about these women’s lives. For many of these women, the lives are likely shrouded in conspiracy so I think the author did a fantastic job of dissecting the stories and creating a truthful rendition of their lives. Will certainly recommend this book to others!
Despite this, I found the book to be an enjoyable read. The writing style was consistent and it was evident that the author had a lot of passion and knowledge on witchcraft history. Although it’s not an incredibly entertaining book, I still enjoyed learning a lot about these women’s lives. For many of these women, the lives are likely shrouded in conspiracy so I think the author did a fantastic job of dissecting the stories and creating a truthful rendition of their lives. Will certainly recommend this book to others!
May 25, 2022
A swearing and blaspheming wretch, forespeaking sudden death: and how that neighbours in her looks, malicious signs did see: and some affirmed she dealt with Spirits, and so a Witch might be. 1619.
Thank you to @penswordbooks for gifting me this book! I have such an interest in witches… it’s not all just Titanic I promise!
It is crazy how women were accused of being a witch! The evidence lacking, the accusations ludicrous and the fact that these women just did not stand a chance!
Scotland is known for being particularly brutal during the Scottish Witch Trials…
“During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the skies over many Scottish towns frequently clouded over with smoke from the fires that sent these people to their deaths.” Lily Seafield.
If you enjoy non-fiction and witches, then read Accused!
Thank you to @penswordbooks for gifting me this book! I have such an interest in witches… it’s not all just Titanic I promise!
It is crazy how women were accused of being a witch! The evidence lacking, the accusations ludicrous and the fact that these women just did not stand a chance!
Scotland is known for being particularly brutal during the Scottish Witch Trials…
“During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the skies over many Scottish towns frequently clouded over with smoke from the fires that sent these people to their deaths.” Lily Seafield.
If you enjoy non-fiction and witches, then read Accused!
January 3, 2023
Interesting, insightful & educational. I really enjoyed this book. Learning about our history is important, especially the ugly parts. Willow discusses the cases of 11 women accused of witchcraft in Britain using records, professional opinions & a realistic viewpoint to create a narrative of what happened during these times.
The timelines were a little erratic, which caused little confusion but it was still understandable & enjoyable. I wish there was a well-defined description of what life was like during the eras/times talked about, to help you understand the why a little better though.
If you love dark history & witchcraft, I recommend you give this a try. It's quick to get through and leaves you thinking about how history was told, and if it was true to fact or just an opinion of societal standards of the time.
The timelines were a little erratic, which caused little confusion but it was still understandable & enjoyable. I wish there was a well-defined description of what life was like during the eras/times talked about, to help you understand the why a little better though.
If you love dark history & witchcraft, I recommend you give this a try. It's quick to get through and leaves you thinking about how history was told, and if it was true to fact or just an opinion of societal standards of the time.
July 21, 2022
This is a fascinating collection of stories that show how accusations of witchcraft grew and developed in different parts of the UK including some particularly recent examples that show just how long it took for us to move away from such things. Each one tells of how the accusations started, what drove them, and what the results were for all involved, most of which appears to be driven by some other motive than truly believing in witchcraft.
November 6, 2019
Interesting overview of some of the most important cases of witchcraft in British history. Each case is given around 10 pages and explains the significance of that particular one. We'll written but the notes were at the back of the book (as opposed to small text at the bottom of the page) so going back and forth all the time was a bit of a chore but overall pleasant experience.
July 31, 2017
Excellent overview of some of the best witch trials. Whereas some books stop there though, Willow Winsham delivers something different - she delves into the lives of the accused women to discover previously unknown personal narratives.
January 6, 2022
Definitely very interesting book
Well written, and definitely very interesting. The author has really researched the subject extensively. I have to admit that you will not be disappointed.
Well written, and definitely very interesting. The author has really researched the subject extensively. I have to admit that you will not be disappointed.
September 3, 2020
Succinct with great detail.
February 21, 2022
The book was really good and contained many amazing information. Part of me wanted to know whether those women were really witches or did people falsely accused them.
April 28, 2017
Marvellous. A study of eleven women accused of witchcraft from the 1300s to 1900s. Fascinating read. Highly recommended. My only criticism is I could have done with it being twice the length! But that's always a sign of a good book!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews