Scope and Content
Sarah, wife of Josias Settle 1 Sept. 1666
Heard Eliz Pratt say that she had made a contract with the Devil; devil promised her that she should live as well as the best woman in Dunstable, "but that now shee had found him a Lyer"; that she had 7 yrs. of her lease to come, but if she should be swum or ducked, the lease would be extinguished; that devil first appeared in human shape, like a man and came to bed with her, second time like a woman, another time like a cat.
William Metcalfe junior: 65 horses (value £500) and 17 hoggs (value £10) of his died; suspects B.P., since while he was burning one of his hogs in the yard, M.P. appeared there, when doors and gates were shut; she said that she came in at a keyhole in the door.
Josias Settle: At beginning of Lent, 2 yrs. ago, E.P. came to his house and begged ale and toast of his wife; she stroked head of his son John and said that he and elder brother Josias were her boys. Two days later son John became ill and died; in his passion he pulled away part of his nose and lip and cried 'Murder, murder, I am bewitched'. Fortnight later, son Josias fell ill, crying as his brother did. Neighbours fetched E.P. to him a Jos. asked his son to scratch her with a pin, son said he could not, so Jos. sen. pushed pin into hand of E.P. but could not make her bleed. On 2 Apr. last, when under restraint, E.P. told him that his sons had been bewitched, not by her, but she knew who did it 'and that there were in the towne of Dunstable twenty witches who wore better clothes than shoe, and that some of the best women in the towne were witches as well as shee, but she would not reveale any of them yett".
The Information of Sarah wife of the said Josias Settle taken upon oath the saidfirst day of September before us whose names are here subscribed being two of his majesties justices of the peace.
This Informant sayth that she did hear Elizabeth Pratt widow, now prisoner in His Majesties goale at Bedford say that she had made a contract with the devill, and that the devill did promise her that she should live as well as the best woman in the towne of Dunstable but that now shee had found him a Lyer and she further sayth that she said Pratt said that she had seaven yeares of her lease to come at that tyme, being about the first of April last past, but if shee should be swomm or duckt in Ryver or Pond that her lease would be extinguished; and after this informant saith that she said Pratt further said that the devill first appeared to her in human shape like a man, and came to bed to her, and the second time in the likeness of a woman, and on other time in the likeness of a catt, and further sayth not.
The Information of William Metcalfe jun. of Dunstable taken the twenty fifth day of August 1666 upon oath before us. This Informant saith that sixty-five horse of his dyed to the vallue of five hundred pounds or thereabouts and seaven hoggs to the vallue of then pounds or thereabouts and he suspects one Elizabeth Pratt widdow to be the cause of their deathes and the cause of his suspicion is that he burnt one of his hoggs in his yard, and that as he was burning of him, the said widdow Pratt appeared there, and he knows not how she should come into his said yard (his doors and gates being all locked) and he further saith that he heard the said widow Pratt said that she came in at a keyhole of the doore when the hogg was burning. And further sayth not. sign. John Vaux John Rotherham
The Information of Josias Settle of Dunstable in the County of Beds. barber:chirurgeon Taken uponoath before John Vaux and John Rotherham Esq., two of his majesties justices of the peace of the said county - primo die septembris 1666 This Informant sayth that about the beginning of Lent was two yeares, Elizabeth Pratt widdow now prisoner in his Majesties goal at Bedford came to his house and begged of his wife some ale and a little foste; his sonn John being by the fire she stroked on the head and said that this boy and his elder brother Josias were her boyes, this being on a Friday, the Sunday following he saith that his said sonn John was took with a strange distemper groneing, scritching and crying almost continually night and day for fourty days together until he dyed; and in his passion (being very vehement) he pulled from his face some part of his nose, and alsoe of his lipp, Crying murder, murder, I am bewitcht, I am bewitcht: and this informant further sayth that abou a fortnight after the death of the said John, his elder son Josias fell sick being mopish, crying as his other brother did, and said, Ah,father, the widdow Pratt hath bewitched my brother John to death and hath bewitched me also whereupon he saith that some of the neighbours fetched the said widdow Pratt to his said sonn, and that his Informant put a pinn into the hand of the said sonn, and wished him to scratch the said Pratt, but he cryed, Father I cannot, I cannot, and then he saith that he took his said sonns fingers in his hand, and with the said pinn did pricke the said Pratt through her hand and alsoe in the veines of her hand, but could not make her bleed at all, and this informant likewise further saith that on the second day of April last past or thereabouts the said widdow Pratt (being under restraint) told him that John Settle and Josias Settle his sons were bewitched to death and that for her part she did not bewitch them, but she said she did know the persons that did be witch them to death, and that there were in the towns of Dunstable twenty witches who wore better clothes than she, and that some of the best women in towns were witches as well as she, but she would not reveal any of them yett, and further saith not. Sign, Josias Settle