GWINNER, ELSE (GERMANY)

Else Gwinner was accused of witchcraft in 1601. A counselor of the
witch-hunting faction, Rupprecht Silberrad was determined to crush an
opposing councilman, George Laubbach. George's wife had been burned for
witchcraft in 1597 and Rupprecht  accused two of George's daughters of
witchcraft. Later, he accused George's third daughter, Else Gwinner and
the "evidence" used to substantiate the accusations came from two vagrants
who were arrested for stealing grapes. The vagrants were accused of
witchcraft as opposed to thievery and were tortured until they denounced
the Laubbach daughters. The vagrants were executed on November 22, 1597,
and Else was tortured horribly but never confessed. She was sentenced on
December 19, and on December 21, she was burned. The young daughter of
Else, Agathe, was kept chained in a tiny dungeon while her mother was
being tortured, and a priest tried to induce her to admit her mother's
guilt. The other sisters did not come to trial.

BARBARA SPENCER

Barbara was born in the parish of
St Giles without Cripplegate, and when young proved
to be of a violent temper. At length her mother, finding
her quite unmanageable at home, put her apprentice to a
mantle-maker, who, having known her from a child, treated
her with great kindness.
   Not long after this it happened that some malefactors
were to be executed at Tyburn, and Barbara insisted on
going to see the execution. This was prudently opposed
by her mother, who, struggling to keep her at home, struck
her; but the daughter, getting out of the house, went to a
female acquaintance, who accompanied her to Tyburn, and
thence to a house near St Giles's Pound, where Barbara made
a vow that she would never again return to her mother.
   In this fatal resolution she was encouraged by the com-
pany present, who persuaded her to believe that she might
live in an easy manner if she would but follow their way of
life. To this she readily agreed ; and as they were coiners,
they employed her in uttering counterfeit money, for which
she was detected, tried, fined and imprisoned.
   Not taking warning by what had happened, she returned
to her old connections, commenced coiner herself, and was
at length convicted of the crime for which she suffered.
   While under sentence of death she behaved in the most
indecent and turbulent manner; nor could she be con-
vinced that she had been guilty of any crime in making a
few shillings. She was for some time very impatient under
the idea of her approaching dissolution, and was par-
ticularly shocked at the thought of being burned; but at
the place of execution she seemed willing to exercise her-
self in devotion, but was much interrupted by the mob
throwing stones and dirt at her.
   She was strangled and burned, and was probably the
first woman to suffer this punishment for coining, which
was then regarded as a treason.
 

KYTELER, ALICE (IRELAND)

The first witch of Ireland, Alice was charged with heretical sorcery in
1324. The instigator was Bishop Richard de Ledrede, a Franciscian, who
chose the wealthiest lady of Kilkenny to blame for witchcraft. Bishop
Richard made several indictments against Lady Alice, her son and several
accomplices. Lady Alice had enough support to defy the bishop, who
retaliated by excommunicating her. Lady Alice eventually relocated to
England, her son was jailed for nine weeks and her maid, Petronilla de
Meath, was flogged, confessed and was burned alive on November 3, 1324 in
Kilkenny.

LEMP, REBECCA (GERMANY)

Similar to the trial and letters of Johannes Junius, is the trial of
Rebecca Lemp in Nordlingen, 1590. In spite of the favorable testimony of
neighbors who risked their own lives in defense of those accused,
thirty-two prominent women were burned. Among them was Frau Lemp and the
wives of a former burgomaster, senator, town clerk and administrator.
Rebecca received letters from her children and husband, and she wrote
replies. Some months after being tortured, she wrote the following to her
husband, which was later confiscated by the court. The court added the
crime of suicide to the accusations:

O, thou, the chosen of my heart, must I be parted from thee, though
entirely innocent? If so, may God be followed throughout eternity by my
reproaches. They force one and make one confess; they have so tortured me,
but I am as innocent as God in heaven. If I know the least thing about
such matters, may God shut the door of heaven against me! O, thou dearly
beloved Husband my heart is nearly broken! Alas, alas! My poor dear
children orphans! Husband, send me something that I may die, or I must
expire under torture; if thou canst not today, do it tomorrow. Write to me
directly.

On the reverse side of the letter, Rebecca wrote:

Oh, Husband of thine innocent Rebecca, they take me from thee by force!
How can God suffer it? If I am a witch, may God show no pity to me. Oh,
what wrong is done me! Why will God not hear me? Send me something, else I
may peril even my soul.

The court forced Rebecca to write a letter back to her husband, swearing
that she lied and that she was indeed a witch. Her husband knew better and
wrote back to the court, pleading that his wife be set free. After the
court received the petition from Mr. Lemp, they further tortured Rebecca
and burned her on September 9, 1590.

MARY CHANNEL

                           Famous for her Wit and Beauty, compelled to marry a
                            Man she detested, poisoned him, and was burned at the stake
                                       in 1703, at the age of 18

                        MARY CHANNEL was the daughter of one Mr
                        Woods, a person of good repute, who resided in a
                        little village near Dorchester, in the county of Dorset.
                        He was a person of known wealth and good credit, who,
                        by his industry and diligence, daily increased his riches.
                        Perceiving his daughter to be of a promising disposition,
                        and amiable both in body and mind, he gave her a liberal
                        education, to improve and refine those good qualifications
                        by art and study wherewith she was liberally endowed by
                        the bounty of nature. She made so speedy a progress in
                        her learning that she soon outvied her schoolfellows; and
                        the strong imagination, polite behaviour and majestic graces
                        in her carriage so lively displayed themselves that she
                        became the mirror and discourse of all who knew her.
                        Though her birth gave place to those of the highest rank
                        and quality, yet her education was not inferior to them; and
                        her incomparable wit, united with her beautiful presence,
                        rendered her so agreeable that she was to be preferred even
                        to many of a superior rank.
                           Her charms did not consist in adorning and dressing
                        herself in magnificent and gay attire, decked with pearls
                        and diamonds, which gives a false gloss of beauty to persons
                        whose natures are opposite, and only serve to brighten the
                        lustre of their pretended fine qualities. In a word, she was
                        generally esteemed the most celebrated wit and accomplished
                        beauty of her age.
                           Being now in the flower of her youth and bloom of her
                        beauty, she had several suitors of good repute, who all
                        became captives to her beauty, and hardly did thcy find
                        themselves ensnared but they had the boldness to flatter
                        themselves with the hopes of one day possessing such a
                        charming object. Amongst the rest, one Mr Channel, a
                        wealthy grocer of Dorchester, came to pay his respects to
                        her, who, for the great riches he enjoyed, was gratefully
                        accepted by her parents, though by her altogether con-
                        temned and slighted. He had nothing to recommend him
                        but his wealth, which was as much superior to the rest of
                        her suitors as his person was inferior to them: his limbs
                        and body were in some measure ill proportioned, and his
                        features in no wise agreeable; but what rendered him the
                        more detestable and ridiculous in her sight was his splay-
                        foot, which did not in the least concur with her sublime and
                        lofty temper. Her father, evidently perceiving the addresses
                        of Mr Channel were received and accepted by her with
                        Scorn and reproofs, entreated her to receive him with less
                        disdain and listen to his respectful addresses. Being weary,
                        however, of his fond familiarities, she determined to abandon
                        herself from him, and never more admit him into her
                        presence or society. She had no sooner put her design into
                        execution but it reached her father's ears, who kept a more
                        strict guard and watchful eye over her behaviour and con-
                        duct, and forthwith continued his absurd and unreasonable
                        expostulations and imprudent menaces to enforce and
                        augment her love. She in vain endeavoured to excuse herself,
                        by disputing the most solid and rational arguments; but
                        how much the more she persisted, by so much the more
                        her parents' resolution was incensed and irritated, pressing
                        her to consent to a speedy marriage, and telling her she
                        would discharge the duty under which she was obligated
                        to them by assenting to and complying with their com-
                        mands. At length, being continually fatigued and impor-
                        tuned by her parents to have the marriage solemnised, she
                        consented, though with the greatest reluctance. And on
                        the day appointed the ceremony was ordained.
                           Having now gratified her parents' desire, and yielded to
                        their compulsions, by putting the finishing stroke to her
                        marriage, she still continued her slights and contempts
                        towards her husband, and he became the entire object of
                        her scorn. Soon after the solemnisation of the marriage
                        she began to plot and contrive new scenes of tragedies, and
                        her thoughts were chiefly employed and taken up in study-
                        ing what measures to take to get rid of her husband, and
                        set herself at liberty. Nothing would satisfy her enormous
                        desires but his death, which she determined to bring about
                        by poison. And, in order thereto, she sent her maid to the
                        apothecary's for some white mercury, telling her it was to
                        kill rats and mice; though it is certain her design was
                        reverse, which she intended to fulfil as soon as opportunity
                        would give reins to her vicious inclinations. A little after
                        she gave orders for rice milk to be made for breakfast. That
                        morning, particularly, she was observed to demonstrate
                        a seeming diligence in procuring everyone theirr proper
                        messes; and no one was permitted to serve her husband
                        but herself. Accordingly she prepared and gave him the
                        poisonous draught, mixed and infused with the mercury,
                        which she had reserved for this desperate use, and which
                        proved his fatal dish. After he had eaten somewhat liberally
                        he discovered an ill savour in his milk, and said it tasted
                        amiss. Hereupon he offered his wife's brother (a youth who
                        boarded with him) to taste it; but she would by no means
                        permit her brother to comply with this reasonable request,
                        which caused a strong suspicion throughout the family.
                          Then Mr Channel required the maid to taste it; but she
                        had no sooner taken it into her hands than her mistress in a violent
                        passion caught it from her, and forthwith conveyed
                        it away. It was now too late to recall what had passed, or
                        to seek for refuge; for his body presently began to swell
                        vehemently, perceiving which, the domestics immediately
                        sent for a doctor. But the infused mercury had so great
                        an effect upon him that no remedy could expel it, and he
                        expired before the physicians came to his assistance. Having
                        thus resigned his breath, and there being visible proofs of
                        his being poisoned, it was not without reason she was sus-
                        pected to be the principal and only actress and procurer
                        thereof. Thereupon she was immediately seized and con-
                        veyed before a justice, before whom she entirely denied the
                        fact; nevertheless, on her servants' information) he committed
                        her to Dorchester jail.
                           At the assizes ensuing at Dorchester the defence she
                        made (whether it was real or pretended) was so full of wit
                        and ingenuity, and uttered with such an extraordinary
                        courage and humility, that it caused admiration in the
                        judges, and pity and compassion in all who heard her trial.
                        But this availed nothing; for the evidences appearing plain
                        against her, and the friends of her deceased husband being
                        very substantial people' she received sentence to be burned
                        at the stake till she was dead.
                           The day whereon she was to suffer being come, she was
                        guarded by proper offlicers to the place of execution, with
                        her hood veiled over her face. After she had uttered some
                        private ejaculations she pulled off her gown and white silk
                        hood and delivered them to her maid -- who accompanied
                        her to the stake -- and then suffered death, according to the
                        sentence before pronounced against her, declaring her faith
                        in Christ; and to the last continued to exclaim against her
                        parents' constraints, which had been the sole cause of her
                        torturing death. Thus at a small distance from the town of
                        Dorchester she yielded her breath, in or about the month of
                        April, Anno Domini 1703, in the eighteenth year of her age,
                        being greatly bewailed and lamented, though the sentence
                        was acknowledged to be just and lawful.