| Name | Description | Original Text |
|---|---|---|
| Vinegar Tom | An familiar that appears in the form of a long-legged greyhound with a head like an ox to Elizabeth Clark. Matthew Hopkins describes him as being able to turn into a headless child. Although Vinegar Tom is only ever mentioned by Hopkins, John Sterne, and Edward Parsely as discovered in terms of her being watched, and is not mentioned in the criminal accusations against Clarke, he is named as part of the legal indictment against her, and she is found guilty of entertaining, employing, nd feeding Vinegar Tome, with the "intention of obtaining [its] help in "Witchcraftes, inchtement, charmes and sorecrices." Clarke is hanged on a different charge. | The Information of Matthew Hopkins, of Mannintree, Gent. taken upon Oath before us the 25th day of March. 1645. [...]
And within a quarter of an houre after there appeared an Impe like to a Dog, which was white, with some sandy spots, and seemed to be very fat and plumpe, with very short legges, who forthwith vanished away: And the said Elizabeth said the name of that Impe was, Jarmara: And immediately there appeared another Impe, which shee called Vinegar Tom, in the shape of a Greyhound with long legges: And the said Elizabeth then said that the next Impe should be a black Impe, and should come for the said Master Sterne, which appeared, but presently vanished: And the last that appeared was in the shape of a Polcat, but the head somewhat bigger. And the said Elizabeth then told this Informant that shee had five Impes of her owne, and two of the Impes of the old Beldam Weste (meaning one Anne Weste, widow) who is now also suspected to be guilty of Witchcraft: And said sometimes the Impes of the old Beldam sucked on the said Elizabeth, and sometimes her Impes sucked on the old Beldam Weste. And the said Elizabeth further told this Informant, that Satan would never let
her rest, or be quiet, untill shee did consent to the killing of the Hogges of one Mr Edwards of Mannintree aforesaid, and the Horse of one Robert Tayler of the same Towne: And this Informant further saith, That going from the House of the said Mr Edwards to his own House about nine or ten of the Clock that night, with his Greyhound with him, he saw the Greyhound suddenly give a jumpe, and ran as shee had been in a full course after an Hare; And that when this Informant made haste to see what his Greyhound so eagerly pursued; He espied a white thing about the bignesse of a Kitlyn, and the Greyhound standing a loofe from it; and that by and by the said white Impe or Kitlyn daunced about the said Greyhound, and by all likelihood bit off a piece of the flesh of the shoulder of the Greyhound; for the Greyhound came shrieking and crying to this Informant with a piece of flesh torne from her shoulder. And this Informant further saith, That comming into his own Yard that night, he espied a black thing, proportioned like a Cat, onely it was thrice as big, sitting on a strawberry-bed, and fixing the eyes on this Informant; and when he went towards it, it leaped over the pale towards this Informant, as he thought, but ran quite through the Yard, with his Greyhound after it to a great Gate, which was underset with a paire of Tumbrell Strings, and did throw the said Gate wide open, and then vanished; And the said Greyhound returned againe to this Informant, shaking and trembling exceedingly.
The Information of John Sterne, Gent. taken upon Oath before us the 25th day of March. 1645. [...]
the said Elizabeth desired this Informant, and the rest that were in the roome with her to sit downe, and said, shee would shew this Informant and the rest some of her Impes: And within halfe an houre there appeared a white thing in the likeness of a Cat, but not altogether so big: And being asked if she would not be afraid of her Impes; the said Elizabeth answered; What
doe yee thinke I am afraid of my children? And that shee called the name of that white Impe, Hoult. And this Informant further saith, That presently after there appeared another white Impe, with red spots, as big as a small dog, which shee then called Jirmara: And that immediately after, there appeared at the threshold of the doore another Impe about the bignesse of the first, but did presently vanish away. And then the said Elizabeth being asked if any more Impes would come; shee answered, That Vinegar Tom would come by and by. And forthwith there appeared another in the likenesse of a dumb Dogge, somewhat bigger then any of the former: And the said Elizabeth also told this Informant, That shee had three Impes from her mother, which were of a browne colour, and two from the old Beldam Weste: And that there had five Impes appeared; But shee had one more called Sack and Sugar, which had been hard at worke, and it would be long before it came, but it should teare this Informant.
The Information of Edward Parsley of Mannintree, taken upon oath before the said Justices the 25th of March.1645.
THis Informant saith, That watching with the said Elizabeth Clarke, alias Bedingfeild, the last night, he asked the said Elizabeth if he should continue still in the roome with her; And the said Elizabeth desired he should, if he would fight for her with the Devils, for they would come this night, and that which shee called
Hoult would come first, and then that which shee called Jarmar's; which did appeare in the likenesse of a white Dogge, with red spots; and presently after there appeared that Impe which shee called Vinegar Tom; and then that which shee called Sack and Sugar: And the said Elizabeth then told this Informant, that the Devil had had possession of her six or seven yeares. And that he had oftentimes knocked at her dore in the night time; and that shee did arise, open the dore and let him in; and that he went to bed to her three or foure times in a weeke, and had the carnall knowledge of her as a man.
And the said Elizabeth then told this Informant that shee had five Impes of her owne, and two of the Impes of the old Beldam Weste (meaning one Anne Weste, widow) who is now also suspected to be guilty of Witchcraft: And said sometimes the Impes of the old Beldam sucked on the said Elizabeth, and sometimes her Impes sucked on the old Beldam Weste.
Appears in:
H., F.. A True and Exact Relation of the severall Informations, Examinations, and Confessions of the late Witches, arraigned and executed in the County of Essex. . London: 1645, 6-10
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