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List of all Event assertions around a specific city

ID Short Description Date City Parish Current County Old county Nation
2865

John Darrell is tried on charges of teaching William Sommers and the others demoniacs he claimed to have dispossessed to counterfeit possession. The anonymous publisher of the text claims to be doing so in his defense, as he is imprisoned and thus unable to defend himself.(Title Page, 12)

Appears in:
Anonymous. The Trial of Maist. Dorrell. Unknown: 1599, Title Page, 12

1599, September 30 Lambeth    London, Greater  London Borough of Lambeth  England 
2866

John Darrell faces allegations of believing himself to have a "singular...gift to cast out Divells for vaine glory sake" and of having taught Katherine Wright, Thomas Darling, Mary Couper and William Sommers to counterfeit the signs of possession and dispossession to support that claim. (13-17)

Appears in:
Anonymous. The Trial of Maist. Dorrell. Unknown: 1599, 13-17

1599, May 26 Lambeth    London, Greater  London Borough of Lambeth  England 
2867

Katherine Wright gives deposition against John Darrell, alleging that she counterfieted her possession, and that Darrell instructed her to speak in a strange voice during her fits. He also told her that when she was asked the name of the spirit possessing her, she was to answer "Middlecub." (17-21)

Appears in:
Anonymous. The Trial of Maist. Dorrell. Unknown: 1599, 17-21

1599, May 26 Lambeth    London, Greater  London Borough of Lambeth  England 
2868

John Darrell faces allegations of lying on Katherine Wright's belly while she is in a fit. He was allegedly found in this state by a minister named Beckingham, who "plucked him of by the heeles, & thrust him out of the Chamber." He claims that he was trying to restrain her in her fit, and lay by her side, not on her belly, and that Beckingham was not present, but many women were there to witness, including his wife. (19-20)

Appears in:
Anonymous. The Trial of Maist. Dorrell. Unknown: 1599, 19-20

1599, May 26 Lambeth    London, Greater  London Borough of Lambeth  England 
2869

Thomas Darling confesses to counterfeiting his possession at John Darrell's instruction, though Darrell's defense alleges that he did so under threats of whipping, torture with a hot iron and hanging, and that the boy has been kept from making these charges in person because it is feared that he will deny his confession.(21-24)

Appears in:
Anonymous. The Trial of Maist. Dorrell. Unknown: 1599, 21-24

1599, May 26 Lambeth    London, Greater  London Borough of Lambeth  England 
2870

Mary Cooper confesses to counterfeiting possession. She accuses John Darrell of telling her that she was not pregnant, as she believed, but possessed and that when she laughed and smiled, her laughter was actually the Devil's.(24-28)

Appears in:
Anonymous. The Trial of Maist. Dorrell. Unknown: 1599, 24-28

1599, May 26 Lambeth    London, Greater  London Borough of Lambeth  England 
2872

William Sommers gives deposition alleging that John Darrell taught him to counterfeit possession. Darrell's defense claims that this cannot be true, because there are witnesses who saw him be flung about, heard noises come from his belly, heard him speak with his mouth shut, saw him swell enough to break a new leather girdle, saw strange lumps moving under his skin, and more.(28-33)

Appears in:
Anonymous. The Trial of Maist. Dorrell. Unknown: 1599, 28-33

1599, May 26 Lambeth    London, Greater  London Borough of Lambeth  England 
2873

William Sommers offers to counterfeit swelling before the High Commissioners at Lambeth. He puts his tongue in his cheek in a convincing recreation of the swelling he is said to have experienced when possessed. John Darrell's defense claims that he cannot counterfeit any other signs of possession, however, as he had the Devil's help originally.(33-34)

Appears in:
Anonymous. The Trial of Maist. Dorrell. Unknown: 1599, 33-34

1599, May 26 Lambeth    London, Greater  London Borough of Lambeth  England 
2874

William Sommers' claim that he faked his possession is supported by depositions from witnesses who allege that when they tried to investigate the lumps moving under his sheets, "one at one tyme caught his hande or foote, another his privie partes." One witness alleges that when he tried to throw off the sheet entirely, Darrell would not allow him to.(34-36)

Appears in:
Anonymous. The Trial of Maist. Dorrell. Unknown: 1599, 34-36

1599, May 26 Lambeth    London, Greater  London Borough of Lambeth  England 
2875

John Darrell's defense counters the allegations that William Sommers sometimes displayed ordinary strength, that when he was cast toward a fire he was taken away too quickly to burn, and that Sommers had black lead put in his mouth to make him foam. They claim that Sommers only had supernatural strength when in a fit, that Sommers did lay in the fire long enough to burn but without suffering harm and that black lead cannot make one foam at the mouth.(36-38)

Appears in:
Anonymous. The Trial of Maist. Dorrell. Unknown: 1599, 36-38

1599, May 26 Lambeth    London, Greater  London Borough of Lambeth  England 
2876

In response to William Sommer's accusation that John Darrell taught him to fake his possession, Darrell's defense responds that "Sommers is an vnlawful witnes, beeing manifestlie guiltie of periurie (having by oath both denied and affirmed counterfeiting) as also of blasphemy" and that he was witnessed to be possessed for at least a full month before Darrell arrived in Nottingham. (38)

Appears in:
Anonymous. The Trial of Maist. Dorrell. Unknown: 1599, 38

1599, May 26 Lambeth    London, Greater  London Borough of Lambeth  England 
2877

William Sommers alleges in his deposition that "long before Dorrell came to Nottingham, they mett at Ashby de la Zouche, where Dorrell then dwelled, and (vpo[n] agreement) they mett at Ashby parke 4. yeares together." He adds that he waited to fake his possession until John Darrell judged he had learned it well enough. When Darrell came to Nottingham, he instructed Sommers on how to act during the dispossession. Darrell claims that Sommers was only a child at the time when they allegedly first met, too young to be traveling for secret instruction. He adds that he was far from Sommers during his fits.(38-41)

Appears in:
Anonymous. The Trial of Maist. Dorrell. Unknown: 1599, 38-41

1599, May 26 Lambeth    London, Greater  London Borough of Lambeth  England 
2878

In support of William Sommer's accusations against John Darrell, Darrell allegedly bough Sommers out of his apprenticeship, and they often retired to Darrell's chamber to talk; this is perceived by the court as the opportunity for Darrel to have instructed Sommers to counterfeit possession. Furthermore, Sommers had also demonstrated how he had faked various of his fits.(41-49)

Appears in:
Anonymous. The Trial of Maist. Dorrell. Unknown: 1599, 41-49

1599, May 26 Lambeth    London, Greater  London Borough of Lambeth  England 
2879

John Darrell produces a letter written by his wife's sister as proof that Sommers was possessed before he came to Nottingham. He claims that, rather than coaching Sommers, he too was a victim of Sommers' counterfeit possession, and merely made an error in judgement in believing him genuinely possessed.(49-51)

Appears in:
Anonymous. The Trial of Maist. Dorrell. Unknown: 1599, 49-51

1599, May 26 Lambeth    London, Greater  London Borough of Lambeth  England 
2881

John Darrell alleges that William Sommers was originally thought to be bewitched, but that this was disproved, and thought to be a witch himself after he was dispossessed. He claims that Sommers accused Doll Freeman of witchcraft out of malice.(53)

Appears in:
Anonymous. The Trial of Maist. Dorrell. Unknown: 1599, 53

1599, May 26 Lambeth    London, Greater  London Borough of Lambeth  England 
2882

John Darrell admits to having bought out the remaining years of William Sommers' apprenticeship to a master fiddler after his dispossession, and claims that he did so to ensure that "Sommers should not any longer prophane the Sabbath, but serve the Lorde IESVS in whose name he was delivered." He spoke privately with Sommers on request of Sommers' father and in the role of a preacher only, not to commend him for the skill of his counterfeiting possession.(53-55)

Appears in:
Anonymous. The Trial of Maist. Dorrell. Unknown: 1599, 53-55

1599, May 26 Lambeth    London, Greater  London Borough of Lambeth  England 
2883

John Darrell is accused of sending William Sommers to witness Thomas Darling's fits in order to improve his own counterfeiting. Darrell counters that, while Sommers is said to have "avouched as much to Darlings face in the hearing of many," he could not answer Darling's questions about what his uncle's home looked like, or give details about the town.(55)

Appears in:
Anonymous. The Trial of Maist. Dorrell. Unknown: 1599, 55

1599, May 26 Lambeth    London, Greater  London Borough of Lambeth  England 
2884

John Darrell's defense alleges that if William Sommers counterfeited his fits, he should be able to demonstrate how, and Sommers had not divulged the method for all of his supposed tricks. His defense also ridicules the suggestion that the Lancashire Seven counterfeited by suggesting that they were tutored by tumblers and jugglers.(55-58)

Appears in:
Anonymous. The Trial of Maist. Dorrell. Unknown: 1599, 55-58

1599, May 26 Lambeth    London, Greater  London Borough of Lambeth  England 
2886

John Darrell alleges that his suspension from his Ministry following William Sommers' confession of counterfeiting impoverished him, and caused great hardship for his wife and five children. He also complains that, since his imprisonment for heresy, he has not been permitted to go to church as the other prisoners are.(58-62)

Appears in:
Anonymous. The Trial of Maist. Dorrell. Unknown: 1599, 58-62

1599, May 26 Lambeth    London, Greater  London Borough of Lambeth  England