INTERROGATORIES ministered to Elizabeth Saunders. May 13, 1622

a) INTERROGATORIES to be ministered to Elizabeth Saunders on of the
b) defendants of the Informacion of Sir Thomas Coventrye knight his Majesties Attorney
c) generall

IMPRIMIS did you in or about the moneth of December in the Eighteenth yeare of his Majesties Raigne of England perswade procure
or incyte Katheren Malapas the younger one other of the defendants to counterfeite and feigne herselfe bewitched & possessed with
an evill spirit, and to counterfeite & feigne strange fitts and Traunces, and to practise and use divers strange and unusuall trickes & deceits
in the manner and fashion of her behaviour and gesture. Whath other person or persons beside your self did move or incite her thereunto,
or were privie acquainted or consentinge to the same. And whether did you teach and instruct her the said katheren Malpas ~
afterwarde at severall tymes, and shewe unto her the manner howe to doe and performe the same, or what other person or persons as you
know, or have heard, did instruct her therein, or shew her anie such forms; and did not shee in a verye short tyme become verie
expert and skilfull in the said counterfeited and dissembled fitts and Traunces.
2: Item did not you report to divers of your friends and acquaintances that the said, Katheren Malpas was stranglie visited,
and did not you or other defendants or some of thm, or some other person or persons and whoe by name devise and
use meanes howe to drawe companie unto the house of the said Thomas Saunders, where the said Katheren Malpas
did then remaine: to see the strange and unusuall fitts and traunces, counterfeited and practized by the said, Katheren Malpas
3: Item what was the end or intent that moved you, or anie other person aforesaid, to procure the said Katheren Malpas the
younger to counterfeit as aforesaid, or to drawe companie to see her strange Trickes and fitts, was it not conceaved
by you or them that much money would be given unto you, or the said Katheren Malpas, by such persons as should come to see her,
in pittie and comiseration of soe strange a seight. And what some or somes of money were given, and by what persons by name,
and whoe reteaned the same.
4: Item when was the first time that the said Katheren the younger was in anie of the said feigned fits or traunces, and howe and in what
maner did she behave herselfe, and what gesture did she use therein declare the maner thereof at large
5: Item whether did the said Katheren Malpas in the day time remaine free from anie fitts, unles it were when companie came to see her, and
whether did she not in the night time take her naturall rest, as before she fell into anie of theis counterfeit fitts.
6: Item, whether did you, or anie other to your knowledge or thinkeinge, & whoe by name cause the said Katheren Malpas secretlie to take some sustenance
and againe to refuse and cast it upp when anie came to see her, howe longe did she soe at anie time abstayne from meate, and to what end
did you or anie other perswade her soe to doe.
7: Wethere doe you thinke that the said Katheren Malpas in her fitts did of her selfe and her owne accorde, soe beate the walles of the roome
where she lay, call upon the next neighbour, and crye out Gammer Dawes bring hither a Sallett for Puffen and Elias, or doe you
thinke that she was soe taught by some other, declare the whole trueth herein, and their particuler names that you thinke or conceave soe
taught or instructed her.
8: Item whether did the said Katheren Malpas of any tyme refuse the helpe of any other, save onelye of Mr. Fawcett, or whether did she ever
use anie speech to this effect, that none should medle withher but God and Mr Fawcett, whether did you or anye other to your knowledge
perswade her soe to say, and to what end did you soe perswade her.
9: Item did you not knowe that the said Katheren Malpas the younger did but counterfeite and feyne in her accion and performance of the Said Trickes
trances and devises, did you not after your such knowledge thereof, make it soe knowne to Thomas Saunders your husband one other defendant
and tell him shee did but counterfeite, was he not angerie with you when you first told him thereof. And whether was he not afterwarde well
pleased againe with the counterfeitings of the said Katheren Malpas, what moved him soe to be pleased, was it not out of an opinion & hope
you & he had, that it would be benificiall and profitable to you and him. And, whether were you at anie time and when, angerie and rebuked
Elizabeth Malpas the sister of the said, Katheren Malpas for telling the said Katheren Malpas she did but counterfeit, and when and where
did you soe rebuke, or chide the said Katheren Malpas, and what moved you soe to doe.
10: Item did not you, after such tyme as you did undertsand and knowe that the said Katheren Malpas the younger did counterfeite the said Tricks
and Traunces procure divers preachers and ministers to pray with the Said Katheren Malpas, and did not you alsoe after such understanding
and knowledge as aforesaid, use the advise of phisicions and others, what moved you soe to doe, was it not to deceive the people that
resorted to see her, and to drawe a benifitt to your self, or your husband.
11: Item what Some or Somes of money did you or the Said Thomas Saunders give to one Francklin, that Thomas Saunders brought
from Ratcliffe to see the Said Katheren Malpas the younger, and to give her physicke, or other manes to cure her, by whose perswation
was the said Francklin used, by you or him at that time, whether when he was sent for, did you knowe or heare of anie other that he
was noe Phisicion, and in former tyme to have beene questioned for a coniurer and whether did you at that time soe thinke of him
and what words did you use to the Said Thomas Saunders when Francklin was gone, did you not say, Gods bread Tom Saunders
whie wouldest thou give this fellon money, being then knowest she counterfeits, or words to that effect.
12: Item did you or anie other and who by name perswade & direct the Said Katheren Malpas the younger that if any bible, prayer booke, or other
godly or devout booke were offered unto her to reade, she should fling the same away from her, what moved you or such other person soe to perswade &
direct her, as it not that the people which sawe it, might conceive and thinke that shee was possessed with an evill Spirit and that the devill
would not lett her reade, and did not the said Katheren Malpas afterwards in accomplishment of the said direction, when anie such booke
as aforesaid was given her, fling the same away.
13: Item did not you during the time of the Said Katheren Malpas her counterfeiting & after your said knowledge thereof procure a licence from the Lord
Bushoppe of London that then was, that some preachers or other ministers might pray with the said Katheren Malpas and did not you afterwards
___________ & deliver the said Licence unto some preachers or ministers & perswade them to come & pray with the Said Katheren Malpas, what preacher or
minister did soe pray with her, when & at what tyme did they soe pray, did any of them use to pray with her when there was companie present
in the Chamber where she did lye, & forbeare to pray with her, when she was alone, what was the cause thereof, & by whose direction was the
same done.
14: Item was it not reported generalie that the said Katheren Malpas was in a very strange maner bewitched & possessed with an evill spirit, howe
came it to be soe reported & spoken & by whom was it if not by meanes of the deceitful practises aforesaid, & when & at what time was the said
report first soe divulged either by you or by anie others & when did the said Katheren malpas first begin to acte & put in practise her feigned and
counterfeited fitts and traunces aforesaid, was there noe provision made & order taken that divers of his Majesties Subiects cominge to see her in the
said fitts, should not be permitted to have access unto her without givinge money therefore, or promising to give. And did not you or some others often
times sitt at the out door of the house wherein the Said Katheren Malpas soe remayned to keepe people from goinge into the aid house, by whose
advise permicione or consent was the said direction given & order taken, & to what intent & purpose was it if not to drawe money unto your selfe or to
the said Thomas Saunders \___________/ or to you both by that unlawfull devise, & who by name did usuallie soe sit at the door to receave money & make
composicion with the people cominge to see and visit the said Katheren the younger, and what some or somes of mony did you or any other to your knowledge
or as you have crediblie herde so receave, & of what person or persons.
15: Item did not the said Katheren Malpas during the tyme of the said countergeitinge fitts often tymes by direction of you or some other and of whom, crye out &
exclayme that she was bewitched by goodwife Hedlyn & goodwife White, or by wicked spirits by their or one of their procuremente did she not in the said
counterfited fitts & affirm, that the aid goodwife White & goodwife Hedlyn, did appeare unto her in severall shapes and formes, that is to saye
sometymes in the likenes of doggs, & sometymes in the likeness of catts and other creatures, did she not by your direction & procurement, or by the direction
or procurement of some others, charge & accuse the said goodwife Hedlyn & goodwife White, orone of them to have bewitched her, to what end & purpose
did you & the said other persons & who by name oe perswade the aid Katheren, was it not out of your and their malice, or upon some displeasure conceaved
by you or them against the said goodwife White & goodwife Hedlyn or one of them, & to bring them or one of them thereby into infamie & shame
and into danger of their lives, & to cause them to be reputed and taken for witches, and to be indicted and arraigned for witchcrafte.
16: Item did not you knowe that Anne Godfrey in or about the same moneth of December in the Eighteenth year of his Majestie’s said Raigne was ____________
then lately beene visited with sicknes had not you, about that time some conference or speech with the Said Anne Godfrey concerning the nature & maner
of her desease and sicknes, what speeches or wordes did you there upon speake or use to the Said Anne Godfrey, did you not perswade & labour to make
the said Anne Godfrey thinke and beleave, that her said Sicknes did come by the witchcrafte of the said goodwife Hedlyn, what reason did you
then alledge to make the Said Anne Godfrey soe to beleeve or thinke: did not you thereupon bring the Said Anne Godfrey, unto the Said Katheren
Malpas, being then in one ofher said counterfeite fitts and Traunces, & affirme unto the Said Anne Godfrey that the said Katheren Malpas was
bewitched by the said goodwife Hedlyn, did not you alsoe thereupon incyte the said Anne Godfrey to keepe her bedd & feyne herselfe to be sicke, & to
practise & exercise the same trickes & devises as the said Katheren Malpas, what moved you soe to doe & perswade the said Anne Godfrey
was it not to give the greater suspicion to the world that the Said Godwife Hedlyn was a witch, and there by to bring the said goodwife
Hedlyn into the greater perill and danger of her life.
17: Item did not you advise the said Anne Godfrey to counterfeite the squeakeing voice which the said Katheren Malpas did use, at such time when she said
the spirit did squeake within her, & did not you tell the said Anne Godfrey, that the Said Katheren Malpas did soe squeake by reason that the spirit did
drawe her breath backe through her throate, into her brest, & soe made the noyse, or what other words or speeches to that effect and purpose did you or
anie others then use or utter to the Said Anne Godfrey, did not the Said Anne Godfrey upon perswacion aforesaid use & put in practise the said tricks
and traunces or some of them, & counterfeite the doing thereof in such maner as the Said Katheren Malpas did, and which of the Said Trickes and
devises in particuler did the Said Anne Godfrey monst comonly use or put in practise.
18: Item did not you afterwards understand that there was some suspicion conceaved that the Said Katheren Malpas did but counterfeite
and that she was to be examined concerning the same; what and what tyme did you heare the same, did not you and others your confederats
thereupon give secret admonicion and charge to the said Katheren Malpas that she should in noe wise disclose or reveale the counterfeited
plotts and practises aforesaid for that if shee did disclose the same, you were utterlie undone &, discredited, when was the said admonicion
and warninge soe given her, & by whom, and what other speeches did you or any others to your knowledge, or as you have crediblie heard
use utter or speake unto the said Katheren Malpas on or before her goinge to Theobalde to be examined beforehis maiestie
19: Item what wordes did the said Thomas Saunders speake or utter unto you that night before you went to Theobalds, did he
not will you to stand in denyall of the truth or of that you had formerlie confessed, and not to suffer your selfe to be outfaced by the
said Katheren Malpas, did he not alsoe say unto you, that if you did confesse and charge your selfe that you would bring both
your selfe and him into danger, and that goodwife Hedlyn whom he and you had formerly accused to have bewitched the said
Katheren Malpas, would have a good accion against him for the same. And what other wordes or speeches intendinge to this purpose
or to the like effect id the said Thomas Saunders use and speake either to your selfe or to any others, att Stepney as you
knowe, or have crediblie heard.
Thomas Coventrye.

How to cite:
"INTERROGATORIES to be ministered to Elizabeth Saunders" (13 May 1622). Ed. Richard Raiswell. Public Record Office, UK: STAC 8 32/13. The Witches in Early Modern England Project. 2011. [date of access]. <http://witching.org/>.