| Grace Sowerbutts | A girl from Salmesbury in the County of Lancaster, known to be 14 years old and the granddaughter of Jennet Bierley and the niece of Henry Bierley and Ellen Bierley. She accused her grandmother, aunt and Jane Southworth of bewitching her so that her body wasted and was consumed. Grace eventually admitted to faking her afflictions and making false claims; she accused priest Master Thompson of having convinced her to make the claims. Grace accused all three women of haunting and vexing her, drawing her by her hair, and laying her on top of a hay-mow. Grace also claimed that Jennet had shapeshifted into a black dog in front of her and picked her off a sty. Another time, Jennet came to Grace in dog shape and allegedly tried to persuade her to drown herself, but a spirit in a white sheet carried her away. Jennet-as-dog also buried Grace in hay and lay on top, robbing her of her speech, senses, and an entire day; she claimed to be unable to speak in Jennet's presence thereafter. Grace also accused Jennet and Ellen of stealing Thomas Walshman's child, driving a nail through its navel and sucking from the hole through a pen, then returning the child to its bed; the child languished and died thereafter. Once the child died, Jennet and Ellen allegedly took it from the churchyard, boiled it, ate it and rendered the fat from its bones to anoint themselves so they could change shape. She also alleged that Jennet had brought her to attend a meeting of witches, at which Ellen and Jane were also present, where four things like men carried them all across the water to eat strange meat, which Grace refused, and dance; the black things pulled the women down to "abuse their bodies." Thomas Walshman gave deposition confirming that he had a child who became sick and died, but he did not know the cause. Jennet accused Grace, in turn, of conspiring with the priest Master Thompson when Grace's mother, brought her to him out of concern for Grace's fits. Grace retracted all her accusations before the court.(K3) | The Arraignement and Triall of IENNET BIERLEY ELLEN BIERLEY, and IANE SOVTHVVORTH of Salmesbury, in the County of Lancaster; for Witchcraft vpon the bodie of GRACE SOVVER BVTTS, vpon Wednesday the nineteenth of August: At the Assises and generall Gaole-deliuery, holden at Lancaster. Before Sir EDVVARD BROMLEY Knight, one of his Maiestices Iustices of Assize at Lancaster: as hereafter followeth. viz. () |