Alice Brerely

Under 3 May 1597, Green’s calendar records a pardon to Alice Brerely of Castleton, Lancashire, described as a spinster and condemned for killing Jas. Kirshaw and Rob. Scolefield by witchcraft.

Scope

One complete printed calendar notice. Full research commentary, source comparisons and evidence gaps from the authoritative edition accompany the source passages.

Editorial conventions

Printed-calendar transcription, not a manuscript diplomatic edition. Line wrapping removed; abbreviations and source spelling retained. Marginal date is separate. Modern reading expands Jas. and Rob. to James and Robert. No unseen original Latin supplied. Secondary spellings, interpretations and neighbouring topics remain separately attributed.

Notes on the edition

Comparison of sources: Alice Brerely separate pardon notice — editorial note

The marginal date is 3 May 1597 and is separate from the quoted sentence. Jas. and Rob. are expanded as James and Robert only in the modern reading and canonical person names. The notice does not specify the trial date or court, exact sentence, death dates, evidence, motive for pardon, completed sealing, enrolment or release. Killing by witchcraft is the calendared legal allegation, not proof of supernatural causation. This is not numbered item 6, a separate military letter on the same page.

A pardon to Alice Brerely of Castleton in Lancashire, described as a spinster and condemned for allegedly killing James Kirshaw and Robert Scolefield by witchcraft. The calendar identifies the source as a docquet.

Mary Anne Everett Green, CSPD Elizabeth 1595–1597, London: Longmans, Green, Reader and Dyer, 1869, Volume CCLXIII, under 3 May 1597, unnumbered Docquet notice; no verified original folio, Green 1869 p.406, volume CCLXIII, under 3 May 1597; unnumbered notice · context

Pardon to Alice Brerely, of Castleton, co. Lancaster, spinster, condemned for killing Jas. Kirshaw and Rob. Scolefield by witchcraft. [Docquet.]

Comparison of sources: Fishwick and the local history account

Fishwick cites the State Papers in note 2. He adds a death sentence and gives Kershaw and Scholefield, whereas Green prints only condemned and the spellings Kirshaw and Scolefield. This is a derivative local account, not independent trial evidence.

Inspection: Printed p.534 and note visually checked; pp.535–536 also inspected. Note 1 about Canon Raines belongs to the separate Chapel Croft paragraph. The family and charm sections are neighbouring topics, not evidence of a relationship to Alice.

The belief in witchcraft was at this period widespread throughout the land, and that the inhabitants of this parish were no wiser than their neighbours is evident from the fact that, in 1597, one Alice Brerely of Castleton obtained a pardon after being condemned to death for having killed James Kershaw and Robert Scholefield by witchcraft.

Henry Fishwick, Fishwick 1889, Rochdale: James Clegg, 1889, Henry Fishwick, The History of the Parish of Rochdale in the County of Lancaster (Rochdale, James Clegg, 1889), chapter XX, p.534, heading Witchcraft in the 16th Century, note 2; public Part 3 scan PDF p.111. Printed pp.535–536 are PDF pp.114–115 because two unnumbered plates intervene., Henry Fishwick, The History of the Parish of Rochdale in the County of Lancaster (Rochdale, James Clegg, 1889), chapter XX, p.534, heading Witchcraft in the 16th Century, note 2; public Part 3 scan… · context

Comparison of sources: Ashton reproduces the pardon example

Ashton introduces these examples as taken from State Papers calendars. His abbreviated county and omitted docquet notation distinguish this reproduction from Green’s full notice. It does not add independent contemporary testimony.

Inspection: Complete relevant public Gutenberg text inspected. Historical p.274 locator is inherited; original printed page image not newly checked.

1597. 3 May. Pardon to Alice Brerely of Castleton, co. Lanc., spinster, condemned for killing Jas. Kirshaw and Rob. Scolefield by witchcraft.

John Ashton, Ashton 1896, London: Ward and Downey, 1896, John Ashton, The Devil in Britain and America (London, Ward and Downey, 1896), chapter XX, pardon examples, p.274 as recorded in the earlier dossier; Gutenberg text inspected, original page image not newly checked., John Ashton, The Devil in Britain and America (London, Ward and Downey, 1896), chapter XX, pardon examples, p.274 as recorded in the earlier dossier; Gutenberg text inspected, original page image n… · context

Comparison of sources: Notestein lists the case in his chronology

The Ibid. reference continues the preceding Melton entry’s citation of Green’s calendar. This brief listing is derivative and supplies no further trial detail.

Inspection: Public text, Appendix C heading and the adjoining source reference inspected. Page 393 also appears in the book’s Alice Brerely index entry.

1597. Lancashire. Alice Brerely of Castleton condemned, pardoned. _Ibid._, 406.

Wallace Notestein, A History of Witchcraft in England from 1558 to 1718, Washington, D.C.: The American Historical Association, 1911, Wallace Notestein, A History of Witchcraft in England from 1558 to 1718 (Washington, American Historical Association, 1911), Appendix C, chronological entry for 1597, p.393; Gutenberg text. · context

Comparison of sources: Brennen qualifies the scepticism hypothesis

Brennen tentatively links the two 1597 pardons to possible official scepticism, then cautions against firm conclusions. This does not establish Alice’s pardon motive. Note 7 associates Brerely with volume 263 no. 6; Green’s p.406 shows that no. 6 is a military letter and the pardon notice is unnumbered.

Inspection: Printed p.160, note 7, PDF p.178 inspected in the preserved source; title page states September 2021, repository record 2022. Only this short quotation and discussion are reproduced.

But it is hard to make any firm comments based on such paltry evidence.

Lewis Brennen, Brennen 2021, University of Southampton, 2021, Lewis Brennen, Witchcraft and Politics in Early Modern England c1558–1604 (University of Southampton doctoral thesis, title-page submission September 2021; repository record 2022), chapter 6, printed p.160, note 7, PDF p.178. Repository https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/454716/., Lewis Brennen, Witchcraft and Politics in Early Modern England c1558–1604 (University of Southampton doctoral thesis, title-page submission September 2021; repository record 2022), chapter 6, print… · context

Comparison of sources: Lea and the proposed family continuity

Lea discusses Alis Scholfield, Mary Fielden and Jane Brearley in 1641, then suggests continuity with Alice’s 1597 case. The phrase quoted is on p.61 and expresses a hypothesis, not a documented pedigree. Note 210 cites Green p.406 for Alice; note 208 supplies QSB 1/255/70–71 and QSB 1/255/38 for the later examinations. No kinship is established by the shared locality and surnames.

Inspection: Complete public PDF obtained; title page and pp.60–61 visually inspected after text extraction. No original QSB document inspected. The earlier reported alias Ogden does not occur in the inspected passage; a whole-PDF text search found no Ogden, which is not proof of absence from archival originals.

trading upon a familial reputation for such skills

Deborah Lea, Lea 2011, University of Liverpool, 2011, Deborah Lea, Witchcraft, Possession and Confessional Tension in Early Modern Lancashire (University of Liverpool doctoral thesis, May 2011), pp.60–61, especially notes 208 and 210; PDF pp.65–66. Title page PDF p.1., Deborah Lea, Witchcraft, Possession and Confessional Tension in Early Modern Lancashire (University of Liverpool doctoral thesis, May 2011), pp.60–61, especially notes 208 and 210; PDF pp.65–66. Ti… · context

Comparison of sources: Supported findings

The secure case core is the complete unnumbered pardon notice printed under 3 May 1597 in Green p.406. It names Alice Brerely, Castleton in Lancashire, the descriptor spinster, and James Kirshaw and Robert Scolefield in the offence for which she was condemned.

The marginal date is the calendar notice date. The trial date, court, exact sentence and death dates are not given. A pardon notice alone does not prove completed sealing, enrolment or release.

SP 12/263/6 is not a verified Brerely reference. Green’s numbered item 6 concerns Captain Christopher Crofts’s military letter. The separate pardon notice is labelled Docquet. The TNA guide maps Docquet notices to SP 38; SP 38/5 is a date-range candidate from the earlier 1597–1598 catalogue check, not a confirmed folio.

Fishwick’s p.534 death-sentence wording is not adopted as independently verified. His source note points to the State Papers; the adjacent Canon Raines note concerns a separate topic. The later family sketches and Healey charm do not establish Alice’s relatives or practices.

Lea’s suggestion that a familial magical reputation linked 1597 and 1641 is explicitly treated as interpretation. No original examinations, pedigree or other record securely connects Alice with Jane Brearley or the later people.

The case import has one pardon event and three person narratives: Alice and the two people named in the legal offence. It adds no relatives, later diviners, magical beings, precise death dates or second trial.

Pardon to Alice Brerely, of Castleton, co. Lancaster, spinster, condemned for killing Jas. Kirshaw and Rob. Scolefield by witchcraft. [Docquet.]

Context: About this case and its sources

Reference: Green 1869, Calendar of State Papers Domestic Elizabeth 1595–1597, p.406, separate unnumbered docquet notice
Record dates: 3 May 1597
Source languages: English
Record type: Calendared pardon docquet
Person: Alice Brerely, described as a spinster of Castleton, Lancashire
Other people named: Jas. Kirshaw and Rob. Scolefield, named in the offence for which she had been condemned
Recorded disposition: Pardon notice; the recorded allegation is not independent proof of death by witchcraft
Coverage: One printed notice; the original docquet and trial proceedings are not represented
Texts in this edition: One complete printed calendar notice.
Text status: Printed calendar abstract; original docquet not located.
Edition: 25 October 2026 · version 1.0
How to cite: Witches in Early Modern England, Alice Brerely, reading edition, 25 October 2026, section title and source folio or page.

Pardon to Alice Brerely, of Castleton, co. Lancaster, spinster, condemned for killing Jas. Kirshaw and Rob. Scolefield by witchcraft. [Docquet.]

Context: What is newly verified

Fishwick’s actual case paragraph and its source note have now been visually checked. His printed pp.535–536 discuss a charm and the Roger Brereley family sketch; they do not identify Alice’s relatives. Lea’s complete public thesis has also been obtained and her pp.60–61 inspected, replacing the earlier unverified summary with a precise account of her argument and footnotes. These checks improve source criticism without creating a pedigree.

Fishwick’s actual case paragraph and its source note have now been visually checked. His printed pp.535–536 discuss a charm and the Roger Brereley family sketch; they do not identify Alice’s relatives. Lea’s complete public thesis has also been obtained and her pp.60–61 inspected, replacing the earlier unverified summary with a precise account of her argument and footnotes. These checks improve source criticism without creating a pedigree.

Alice Brerely — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Brerely_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 23 · context

Comparison of sources: 2 Primary source edition and modern English

Mary Anne Everett Green, editor, Calendar of State Papers Domestic Series of the Reign of Elizabeth 1595–1597 (London, Longmans, Green, Reader and Dyer, 1869), p.406, volume CCLXIII, under 3 May 1597, separate unnumbered docquet notice. Cornell scan, Internet Archive cu31924091775282.

https://archive.org/details/cu31924091775282

Source layer: Nineteenth-century printed calendar abstract; original contemporary docquet unlocated

Date metadata: 3 May 1597, printed in the margin. It is not a verified trial or death date.

Mary Anne Everett Green, editor, Calendar of State Papers Domestic Series of the Reign of Elizabeth 1595–1597 (London, Longmans, Green, Reader and Dyer, 1869), p.406, volume CCLXIII, under 3 May 1597, separate unnumbered docquet notice. Cornell scan, Internet Archive cu31924091775282. https://archive.org/details/cu31924091775282 Source layer: Nineteenth-century printed calendar abstract; original contemporary docquet unlocated Date metadata: 3 May 1597, printed in the margin. It is not a verified trial or death date.

Alice Brerely — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Brerely_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 25, 26, 27, 28 · context

Context: Editorial method

Printed-calendar transcription, not a manuscript diplomatic edition. Line wrapping removed; abbreviations and source spelling retained. Marginal date is separate. Modern reading expands Jas. and Rob. to James and Robert. No unseen original Latin supplied. Secondary spellings, interpretations and neighbouring topics remain separately attributed.

Alice Brerely — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Brerely_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 34 · context

Comparison of sources: Image comparison and language

The notice is readable English. Jas., Rob. and co. are retained in the source quotation, with the names expanded only in the modern reading. No printed word in this short notice requires an invented completion. The main uncertainty is the underlying original, not the legibility of this printed text.

Green’s numbered item 6 on the same page is Captain Christopher Crofts writing to the Lord Admiral and Secretary Cecil on 2 May. The separate 3 May pardon notice below is unnumbered. A volume number and a nearby item number cannot be combined into a verified original reference for Alice. The inspected page image is retained unchanged.

Green_1595_1597_page_406.png — 720 × 1072 pixels. Printed calendar evidence, not a manuscript image.

The notice is readable English. Jas., Rob. and co. are retained in the source quotation, with the names expanded only in the modern reading. No printed word in this short notice requires an invented completion. The main uncertainty is the underlying original, not the legibility of this printed text. Green’s numbered item 6 on the same page is Captain Christopher Crofts writing to the Lord Admiral and Secretary Cecil on 2 May. The separate 3 May pardon notice below is unnumbered. A volume number and a nearby item number cannot be combined into a verified original reference for Alice. The inspected page image is retained unchanged. Green_1595_1597_page_406.png — 720 × 1072 pixels. Printed calendar evidence, not a manuscript image.

Alice Brerely — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Brerely_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 37, 38, 39 · context

Comparison of sources: 3 Secondary sources and interpretation

The historical accounts are quoted below from their represented passages; the modern copyrighted theses are limited to short quotations, contextual summaries and exact retrieval references. Later accounts drawing on Green are not counted as additional contemporary witnesses. Full copyrighted secondary works are not reproduced in this package.

The historical accounts are quoted below from their represented passages; the modern copyrighted theses are limited to short quotations, contextual summaries and exact retrieval references. Later accounts drawing on Green are not counted as additional contemporary witnesses. Full copyrighted secondary works are not reproduced in this package.

Alice Brerely — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Brerely_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 41 · context

Context: Fishwick and the local history account

https://www.rmnf.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Fishwick-History-of-Rochdale-Part-3.pdf

Quoted passage: The belief in witchcraft was at this period widespread throughout the land, and that the inhabitants of this parish were no wiser than their neighbours is evident from the fact that, in 1597, one Alice Brerely of Castleton obtained a pardon after being condemned to death for having killed James Kershaw and Robert Scholefield by witchcraft.

Inspection note: Printed p.534 and note visually checked; pp.535–536 also inspected. Note 1 about Canon Raines belongs to the separate Chapel Croft paragraph. The family and charm sections are neighbouring topics, not evidence of a relationship to Alice.

https://www.rmnf.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Fishwick-History-of-Rochdale-Part-3.pdf Quoted passage: The belief in witchcraft was at this period widespread throughout the land, and that the inhabitants of this parish were no wiser than their neighbours is evident from the fact that, in 1597, one Alice Brerely of Castleton obtained a pardon after being condemned to death for having killed James Kershaw and Robert Scholefield by witchcraft. Inspection note: Printed p.534 and note visually checked; pp.535–536 also inspected. Note 1 about Canon Raines belongs to the separate Chapel Croft paragraph. The family and charm sections are neighbouring topics, not evidence of a relationship to Alice.

Alice Brerely — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Brerely_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 44, 45, 47 · context

The belief in witchcraft was at this period widespread throughout the land, and that the inhabitants of this parish were no wiser than their neighbours is evident from the fact that, in 1597, one Alice Brerely of Castleton obtained a pardon after being condemned to death for having killed James Kershaw and Robert Scholefield by witchcraft.

Context: Ashton reproduces the pardon example

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/44412

Quoted passage: 1597. 3 May. Pardon to Alice Brerely of Castleton, co. Lanc., spinster, condemned for killing Jas. Kirshaw and Rob. Scolefield by witchcraft.

Inspection note: Complete relevant public Gutenberg text inspected. Historical p.274 locator is inherited; original printed page image not newly checked.

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/44412 Quoted passage: 1597. 3 May. Pardon to Alice Brerely of Castleton, co. Lanc., spinster, condemned for killing Jas. Kirshaw and Rob. Scolefield by witchcraft. Inspection note: Complete relevant public Gutenberg text inspected. Historical p.274 locator is inherited; original printed page image not newly checked.

Alice Brerely — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Brerely_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 50, 51, 53 · context

1597. 3 May. Pardon to Alice Brerely of Castleton, co. Lanc., spinster, condemned for killing Jas. Kirshaw and Rob. Scolefield by witchcraft.

Context: Notestein lists the case in his chronology

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/31511

Quoted passage: 1597. Lancashire. Alice Brerely of Castleton condemned, pardoned. _Ibid._, 406.

Inspection note: Public text, Appendix C heading and the adjoining source reference inspected. Page 393 also appears in the book’s Alice Brerely index entry.

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/31511 Quoted passage: 1597. Lancashire. Alice Brerely of Castleton condemned, pardoned. _Ibid._, 406. Inspection note: Public text, Appendix C heading and the adjoining source reference inspected. Page 393 also appears in the book’s Alice Brerely index entry.

Alice Brerely — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Brerely_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 56, 57, 59 · context

1597. Lancashire. Alice Brerely of Castleton condemned, pardoned. _Ibid._, 406.

Context: Brennen qualifies the scepticism hypothesis

Quoted passage: But it is hard to make any firm comments based on such paltry evidence.

Inspection note: Printed p.160, note 7, PDF p.178 inspected in the preserved source; title page states September 2021, repository record 2022. Only this short quotation and discussion are reproduced.

Quoted passage: But it is hard to make any firm comments based on such paltry evidence. Inspection note: Printed p.160, note 7, PDF p.178 inspected in the preserved source; title page states September 2021, repository record 2022. Only this short quotation and discussion are reproduced.

Alice Brerely — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Brerely_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 63, 65 · context

But it is hard to make any firm comments based on such paltry evidence.

Context: Lea and the proposed family continuity

https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3174065/1/539498.pdf

Quoted passage: trading upon a familial reputation for such skills

Inspection note: Complete public PDF obtained; title page and pp.60–61 visually inspected after text extraction. No original QSB document inspected. The earlier reported alias Ogden does not occur in the inspected passage; a whole-PDF text search found no Ogden, which is not proof of absence from archival originals.

https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3174065/1/539498.pdf Quoted passage: trading upon a familial reputation for such skills Inspection note: Complete public PDF obtained; title page and pp.60–61 visually inspected after text extraction. No original QSB document inspected. The earlier reported alias Ogden does not occur in the inspected passage; a whole-PDF text search found no Ogden, which is not proof of absence from archival originals.

Alice Brerely — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Brerely_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 68, 69, 71 · context

trading upon a familial reputation for such skills

Context: Boundaries of the local context

Fishwick’s pp.535–536 name Roger Brereley, his father Thomas of Marland, grandfather Roger and brother Abel. This adjacent sketch does not connect them to Alice. The Healey charm and its plates are also a separate topic, not Alice’s possessions or an explanation of her accusation.

Lea’s surname and locality comparison raises a question for future original-record and genealogical work. It does not prove an inherited gift, actual magical activity or an intergenerational prosecution pattern. The forty-four-year interval is retained rather than bridged by an invented relationship.

Fishwick’s pp.535–536 name Roger Brereley, his father Thomas of Marland, grandfather Roger and brother Abel. This adjacent sketch does not connect them to Alice. The Healey charm and its plates are also a separate topic, not Alice’s possessions or an explanation of her accusation. Lea’s surname and locality comparison raises a question for future original-record and genealogical work. It does not prove an inherited gift, actual magical activity or an intergenerational prosecution pattern. The forty-four-year interval is retained rather than bridged by an invented relationship.

Alice Brerely — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Brerely_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 73, 74 · context

Context: Alice Brerely

Green, Fishwick, Ashton and Notestein use Brerely in the represented accounts. Lea uses Brearley for Alice. Neither spelling alone proves a link to Jane Brearley.

Citation: Green 1869 p.406, separate unnumbered 3 May 1597 notice; complete source text in section 2.

Green, Fishwick, Ashton and Notestein use Brerely in the represented accounts. Lea uses Brearley for Alice. Neither spelling alone proves a link to Jane Brearley. Citation: Green 1869 p.406, separate unnumbered 3 May 1597 notice; complete source text in section 2.

Alice Brerely — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Brerely_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 78, 96 · context

Context: James Kirshaw

Green prints Jas. Kirshaw. Fishwick gives James Kershaw; Lea gives James Kirkshaw. These later spellings are attributed to their sources and are not automatic identity matches.

Green prints Jas. Kirshaw. Fishwick gives James Kershaw; Lea gives James Kirkshaw. These later spellings are attributed to their sources and are not automatic identity matches.

Alice Brerely — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Brerely_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 80 · context

Context: Robert Scolefield

Green prints Rob. Scolefield. Fishwick gives Robert Scholefield; Lea uses Scolefield in the 1597 comparison and Scholfield for a later person. No connection between them is established.

Green prints Rob. Scolefield. Fishwick gives Robert Scholefield; Lea uses Scolefield in the 1597 comparison and Scholfield for a later person. No connection between them is established.

Alice Brerely — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Brerely_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 82 · context

Context: Chronology without invented dates

Before or by the calendared pardon notice: Alice is described retrospectively as condemned. The underlying trial and exact sentence are unknown.

3 May 1597: Green places the pardon notice under this date. It does not independently date signature, sealing, enrolment, release or either alleged victim’s death.

1641: Lea discusses separate divination proceedings. Their relationship to Alice remains hypothetical; no later person or event is added to the 1597 import.

1869: Green’s calendar prints the notice. 1889,1896 and 1911: Fishwick, Ashton and Notestein publish later accounts. 2011 and 2021/2022: Lea and Brennen offer interpretive discussions. These publication dates are source history, not new events in Alice’s life.

Before or by the calendared pardon notice: Alice is described retrospectively as condemned. The underlying trial and exact sentence are unknown. 3 May 1597: Green places the pardon notice under this date. It does not independently date signature, sealing, enrolment, release or either alleged victim’s death. 1641: Lea discusses separate divination proceedings. Their relationship to Alice remains hypothetical; no later person or event is added to the 1597 import. 1869: Green’s calendar prints the notice. 1889,1896 and 1911: Fishwick, Ashton and Notestein publish later accounts. 2011 and 2021/2022: Lea and Brennen offer interpretive discussions. These publication dates are source history, not new events in Alice’s life.

Context: Event

Date: 1597, May 3

Calendar date, not a verified trial or death date. Legal allegation does not establish supernatural causation. Exact sentence, completed sealing, release and motive remain unknown. The separate notice is unnumbered; no original folio certified.

Date: 1597, May 3 Calendar date, not a verified trial or death date. Legal allegation does not establish supernatural causation. Exact sentence, completed sealing, release and motive remain unknown. The separate notice is unnumbered; no original folio certified.

Alice Brerely — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Brerely_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 92, 93 · context

Context: Jas. Kirshaw

Citation: Green 1869 p.406, separate unnumbered 3 May 1597 notice; complete source text in section 2.

Citation: Green 1869 p.406, separate unnumbered 3 May 1597 notice; complete source text in section 2.

Alice Brerely — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Brerely_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 99 · context

Context: Rob. Scolefield

Citation: Green 1869 p.406, separate unnumbered 3 May 1597 notice; complete source text in section 2.

Citation: Green 1869 p.406, separate unnumbered 3 May 1597 notice; complete source text in section 2.

Alice Brerely — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Brerely_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 99 · context

Context: Original docquet

No original 1597 Brerely docquet, faithful contemporary copy or precise folio has been inspected. SP 38/5 is only a chronological candidate; SP 12/263/6 is rejected as a verified case locator.

No original 1597 Brerely docquet, faithful contemporary copy or precise folio has been inspected. SP 38/5 is only a chronological candidate; SP 12/263/6 is rejected as a verified case locator.

Alice Brerely — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Brerely_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 107 · context

Context: Trial and deaths

No indictment, examination, verdict, trial date, venue, exact sentence, evidence, death date or independently established cause of death has been recovered. Fishwick’s death-sentence wording remains derivative.

No indictment, examination, verdict, trial date, venue, exact sentence, evidence, death date or independently established cause of death has been recovered. Fishwick’s death-sentence wording remains derivative.

Alice Brerely — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Brerely_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 109 · context

Context: Pardon administration

No royal motive, completed sealing, patent enrolment, release or later fate is established by the calendar abstract.

No royal motive, completed sealing, patent enrolment, release or later fate is established by the calendar abstract.

Alice Brerely — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Brerely_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 111 · context

Context: Names and identities

Jas. and Rob. are expanded as James and Robert. Kershaw and Scholefield are Fishwick’s forms; Kirkshaw and Brearley occur in Lea’s account. These are source-specific spellings, not secure matches to database people or local pedigrees.

Jas. and Rob. are expanded as James and Robert. Kershaw and Scholefield are Fishwick’s forms; Kirkshaw and Brearley occur in Lea’s account. These are source-specific spellings, not secure matches to database people or local pedigrees.

Alice Brerely — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Brerely_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 113 · context

Comparison of sources: The 1641 comparison

Lea cites QSB 1/255/70–71 and 1/255/38. Original records and any family link remain unverified. The inherited alias Ogden is not confirmed by the inspected thesis pages. No later person is merged into 1597.

Lea cites QSB 1/255/70–71 and 1/255/38. Original records and any family link remain unverified. The inherited alias Ogden is not confirmed by the inspected thesis pages. No later person is merged into 1597.

Alice Brerely — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Brerely_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 115 · context

Context: Family and Raines leads

Thomas, Roger and Abel Brereley in Fishwick’s adjacent family sketch are not Alice’s established relatives. Raines is cited for a separate local custom, not as the case’s source. No Alice-specific Raines manuscript has been identified.

Thomas, Roger and Abel Brereley in Fishwick’s adjacent family sketch are not Alice’s established relatives. Raines is cited for a separate local custom, not as the case’s source. No Alice-specific Raines manuscript has been identified.

Alice Brerely — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Brerely_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 117 · context

trading upon a familial reputation for such skills

Evidence gap: Search scope

This is a bounded public-source and preserved-history update, not an exhaustive search of all Lancashire or government archives, restricted databases, probate or parish registers. Full manuscript transcription and any Latin translation await an original witness.

This is a bounded public-source and preserved-history update, not an exhaustive search of all Lancashire or government archives, restricted databases, probate or parish registers. Full manuscript transcription and any Latin translation await an original witness.

Alice Brerely — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Brerely_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 119 · context

Evidence gap: Priority retrieval route

The National Archives guide State Papers Domestic 1547–1649, section 5.2, maps Docquet(s) to SP 38/x. The saved guide was directly retrieved in the Melton work on 24 October 2026. The dated 22 October catalogue check identifies SP 38/5 as 1597–1598. This is a chronological candidate, not a fresh original-source finding or a Brerely folio. https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/state-papers-domestic-1547-1649/

The next administrative lookup is the index and entries of Calendar of Patent Rolls 39 Elizabeth I 1596–1597, C 66/1458–1476, List and Index Society 322–323 (2008), ISBN 9781906875015, plus relevant corrigenda in 359 (2018), ISBN 9781906875503. The publisher’s 322–323 page names Simon Neal; the title page and any Alice entry remain uninspected. https://www.listandindexsociety.org.uk/publications/322.html and https://www.listandindexsociety.org.uk/publications/359.html . A bibliographic listing is not a negative search for an enrolment.

A separate request can identify the original 1641 QSB records and test the family hypothesis. It must not assume that surnames establish descent. Exact drafts are saved in 04_Validation/Brerely_Unsent_Retrieval_Requests.md. No request has been sent.

The National Archives guide State Papers Domestic 1547–1649, section 5.2, maps Docquet(s) to SP 38/x. The saved guide was directly retrieved in the Melton work on 24 October 2026. The dated 22 October catalogue check identifies SP 38/5 as 1597–1598. This is a chronological candidate, not a fresh original-source finding or a Brerely folio. https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/state-papers-domestic-1547-1649/ The next administrative lookup is the index and entries of Calendar of Patent Rolls 39 Elizabeth I 1596–1597, C 66/1458–1476, List and Index Society 322–323 (2008), ISBN 9781906875015, plus relevant corrigenda in 359 (2018), ISBN 9781906875503. The publisher’s 322–323 page names Simon Neal; the title page and any Alice entry remain uninspected. https://www.listandindexsociety.org.uk/publications/322.html and https://www.listandindexsociety.org.uk/publications/359.html . A bibliographic listing is not a negative search for an enrolment. A separate request can identify the original 1641 QSB records and test the family hypothesis. It must not assume that surnames establish descent. Exact drafts are saved in 04_Validation/Brerely_Unsent_Retrieval_Requests.md. No request has been sent.

Comparison of sources: Full references for abbreviated passage labels

The passage labels are abbreviated to meet the importer’s 200-character limit. Full references follow.

ps-secondary-fishwick: Henry Fishwick, The History of the Parish of Rochdale in the County of Lancaster (Rochdale, James Clegg, 1889), chapter XX, p.534, heading Witchcraft in the 16th Century, note 2; public Part 3 scan PDF p.111. Printed pp.535–536 are PDF pp.114–115 because two unnumbered plates intervene.

ps-secondary-ashton: John Ashton, The Devil in Britain and America (London, Ward and Downey, 1896), chapter XX, pardon examples, p.274 as recorded in the earlier dossier; Gutenberg text inspected, original page image not newly checked.

ps-secondary-brennen: Lewis Brennen, Witchcraft and Politics in Early Modern England c1558–1604 (University of Southampton doctoral thesis, title-page submission September 2021; repository record 2022), chapter 6, printed p.160, note 7, PDF p.178. Repository https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/454716/.

ps-secondary-lea: Deborah Lea, Witchcraft, Possession and Confessional Tension in Early Modern Lancashire (University of Liverpool doctoral thesis, May 2011), pp.60–61, especially notes 208 and 210; PDF pp.65–66. Title page PDF p.1.

The belief in witchcraft was at this period widespread throughout the land, and that the inhabitants of this parish were no wiser than their neighbours is evident from the fact that, in 1597, one Alice Brerely of Castleton obtained a pardon after being condemned to death for having killed James Kershaw and Robert Scholefield by witchcraft.

1597. 3 May. Pardon to Alice Brerely of Castleton, co. Lanc., spinster, condemned for killing Jas. Kirshaw and Rob. Scolefield by witchcraft.

But it is hard to make any firm comments based on such paltry evidence.

trading upon a familial reputation for such skills

Editorial note: Source supported locations

Location projection revision: Castleton, Lancashire: Of Castleton in the calendar notice. Modern administrative identity and precise address not established here. Existing source texts and English renderings are unchanged. Geographic association is not proof of physical attendance, a magic location or statutory jurisdiction.

A pardon to Alice Brerely of Castleton in Lancashire, described as a spinster and condemned for allegedly killing James Kirshaw and Robert Scolefield by witchcraft. The calendar identifies the source as a docquet.

Pardon to Alice Brerely, of Castleton, co. Lancaster, spinster, condemned for killing Jas. Kirshaw and Rob. Scolefield by witchcraft. [Docquet.]

Reading register: Full reading edition held on the source record

The full English-first reading-edition body is supplied in the linked edition source’s full_text field. Original texts, English renderings, citations, uncertainty and source-layer distinctions are retained. This source is the project reading edition, not a newly recovered primary manuscript. Database storage does not by itself certify publication.

Brerely · reading edition, Witching reading edition; prepared 2026-10-25; edition version 1.0; reading identifier edition-brerely. · context

People

Alice Brerely: Castleton spinster named in a calendared pardon following condemnation for alleged witchcraft killings
James Kirshaw: Named in the offence covered by Alice Brerely’s 1597 pardon notice
Robert Scolefield: Named in the offence covered by Alice Brerely’s 1597 pardon notice

Events

The pardon calendar describes Alice Brerely as condemned for killing James Kirshaw and Robert Scolefield by witchcraft. This records the offence attributed in that legal notice; the original docquet and evidence of causation are not independently supplied.
1597, May 3: Under 3 May 1597, Green’s calendar records a pardon to Alice Brerely of Castleton, Lancashire, described as a spinster and condemned for killing Jas. Kirshaw and Rob. Scolefield by witchcraft. (a documentary entry)

Sources

Wallace Notestein, A History of Witchcraft in England from 1558 to 1718, Washington, D.C.: The American Historical Association, 1911 (later scholarship)
Mary Anne Everett Green, CSPD Elizabeth 1595–1597, London: Longmans, Green, Reader and Dyer, 1869, Volume CCLXIII, under 3 May 1597, unnumbered Docquet notice; no verified original folio (calendar)
Henry Fishwick, Fishwick 1889, Rochdale: James Clegg, 1889, Henry Fishwick, The History of the Parish of Rochdale in the County of Lancaster (Rochdale, James Clegg, 1889), chapter XX, p.534, heading Witchcraft in the 16th Century, note 2; public Part 3 scan PDF p.111. Printed pp.535–536 are PDF pp.114–115 because two unnumbered plates intervene. (scholarship) (later scholarship)
John Ashton, Ashton 1896, London: Ward and Downey, 1896, John Ashton, The Devil in Britain and America (London, Ward and Downey, 1896), chapter XX, pardon examples, p.274 as recorded in the earlier dossier; Gutenberg text inspected, original page image not newly checked. (scholarship) (later scholarship)
Lewis Brennen, Brennen 2021, University of Southampton, 2021, Lewis Brennen, Witchcraft and Politics in Early Modern England c1558–1604 (University of Southampton doctoral thesis, title-page submission September 2021; repository record 2022), chapter 6, printed p.160, note 7, PDF p.178. Repository https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/454716/. (scholarship) (later scholarship)
Deborah Lea, Lea 2011, University of Liverpool, 2011, Deborah Lea, Witchcraft, Possession and Confessional Tension in Early Modern Lancashire (University of Liverpool doctoral thesis, May 2011), pp.60–61, especially notes 208 and 210; PDF pp.65–66. Title page PDF p.1. (scholarship) (later scholarship)
Alice Brerely — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Brerely_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx (edition)
Brerely · reading edition, Witching reading edition; prepared 2026-10-25; edition version 1.0; reading identifier edition-brerely. (edition)

Credit

Witches in Early Modern England research edition. Human editorial and review credits await confirmation.