Elizabeth Melton

Under 30 April 1597, Green’s calendar records a pardon for Eliz. Melton, late of Collingham in Yorkshire, described as condemned for 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 edition transcription, not a diplomatic manuscript edition. Line wrapping removed and abbreviations retained. Marginal date is metadata separate from notice text. Contextual index entries mark column divisions with vertical bars; repeated surname dash retained. Modern readings remain separate. Bis is Latin for twice; the editorial referent remains unresolved. No unseen Latin pardon supplied.

Notes on the edition

Comparison of sources: Elizabeth Melton pardon notice — editorial note

The marginal date 30 April 1597 is metadata and is not silently prefixed to the quoted sentence. The notice is unnumbered. It is not item 150, which is military correspondence beginning on p.399. No trial date, precise accusation, witness, victim, sentence of death, pardon motive, sealing, enrolment or release is supplied.

A pardon for Elizabeth Melton, described as formerly of Collingham in Yorkshire and condemned for witchcraft. The calendar marks the source as a docquet and adds bis, literally twice; what that editorial notation refers to has not been established.

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.400, vol.CCLXII, under 30 April 1597; separate unnumbered notice · context

Pardon for Eliz. Melton, late of Collingham, co. York, condemned for witchcraft. [Docquet, bis.]

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

The marginal date is 3 May 1597. This is not numbered item 6, which is a military letter on the same page. No shared trial, kinship or other connection to Melton is established. This notice is included only to explain the secondary comparison and reference error.

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 source is identified as a docquet.

Calendar of State Papers Domestic Elizabeth 1595–1597: separate Brerely notice, 1869, Green 1869 p.406, volume CCLXIII, under 3 May 1597; unnumbered notice, 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: Edward Melton of Collinghame in the printed will index — editorial note

Vertical bars separate the printed date, body, volume and folio columns; original line wrapping is removed. The county and any relationship to Elizabeth of Yorkshire Collingham are unknown. The sic-marked year is preserved without correction. These are index details, not a transcription of the will or a certified death date.

The index has a left-column date of 30 April 1601 for Edward Melton, a labourer of Collinghame. It gives a will date of 23 March 1601, marked sic, and refers to register 28, folio 351.

Francis Collins, Index of Wills in the York Registry AD 1594 to 1602, 1898, Yorkshire Archaeological Society Record Series 24 (1898), p.70 and appendix p.169; exact register references retained with the passages., Francis Collins, editor, Index of Wills in the York Registry AD 1594 to 1602, Yorkshire Archaeological Society Record Series 24 (1898), p.70; scan PDF p.78; register 28, folio 351 · context

Apl. 30, 1601. | Melton, Edward, Collinghame, labourer, Mar. 23, 1601 (sic.) | 28 | 351

Comparison of sources: Elizabeth Melton of Gedlinge in the printed will index — editorial note

The printed repeated-surname dash is retained. Column divisions are marked by vertical bars. A same name does not establish identity with the Yorkshire woman. Widowhood and the Nottinghamshire locality must not be imported into Melton’s case. No original will or probate clause has been read.

The index records Elizabeth, with the surname Melton carried forward from the preceding entry, as a widow of Gedlinge in Nottinghamshire. The left-column date is 12 April 1597, the will date is 23 March 1596, and the reference is register 26, folio 531.

Apl. 12, 1597. | ——, Elizabeth, Gedlinge (Notts.), widow, Mar. 23, 1596. | 26 | 531

Comparison of sources: Edward Melton of Gedling in the appendix — editorial note

The nature of the underlying act, its original reference and any connection to the widow or the Collinghame labourer remain unverified. This occurrence does not create a family relationship. Vertical bar marks the printed column division.

The appendix lists Edward Melton of Gedling, Nottingham, with the date 21 April 1597.

Apl. 21, 1597. | Melton, Edward, Gedling, Nottingham.

Comparison of sources: Ashton reproduces two separate pardon examples

Ashton introduces these as examples from the Calendars of State Papers. Elizabeth Melton and Alice Brerely are separate women in separate notices. Their proximity on this list is not proof of a joint trial or connection. The expansion Elizabeth is his form; Green prints Eliz.

1597. 30 Ap. Pardon for Elizabeth Melton, late of Collingham, co. York, condemned for witchcraft. 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 repeats the calendar notice

Notestein cites Green’s page 400. This is a derivative notice, not independent corroboration from another contemporary record. Direct borrowing from Ashton is not established.

1597. Yorkshire. Elizabeth Melton of Collingham condemned, pardoned. _Cal. St. P., Dom._, 1595-1597, 400.

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, printed p.393; Gutenberg text… · context

Comparison of sources: Brennen and the limits of an interpretation

Brennen considers whether the 1597 pardons may reflect growing scepticism, but immediately qualifies that suggestion. This is interpretation, not a documented royal motive. His note 7 associates Melton with volume 262 no.150 and Brerely with volume 263 no.6. Green’s images show the pardon notices are unnumbered and separate from the nearby numbered military letters. The miscitation is visible here; its first origin is not established. The thesis is not reproduced in full.

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: Supported findings

The secure core is one unnumbered printed calendar notice under 30 April 1597, describing Eliz. Melton as late of Collingham, Yorkshire, condemned for witchcraft, and recording a pardon. It is a calendar abstract, not the full pardon instrument.

SP 12/262/150 is not justified as her manuscript reference. The numbered item 150 is military correspondence beginning on p.399 and continuing on p.400. The Melton notice stands separately below.

The National Archives research guide’s section 5.2 maps calendar references labelled Docquet(s) to SP 38/x; that table was retrieved and checked on 24 October 2026. The earlier catalogue check identifies SP 38/5, covering 1597–1598, as a date-range candidate. No Melton folio has been established. The current live Discovery request returned no usable content, so the piece-level description remains a dated 22 October finding.

Bis means twice, but its editorial referent here is unresolved. It is not converted into two pardons or two separate administrative stages.

The trial court, alleged magical act, accusers, witnesses, victim, conviction date, sentence details, royal motive, completed sealing, patent enrolment and release remain unknown.

The pardon for Alice Brerely, and later Lancashire people with similar surnames, remain separate research. There is no demonstrated link to Melton. Derivative printed notices and surname similarities do not create independent corroboration.

The 22 October York searches were bounded catalogue and OCR checks, not a complete manuscript survey. Two Melton entries on probate index p.70 and an appendix occurrence on p.169 are preserved as unverified identity leads. They establish neither kinship nor the pardon recipient’s marital status.

Pardon for Eliz. Melton, late of Collingham, co. York, condemned for witchcraft. [Docquet, bis.]

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

Apl. 30, 1601. | Melton, Edward, Collinghame, labourer, Mar. 23, 1601 (sic.) | 28 | 351

Apl. 12, 1597. | ——, Elizabeth, Gedlinge (Notts.), widow, Mar. 23, 1596. | 26 | 531

Apl. 21, 1597. | Melton, Edward, Gedling, Nottingham.

Context: About this case and its sources

Reference: Green 1869, Calendar of State Papers Domestic Elizabeth 1595–1597, p.400, separate unnumbered docquet notice
Record dates: 30 April 1597
Source languages: English
Record type: Calendared pardon docquet
Person: Elizabeth Melton, described as late of Collingham, Yorkshire
Recorded disposition: Pardon notice for a woman described as condemned for 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, Elizabeth Melton, reading edition, 25 October 2026, section title and source folio or page.

Pardon for Eliz. Melton, late of Collingham, co. York, condemned for witchcraft. [Docquet, bis.]

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

Apl. 30, 1601. | Melton, Edward, Collinghame, labourer, Mar. 23, 1601 (sic.) | 28 | 351

Apl. 12, 1597. | ——, Elizabeth, Gedlinge (Notts.), widow, Mar. 23, 1596. | 26 | 531

Apl. 21, 1597. | Melton, Edward, Gedling, Nottingham.

Context: Editorial corrections and boundaries

The earlier shorthand SP 12/262/150 is rejected as a verified Melton locator. The source quotation no longer silently incorporates the marginal date. The export’s long narrative is now populated, and the earlier forced keep policy is removed so an importer reviewer can consider existing records. The case stays at one event and one person assertion because the evidence does not justify more.

Elizabeth is an expansion of Green’s Eliz., also used by Ashton and Notestein. Milton remains a search variant. The calendar supplies county York, but no coordinates or modern village match are imposed. The same-name Nottinghamshire widow and Edward Melton of Collinghame remain separate leads. Alice Brerely’s pardon is comparison material, not part of Melton’s case.

The earlier shorthand SP 12/262/150 is rejected as a verified Melton locator. The source quotation no longer silently incorporates the marginal date. The export’s long narrative is now populated, and the earlier forced keep policy is removed so an importer reviewer can consider existing records. The case stays at one event and one person assertion because the evidence does not justify more. Elizabeth is an expansion of Green’s Eliz., also used by Ashton and Notestein. Milton remains a search variant. The calendar supplies county York, but no coordinates or modern village match are imposed. The same-name Nottinghamshire widow and Edward Melton of Collinghame remain separate leads. Alice Brerely’s pardon is comparison material, not part of Melton’s case.

Elizabeth Melton — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Melton_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 25, 26 · 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.400, volume CCLXII, under 30 April 1597, unnumbered notice. Cornell scan, Internet Archive cu31924091775282.

https://archive.org/details/cu31924091775282

Source layer: Nineteenth century calendar abstract; original docquet unlocated

Date metadata: 30 April 1597, as printed in the margin. It is not a verified conviction 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.400, volume CCLXII, under 30 April 1597, unnumbered notice. Cornell scan, Internet Archive cu31924091775282. https://archive.org/details/cu31924091775282 Source layer: Nineteenth century calendar abstract; original docquet unlocated Date metadata: 30 April 1597, as printed in the margin. It is not a verified conviction date.

Elizabeth Melton — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Melton_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 28, 29, 30, 31 · context

Context: Editorial method

Printed edition transcription, not a diplomatic manuscript edition. Line wrapping removed and abbreviations retained. Marginal date is metadata separate from notice text. Contextual index entries mark column divisions with vertical bars; repeated surname dash retained. Modern readings remain separate. Bis is Latin for twice; the editorial referent remains unresolved. No unseen Latin pardon supplied.

Elizabeth Melton — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Melton_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 37 · context

Comparison of sources: Numbering and image comparison

Green’s item 150 begins at the bottom of p.399 with the Queen writing to the Lord Lieutenant of Kent about the Cardinal of Austria and military readiness. It continues at the top of p.400. Below it stand separate unnumbered notices. Melton’s is between pardons for Thomas Crane and for John Claxton and others. These page relationships explain the erroneous numbered reference without pretending to identify Melton’s original folio.

The separate Alice Brerely pardon under 3 May on p.406 follows numbered military item 6, Captain Christopher Crofts to the Lord Admiral and Secretary Cecil. The Brerely notice is likewise unnumbered. The full page images are preserved to make both corrections reviewable.

Green’s item 150 begins at the bottom of p.399 with the Queen writing to the Lord Lieutenant of Kent about the Cardinal of Austria and military readiness. It continues at the top of p.400. Below it stand separate unnumbered notices. Melton’s is between pardons for Thomas Crane and for John Claxton and others. These page relationships explain the erroneous numbered reference without pretending to identify Melton’s original folio. The separate Alice Brerely pardon under 3 May on p.406 follows numbered military item 6, Captain Christopher Crofts to the Lord Admiral and Secretary Cecil. The Brerely notice is likewise unnumbered. The full page images are preserved to make both corrections reviewable.

Elizabeth Melton — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Melton_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 40, 41 · context

Context: Language and legibility

The printed notice is readable English. Eliz., co. and the editorial Latin bis are retained. Bis literally means twice, but the available evidence does not establish whether the editor meant duplicate entries, witnesses or something else. A diplomatic transcription or Latin translation of the 1597 original cannot be supplied without the original or a faithful contemporary copy.

Green_1595_1597_page_399.png — 810 × 1206 pixels. Inspected printed-page evidence, not a manuscript image.

Green_1595_1597_page_400.png — 720 × 1072 pixels. Inspected printed-page evidence, not a manuscript image.

Green_1595_1597_page_406.png — 720 × 1072 pixels. Inspected printed-page evidence, not a manuscript image.

The printed notice is readable English. Eliz., co. and the editorial Latin bis are retained. Bis literally means twice, but the available evidence does not establish whether the editor meant duplicate entries, witnesses or something else. A diplomatic transcription or Latin translation of the 1597 original cannot be supplied without the original or a faithful contemporary copy. Green_1595_1597_page_399.png — 810 × 1206 pixels. Inspected printed-page evidence, not a manuscript image. Green_1595_1597_page_400.png — 720 × 1072 pixels. Inspected printed-page evidence, not a manuscript image. Green_1595_1597_page_406.png — 720 × 1072 pixels. Inspected printed-page evidence, not a manuscript image.

Comparison of sources: 3 Secondary sources and interpretation

The following passages trace reception and interpretation. Ashton and Notestein reproduce or summarise the calendared notice; they are not independent contemporary witnesses to the trial. Brennen discusses a possible political interpretation but expressly qualifies it. No author’s hypothesis is converted into a fact about the royal motive.

The following passages trace reception and interpretation. Ashton and Notestein reproduce or summarise the calendared notice; they are not independent contemporary witnesses to the trial. Brennen discusses a possible political interpretation but expressly qualifies it. No author’s hypothesis is converted into a fact about the royal motive.

Elizabeth Melton — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Melton_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 48 · context

Context: Ashton reproduces two separate pardon examples

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

Quoted passage: 1597. 30 Ap. Pardon for Elizabeth Melton, late of Collingham, co. York, condemned for witchcraft. 1597. 3 May. Pardon to Alice Brerely of Castleton, co. Lanc., spinster, condemned for killing Jas. Kirshaw and Rob. Scolefield by witchcraft.

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/44412 Quoted passage: 1597. 30 Ap. Pardon for Elizabeth Melton, late of Collingham, co. York, condemned for witchcraft. 1597. 3 May. Pardon to Alice Brerely of Castleton, co. Lanc., spinster, condemned for killing Jas. Kirshaw and Rob. Scolefield by witchcraft.

Elizabeth Melton — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Melton_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 51, 52 · context

1597. 30 Ap. Pardon for Elizabeth Melton, late of Collingham, co. York, condemned for witchcraft. 1597. 3 May. Pardon to Alice Brerely of Castleton, co. Lanc., spinster, condemned for killing Jas. Kirshaw and Rob. Scolefield by witchcraft.

Context: Notestein repeats the calendar notice

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

Quoted passage: 1597. Yorkshire. Elizabeth Melton of Collingham condemned, pardoned. _Cal. St. P., Dom._, 1595-1597, 400.

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/31511 Quoted passage: 1597. Yorkshire. Elizabeth Melton of Collingham condemned, pardoned. _Cal. St. P., Dom._, 1595-1597, 400.

Elizabeth Melton — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Melton_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 56, 57 · context

1597. Yorkshire. Elizabeth Melton of Collingham condemned, pardoned. _Cal. St. P., Dom._, 1595-1597, 400.

Context: Brennen and the limits of an interpretation

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

Brennen’s title page is PDF p.3 and states September 2021; the repository record is dated 2022. His printed p.160 is PDF p.178 in the preserved source. Note 7 is an identifiable occurrence of the misleading numbered citations; the first origin of the error is not established. Only a short quotation and the relevant evidence page are included here; the complete copyrighted thesis is not reproduced.

Quoted passage: But it is hard to make any firm comments based on such paltry evidence. Brennen’s title page is PDF p.3 and states September 2021; the repository record is dated 2022. His printed p.160 is PDF p.178 in the preserved source. Note 7 is an identifiable occurrence of the misleading numbered citations; the first origin of the error is not established. Only a short quotation and the relevant evidence page are included here; the complete copyrighted thesis is not reproduced.

Elizabeth Melton — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Melton_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 62, 64 · context

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

Context: 4 Contextual records and identity safeguards

These records are retained to test comparisons and discriminate identities. They are excluded from the Melton WEME import. The probate entries are nineteenth-century index wording, not transcriptions of sixteenth-century wills. Left-column dates, will dates and register references are kept distinct; no date is silently converted into a death date.

These records are retained to test comparisons and discriminate identities. They are excluded from the Melton WEME import. The probate entries are nineteenth-century index wording, not transcriptions of sixteenth-century wills. Left-column dates, will dates and register references are kept distinct; no date is silently converted into a death date.

Elizabeth Melton — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Melton_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 66 · context

Context: Alice Brerely separate pardon notice

Source layer: Printed calendar abstract; separate case, not a Melton connection

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

Modern English: 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 source is identified as a docquet.

Source layer: Printed calendar abstract; separate case, not a Melton connection Represented text: Pardon to Alice Brerely, of Castleton, co. Lancaster, spinster, condemned for killing Jas. Kirshaw and Rob. Scolefield by witchcraft. [Docquet.] Modern English: 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 source is identified as a docquet.

Elizabeth Melton — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Melton_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 69, 70, 71 · context

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

Context: Edward Melton of Collinghame in the printed will index

Francis Collins, editor, Index of Wills in the York Registry AD 1594 to 1602, Yorkshire Archaeological Society Record Series 24 (1898), p.70; scan PDF p.78; register 28, folio 351

Source layer: Printed probate index; identity lead only, original will uninspected

Represented text: Apl. 30, 1601. | Melton, Edward, Collinghame, labourer, Mar. 23, 1601 (sic.) | 28 | 351

Modern English: The index has a left-column date of 30 April 1601 for Edward Melton, a labourer of Collinghame. It gives a will date of 23 March 1601, marked sic, and refers to register 28, folio 351.

Source: Francis Collins, editor, Index of Wills in the York Registry AD 1594 to 1602, Yorkshire Archaeological Society Record Series 24 (1898). https://archive.org/details/YASRS024

Francis Collins, editor, Index of Wills in the York Registry AD 1594 to 1602, Yorkshire Archaeological Society Record Series 24 (1898), p.70; scan PDF p.78; register 28, folio 351 Source layer: Printed probate index; identity lead only, original will uninspected Represented text: Apl. 30, 1601. | Melton, Edward, Collinghame, labourer, Mar. 23, 1601 (sic.) | 28 | 351 Modern English: The index has a left-column date of 30 April 1601 for Edward Melton, a labourer of Collinghame. It gives a will date of 23 March 1601, marked sic, and refers to register 28, folio 351. Source: Francis Collins, editor, Index of Wills in the York Registry AD 1594 to 1602, Yorkshire Archaeological Society Record Series 24 (1898). https://archive.org/details/YASRS024

Apl. 30, 1601. | Melton, Edward, Collinghame, labourer, Mar. 23, 1601 (sic.) | 28 | 351

Context: Elizabeth Melton of Gedlinge in the printed will index

Collins 1898 p.70; scan PDF p.78; register 26, folio 531

Source layer: Printed probate index; same-name person, not identified with the pardon recipient

Represented text: Apl. 12, 1597. | ——, Elizabeth, Gedlinge (Notts.), widow, Mar. 23, 1596. | 26 | 531

Modern English: The index records Elizabeth, with the surname Melton carried forward from the preceding entry, as a widow of Gedlinge in Nottinghamshire. The left-column date is 12 April 1597, the will date is 23 March 1596, and the reference is register 26, folio 531.

Source: Francis Collins, editor, Index of Wills in the York Registry AD 1594 to 1602, Yorkshire Archaeological Society Record Series 24 (1898). https://archive.org/details/YASRS024

Collins 1898 p.70; scan PDF p.78; register 26, folio 531 Source layer: Printed probate index; same-name person, not identified with the pardon recipient Represented text: Apl. 12, 1597. | ——, Elizabeth, Gedlinge (Notts.), widow, Mar. 23, 1596. | 26 | 531 Modern English: The index records Elizabeth, with the surname Melton carried forward from the preceding entry, as a widow of Gedlinge in Nottinghamshire. The left-column date is 12 April 1597, the will date is 23 March 1596, and the reference is register 26, folio 531. Source: Francis Collins, editor, Index of Wills in the York Registry AD 1594 to 1602, Yorkshire Archaeological Society Record Series 24 (1898). https://archive.org/details/YASRS024

Apl. 12, 1597. | ——, Elizabeth, Gedlinge (Notts.), widow, Mar. 23, 1596. | 26 | 531

Context: Edward Melton of Gedling in the appendix

Collins 1898 appendix p.169; scan PDF p.177

Source layer: Printed index appendix; identity-discrimination lead only

Represented text: Apl. 21, 1597. | Melton, Edward, Gedling, Nottingham.

Modern English: The appendix lists Edward Melton of Gedling, Nottingham, with the date 21 April 1597.

Source: Francis Collins, editor, Index of Wills in the York Registry AD 1594 to 1602, Yorkshire Archaeological Society Record Series 24 (1898). https://archive.org/details/YASRS024

Collins 1898 appendix p.169; scan PDF p.177 Source layer: Printed index appendix; identity-discrimination lead only Represented text: Apl. 21, 1597. | Melton, Edward, Gedling, Nottingham. Modern English: The appendix lists Edward Melton of Gedling, Nottingham, with the date 21 April 1597. Source: Francis Collins, editor, Index of Wills in the York Registry AD 1594 to 1602, Yorkshire Archaeological Society Record Series 24 (1898). https://archive.org/details/YASRS024

Apl. 21, 1597. | Melton, Edward, Gedling, Nottingham.

Context: Locality and kinship

Edward’s Collinghame entry supplies no county. Elizabeth’s Gedlinge entry explicitly gives Nottinghamshire and widowhood. Neither establishes a relationship with the woman in Green’s Yorkshire pardon notice. The appendix Edward may or may not connect to either index entry; the original acts are required. A further Milton occurrence was identified in OCR in the earlier search but has no newly verified image reading, and is not printed here as an authenticated transcription.

Edward’s Collinghame entry supplies no county. Elizabeth’s Gedlinge entry explicitly gives Nottinghamshire and widowhood. Neither establishes a relationship with the woman in Green’s Yorkshire pardon notice. The appendix Edward may or may not connect to either index entry; the original acts are required. A further Milton occurrence was identified in OCR in the earlier search but has no newly verified image reading, and is not printed here as an authenticated transcription.

Elizabeth Melton — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Melton_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 95 · context

Context: York Cause Papers

2026-10-22 — Melton surname variants, 1550–1630; Milton 1550–1630; Melton plus Elizabeth without date limit; Collingham variants 1550–1630

Result: 13 Melton surname and six locality candidates read at full catalogue-description level; no identifiable Elizabeth Melton pardon-recipient match. Milton and unrestricted Elizabeth Melton searches returned zero.

Limit: No manuscript images read. Counts are separate searches, not nineteen family links. Unindexed testimony remains possible.

Evidence record: Elizabeth_Melton_Verification_Batch_06.md and York_parsed_candidates.json

2026-10-22 — Melton surname variants, 1550–1630; Milton 1550–1630; Melton plus Elizabeth without date limit; Collingham variants 1550–1630 Result: 13 Melton surname and six locality candidates read at full catalogue-description level; no identifiable Elizabeth Melton pardon-recipient match. Milton and unrestricted Elizabeth Melton searches returned zero. Limit: No manuscript images read. Counts are separate searches, not nineteen family links. Unindexed testimony remains possible. Evidence record: Elizabeth_Melton_Verification_Batch_06.md and York_parsed_candidates.json

Context: York probate indexes

2026-10-22 — OCR of YASRS019, 022, 024, 026 and 028, covering 1568–1619, searched for Melton, Milton and Collingham

Result: YASRS024 pp.70 and 169 visually checked; three occurrences retained separately.

Limit: Not a complete visual check of all indexes or administrations; no original will inspected. Other OCR hits remain uncertified.

Evidence record: York_index_page_78.png and York_index_page_177.png

2026-10-22 — OCR of YASRS019, 022, 024, 026 and 028, covering 1568–1619, searched for Melton, Milton and Collingham Result: YASRS024 pp.70 and 169 visually checked; three occurrences retained separately. Limit: Not a complete visual check of all indexes or administrations; no original will inspected. Other OCR hits remain uncertified. Evidence record: York_index_page_78.png and York_index_page_177.png

Context: Parish registers

2026-10-22 — Catalogue and holdings inspection for Collingham St Oswald RDP20 and Exwood 1978 printed edition, Parish Register Series 141

Result: Registers begin 1579; Leeds holds Y 929.06 YOR 141. Internet Archive catalogue identifies an access-restricted scan.

Limit: No parish entry inspected. WYAS guide coverage in prior check came from indexed text, not full guide inspection.

Evidence record: Batch 06; York_Leeds_register_holdings.pdf

2026-10-22 — Catalogue and holdings inspection for Collingham St Oswald RDP20 and Exwood 1978 printed edition, Parish Register Series 141 Result: Registers begin 1579; Leeds holds Y 929.06 YOR 141. Internet Archive catalogue identifies an access-restricted scan. Limit: No parish entry inspected. WYAS guide coverage in prior check came from indexed text, not full guide inspection. Evidence record: Batch 06; York_Leeds_register_holdings.pdf

Context: Collingham West Riding manor

2026-10-22 — MDR creator F244128 and related catalogue entries

Result: 1737 survey HAM/71/12 and 1777 map LF/M14; neither contemporary with Melton.

Limit: Catalogue-level finding, not inspected documents or proof that no earlier estate records survive.

Evidence record: Batch 06

2026-10-22 — MDR creator F244128 and related catalogue entries Result: 1737 survey HAM/71/12 and 1777 map LF/M14; neither contemporary with Melton. Limit: Catalogue-level finding, not inspected documents or proof that no earlier estate records survive. Evidence record: Batch 06

Context: TNA guide section 5.2

2026-10-24 — Public HTML retrieved after web tool access failed; table inspected

Result: Docquet(s) maps to SP 38/x.

Limit: Series crosswalk only; no Melton folio.

Evidence record: TNA_Docquet_Guide_2026-10-24.html

2026-10-24 — Public HTML retrieved after web tool access failed; table inspected Result: Docquet(s) maps to SP 38/x. Limit: Series crosswalk only; no Melton folio. Evidence record: TNA_Docquet_Guide_2026-10-24.html

Context: TNA Discovery SP 38/5 C3828478

2026-10-24 — Public web and direct retrieval attempts

Result: No usable live content; direct output was empty.

Limit: Access failure, not a negative document search. Retain dated 22 October piece-level catalogue check.

Evidence record: Retrieval failure log; no empty HTML promoted to source evidence

2026-10-24 — Public web and direct retrieval attempts Result: No usable live content; direct output was empty. Limit: Access failure, not a negative document search. Retain dated 22 October piece-level catalogue check. Evidence record: Retrieval failure log; no empty HTML promoted to source evidence

Context: LIS 322–323

2026-10-24 — Publisher HTML retrieved and read

Result: Calendar 39 Elizabeth I, 1596–1597, C 66/1458–1476, two volumes, 2008, ISBN 9781906875015; page names Simon Neal.

Limit: Bibliography only, no case entry or index lookup. Earlier notes also name Christine Leighton; title page uninspected.

Evidence record: LIS322_2026-10-24.html

2026-10-24 — Publisher HTML retrieved and read Result: Calendar 39 Elizabeth I, 1596–1597, C 66/1458–1476, two volumes, 2008, ISBN 9781906875015; page names Simon Neal. Limit: Bibliography only, no case entry or index lookup. Earlier notes also name Christine Leighton; title page uninspected. Evidence record: LIS322_2026-10-24.html

Evidence gap: Saved source images and research

2026-10-25 — Rechecked Green pp.399,400,406, Brennen p.160 and probate index pp.70,169 during this continuing pass; separate primary readings and contextual leads

Result: Source numbering corrections and identity distinctions retained.

Limit: Original contemporary Melton documents remain uninspected. No full EEBO-TCP or subscription corpus survey.

Evidence record: Source image register and authoritative units

2026-10-25 — Rechecked Green pp.399,400,406, Brennen p.160 and probate index pp.70,169 during this continuing pass; separate primary readings and contextual leads Result: Source numbering corrections and identity distinctions retained. Limit: Original contemporary Melton documents remain uninspected. No full EEBO-TCP or subscription corpus survey. Evidence record: Source image register and authoritative units

Context: The series crosswalk

The National Archives, State Papers Domestic1547–1649 Tudor and Stuart government papers, section 5.2, conversion table, row Docquet(s), maps to SP 38/x. Public guide retrieved 24 October 2026. https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/state-papers-domestic-1547-1649/

That crosswalk is a series identification. The dated 22 October catalogue check records SP 38/5 as 1597–1598: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C3828478 . The current retrieval failure cannot be reported as a new confirmation or as proof that no digital reproduction exists. Earlier SO 3/1 coverage was reported as ending March 1597; it is not adopted as a date-matched April locator. No adjacent SO 3 volume is invented.

The National Archives, State Papers Domestic1547–1649 Tudor and Stuart government papers, section 5.2, conversion table, row Docquet(s), maps to SP 38/x. Public guide retrieved 24 October 2026. https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/state-papers-domestic-1547-1649/ That crosswalk is a series identification. The dated 22 October catalogue check records SP 38/5 as 1597–1598: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C3828478 . The current retrieval failure cannot be reported as a new confirmation or as proof that no digital reproduction exists. Earlier SO 3/1 coverage was reported as ending March 1597; it is not adopted as a date-matched April locator. No adjacent SO 3 volume is invented.

Elizabeth Melton — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Melton_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 138, 139 · context

Context: Patent calendar bibliography and lookup

Calendar of Patent Rolls 39 Elizabeth I 1596–1597 C 66/1458–1476 with Index, List and Index Society 322–323 (2008), two volumes, ISBN 9781906875015. The publisher’s current listing names Simon Neal. Earlier research also names Christine Leighton; the title page has not been independently checked here. Publisher https://www.listandindexsociety.org.uk/publications/322.html . Volume 322 is the calendar and 323 the index in the earlier bibliographic check.

Christine Leighton, Corrigenda to the Calendars of Patent Rolls 25–45 Elizabeth I 1582–1603 C 66/1223–1605, List and Index Society359 (2018), ISBN 9781906875503. Publisher https://www.listandindexsociety.org.uk/publications/359.html . The saved publisher description is preserved. Neither a Melton entry nor a relevant correction has been inspected.

Calendar of Patent Rolls 39 Elizabeth I 1596–1597 C 66/1458–1476 with Index, List and Index Society 322–323 (2008), two volumes, ISBN 9781906875015. The publisher’s current listing names Simon Neal. Earlier research also names Christine Leighton; the title page has not been independently checked here. Publisher https://www.listandindexsociety.org.uk/publications/322.html . Volume 322 is the calendar and 323 the index in the earlier bibliographic check. Christine Leighton, Corrigenda to the Calendars of Patent Rolls 25–45 Elizabeth I 1582–1603 C 66/1223–1605, List and Index Society359 (2018), ISBN 9781906875503. Publisher https://www.listandindexsociety.org.uk/publications/359.html . The saved publisher description is preserved. Neither a Melton entry nor a relevant correction has been inspected.

Elizabeth Melton — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Melton_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 141, 142 · context

Evidence gap: Parish and estate retrieval references

Elisabeth Exwood, editor, The Parish Register of Collingham 1579–1837 (Leeds, Yorkshire Archaeological Society Parish Register Section, 1978), series 141, ISBN0902122258. Leeds shelfmark Y 929.06 YOR 141; archive collection RDP20. Holdings list https://secretlibraryleeds.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/parish-registers-complete-list.pdf , PDF p.14. Restricted scan catalogue https://archive.org/details/parishregisterof0000unse . These are access references, not parish entry readings.

The earlier MDR check for Collingham West Riding, creator F244128, gives a 1737 survey at the Huntington Library HAM/71/12 and a 1777 map at WYAS Leeds LF/M14. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F244128 . These late records do not establish a contemporary Melton dispute. The East Keswick Millennium Book’s complete relevant page and bibliography remain unverified. Its reception claim is therefore not printed as a source-authenticated quotation.

Elisabeth Exwood, editor, The Parish Register of Collingham 1579–1837 (Leeds, Yorkshire Archaeological Society Parish Register Section, 1978), series 141, ISBN0902122258. Leeds shelfmark Y 929.06 YOR 141; archive collection RDP20. Holdings list https://secretlibraryleeds.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/parish-registers-complete-list.pdf , PDF p.14. Restricted scan catalogue https://archive.org/details/parishregisterof0000unse . These are access references, not parish entry readings. The earlier MDR check for Collingham West Riding, creator F244128, gives a 1737 survey at the Huntington Library HAM/71/12 and a 1777 map at WYAS Leeds LF/M14. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F244128 . These late records do not establish a contemporary Melton dispute. The East Keswick Millennium Book’s complete relevant page and bibliography remain unverified. Its reception claim is therefore not printed as a source-authenticated quotation.

Elizabeth Melton — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Melton_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 144, 145 · context

Context: Next evidence in priority order

Obtain the original docquet’s exact current piece and folio, any duplicate, all sides and endorsements.

Check the Patent Rolls index, corresponding entries and corrigenda, then inspect any identified original membrane.

Read the targeted Collingham parish entries and the three original probate records to discriminate identities.

Obtain the full East Keswick local-history passage and its bibliography; pursue contemporary estate or court papers only on specific identified leads.

Exact unsent requests are saved in 04_Validation/Melton_Unsent_Retrieval_Requests.md. No request is needed for Green’s calendar or Brennen’s full thesis: those have already been obtained in the preserved research.

Obtain the original docquet’s exact current piece and folio, any duplicate, all sides and endorsements. Check the Patent Rolls index, corresponding entries and corrigenda, then inspect any identified original membrane. Read the targeted Collingham parish entries and the three original probate records to discriminate identities. Obtain the full East Keswick local-history passage and its bibliography; pursue contemporary estate or court papers only on specific identified leads. Exact unsent requests are saved in 04_Validation/Melton_Unsent_Retrieval_Requests.md. No request is needed for Green’s calendar or Brennen’s full thesis: those have already been obtained in the preserved research.

Context: Event

Date: 1597, April 30. The notice date is not a verified trial, sealing, enrolment or release date. Precise condemnation date unknown. Docquet, bis remains unresolved; no second pardon or motive inferred. The notice is unnumbered and is not item 150.

Date: 1597, April 30. The notice date is not a verified trial, sealing, enrolment or release date. Precise condemnation date unknown. Docquet, bis remains unresolved; no second pardon or motive inferred. The notice is unnumbered and is not item 150.

Elizabeth Melton — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Melton_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 156 · context

Context: Citation for both records

Source status: Page image inspected. Printed nineteenth-century abstract, not an original manuscript transcription. SP 12/262/150 is not a verified Melton reference; SP 38/5 is a date-range candidate only. Original instrument and release unverified.

This projection supersedes the earlier single-event Melton review JSON while preserving it unchanged in the history folder. Full structured source units and context remain in Authoritative_Case_Master.json. Live importer acceptance, database IDs and duplicate behaviour have not been tested; no data has been written.

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.400, volume CCLXII, under 30 April 1597, unnumbered notice. Cornell scan, Internet Archive cu31924091775282. Source status: Page image inspected. Printed nineteenth-century abstract, not an original manuscript transcription. SP 12/262/150 is not a verified Melton reference; SP 38/5 is a date-range candidate only. Original instrument and release unverified. This projection supersedes the earlier single-event Melton review JSON while preserving it unchanged in the history folder. Full structured source units and context remain in Authoritative_Case_Master.json. Live importer acceptance, database IDs and duplicate behaviour have not been tested; no data has been written.

Context: Contemporary witness

No original Melton docquet, pardon warrant, enrolled patent or trial record has been inspected. A full Latin or English original transcription therefore cannot be supplied.

No original Melton docquet, pardon warrant, enrolled patent or trial record has been inspected. A full Latin or English original transcription therefore cannot be supplied.

Elizabeth Melton — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Melton_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 166 · context

Context: Archival locator

SP 38/5 is a date-range candidate, not an established folio. SP 12/262/150 must not be reused as a verified Melton shelfmark.

SP 38/5 is a date-range candidate, not an established folio. SP 12/262/150 must not be reused as a verified Melton shelfmark.

Elizabeth Melton — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Melton_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 168 · context

Context: Administrative stages

The notice date does not independently date trial, signature, sealing, enrolment and release. Bis remains unresolved.

The notice date does not independently date trial, signature, sealing, enrolment and release. Bis remains unresolved.

Elizabeth Melton — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Melton_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 170 · context

Context: Patent calendar

Calendar of Patent Rolls 39 Elizabeth I (1596–1597), C 66/1458–1476, List and Index Society 322–323 (2008), and Leighton’s corrigenda, series 359 (2018), remain retrieval aids. The publisher’s 322–323 page names Simon Neal; earlier notes also give Christine Leighton. No original title page or Melton entry or membrane has been personally checked.

Calendar of Patent Rolls 39 Elizabeth I (1596–1597), C 66/1458–1476, List and Index Society 322–323 (2008), and Leighton’s corrigenda, series 359 (2018), remain retrieval aids. The publisher’s 322–323 page names Simon Neal; earlier notes also give Christine Leighton. No original title page or Melton entry or membrane has been personally checked.

Elizabeth Melton — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Melton_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 172 · context

Context: Local history

The complete relevant page and bibliography of the East Keswick Millennium Book remain unverified; no new genealogical or residence assertion is made.

The complete relevant page and bibliography of the East Keswick Millennium Book remain unverified; no new genealogical or residence assertion is made.

Elizabeth Melton — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Melton_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 174 · context

Context: Parish and probate identity

Collingham St Oswald RDP20 and the Exwood printed register are retrieval leads, not inspected parish entries. The three probate-index occurrences have not been matched to original wills or acts. No household or family is reconstructed.

Collingham St Oswald RDP20 and the Exwood printed register are retrieval leads, not inspected parish entries. The three probate-index occurrences have not been matched to original wills or acts. No household or family is reconstructed.

Elizabeth Melton — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Melton_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 178 · context

Evidence gap: Search completeness

The York Cause Papers checks were catalogue-level, and will indexes were chiefly searched in OCR. EEBO-TCP, subscription databases, unindexed court papers, inventories and estate records have not been comprehensively searched. Negative findings retain their exact bounds.

The York Cause Papers checks were catalogue-level, and will indexes were chiefly searched in OCR. EEBO-TCP, subscription databases, unindexed court papers, inventories and estate records have not been comprehensively searched. Negative findings retain their exact bounds.

Elizabeth Melton — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Melton_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 180 · context

Context: Completion scope

The available-source editorial update is complete once the accompanying local and visual checks pass. It includes the complete represented case notice, all four represented contextual entries with modern-English readings, the checked derivative passages and qualified modern scholarship, the bounded search history, one matching WEME review file and preserved earlier research. It does not claim completion of the original archival investigation.

Full manuscript transcription, any Latin translation, a secure original folio, court identification, exact sentence, royal motive, patent enrolment and release depend on additional evidence. No invented reconstruction substitutes for those gaps.

The available-source editorial update is complete once the accompanying local and visual checks pass. It includes the complete represented case notice, all four represented contextual entries with modern-English readings, the checked derivative passages and qualified modern scholarship, the bounded search history, one matching WEME review file and preserved earlier research. It does not claim completion of the original archival investigation. Full manuscript transcription, any Latin translation, a secure original folio, court identification, exact sentence, royal motive, patent enrolment and release depend on additional evidence. No invented reconstruction substitutes for those gaps.

Elizabeth Melton — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Melton_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx, Authoritative Word edition; paragraph indices 182, 183 · context

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-ashton_melton: 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-notestein_melton: Wallace Notestein, A History of Witchcraft in England from 1558 to 1718 (Washington, American Historical Association, 1911), Appendix C, chronological entry for 1597, printed p.393; Gutenberg text inspected.

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/.

1597. 30 Ap. Pardon for Elizabeth Melton, late of Collingham, co. York, condemned for witchcraft. 1597. 3 May. Pardon to Alice Brerely of Castleton, co. Lanc., spinster, condemned for killing Jas. Kirshaw and Rob. Scolefield by witchcraft.

1597. Yorkshire. Elizabeth Melton of Collingham condemned, pardoned. _Cal. St. P., Dom._, 1595-1597, 400.

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

Editorial note: Source supported locations

Location projection revision: Collingham, Yorkshire: Late of Collingham in the pardon calendar. No identification with similarly named probate people or places is established. Existing source texts and English renderings are unchanged. Geographic association is not proof of physical attendance, a magic location or statutory jurisdiction.

A pardon for Elizabeth Melton, described as formerly of Collingham in Yorkshire and condemned for witchcraft. The calendar marks the source as a docquet and adds bis, literally twice; what that editorial notation refers to has not been established.

Pardon for Eliz. Melton, late of Collingham, co. York, condemned for witchcraft. [Docquet, bis.]

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.

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

People

Elizabeth Melton: Described as late of Collingham, Yorkshire, and condemned for witchcraft in a pardon notice calendared under 30 April 1597.

Events

1597, April 30: Under 30 April 1597, Green’s calendar records a pardon for Eliz. Melton, late of Collingham in Yorkshire, described as condemned for 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)
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)
Calendar of State Papers Domestic Elizabeth 1595–1597: separate Brerely notice, 1869, Green 1869 p.406, volume CCLXIII, under 3 May 1597; unnumbered notice (calendar)
Francis Collins, Index of Wills in the York Registry AD 1594 to 1602, 1898, Yorkshire Archaeological Society Record Series 24 (1898), p.70 and appendix p.169; exact register references retained with the passages. (edition)
Elizabeth Melton — authoritative research edition, WEME authoritative research edition, Melton_Authoritative_Source_Edition.docx (edition)
Melton · reading edition, Witching reading edition; prepared 2026-10-25; edition version 1.0; reading identifier edition-melton. (edition)

Credit

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