A Witch, a Papist, and A very Dangerous Reputation. Agnes Brand and Isabel Raffle and the Politics of Religious Suspicion, 1587

Sexto Maij 1587.
Responsiones personales Isabellae Raffles positionibus et articulis
per partem Agnetis Brande contra eam exhibitis.

Ad primam positionem respondendo credit that Agnes Brande [contracted verb: had?]
one or two children in fornication before she was married and that
shewed her selfe a liker and favourer of popishe ceremonies and will
have and often speake wordes as if she could tell howe longe
children should live and what fortune they should have and
especiallie she hath said that if [name unread] would [unread] to [unread place]
[insertion and remaining clause concerning Masses and revenge partly unread]
Et aliter credit positionem esse veram.

Ad secundam positionem respondendo credit that betwene Michaelmas and Martinmas
last past 1586 the said Agnes Brande at this respondents house
dore in Saint Maries parish in Beverley of her owne accord
shewed unto this respondent doughter and her selfe and divers
others then and there present two peeces of parchment thone having
[an image?] and the other some other popishe devise written or
painted upon them with blood [contracted words] she said came from Rome
and were popes pardons and that she had them sent from a sister
and [kinsman?] of hers which were in prison in York castell for
religion by one [name unread] [unread clause] from them in [unread] woodes
Whereupon this respondent said they were witchcraftes and
papistrie and if you believe in them you will be in Longleys
[unread word] quoth she and to them that be in Hemingbroughe
[partly unread clause] where masse is said [unread] a place
[partly unread clause concerning Longley] and [unread] she said
she had bene divers tymes her selfe and that she should goe
some att [unread: terme?] [Howden?] faire tyme last but that
she would not lose her supper Whereof this respondent willed her
to take heede and use no more suche fashions which then
made this respondent doe utter to the [unread office/name]
for her discharge [remaining line partly unread].

Ad tertiam credit eandem non esse veram Saving that for her
discharge she hath tolde the said speaches of the said
Agnes to the Maior of Beverley and the vicar of
Saint Maries.
Ad quartam credit eandem esse veram.
Ad quintam credit eandem esse veram.
Ad sextam credit de creditis et negat de negatis.

Interrogatoria ministrata [contracted words] ad [contracted words] Isabellae
Raffles [contracted words] contra testes [unread] per partem
Agnetis Brande [unread] [contracted ending].

1. Imprimis interrogetur testis [unread] de [unread] sua in
singulis suis [unread] aut [unread].
2. Item interrogetur quilibet testis cui partium magis favet et
vellet victoriam consequi si in sua esset potestate
conferendi.
3. Item interrogetur quilibet testis an sit consanguineus vel
affinis parti suae producenti et quo gradu vel
[unread words] seu consuet[unread] ejusdem.
4. Item interrogetur quilibet testis ad cujus rogatum et [unread] venit
aut ad perhibendum testimonium in hac causa et an
[unread words] vel coactus sit in aliquo sibi datum
vel promissum [unread] testimonium in hac causa ferendo.
5. Item interrogetur quilibet testis [unread] quo melius declarare
suam fidem [unread] [remainder, about seven lines, partly unread: where Brand was, whether witnesses saw/heard the claimed words, and any other persons present].
6. Item interrogetur quilibet testis [unread] quo melius declaret
suam [unread] [remainder, about six lines, partly unread: whether Raffles' words were angry, in response to religious/papist propositions and teaching, and what Brand said].

In dei nomine amen. Coram [partly unread judicial style]
[approximately seven contracted preliminary lines: proctor for Agnes Brand against Isabel Raffles, St Mary Beverley; not fully read].
[Margin:] Swinburn[e].

1. Imprimis [contracted formula] Quod dicta Agnes Brand fuit et est mulier
honesta [contracted good-reputation clause, approximately five lines, partly unread].
2. Item [contracted formula] Quod praemissis non obstantibus dicta Isabella Raffles
[contracted words] mensibus Septembris Octobris Novembris
Decembris et Januarij Anno Domini millesimo quingentesimo octogesimo sexto
[remaining Latin month/place/defamation clauses partly unread]
[English pleaded words:] the said Isabell Raffles called the said Agnes Brande witche
and papiste and said to Thomas Brande husband of the said
Agnes Brande thy wyfe is a witche [unread clause]
[remaining proof formula partly unread].
3. Item [contracted formula] Quod post praemissa [remaining article, about four lines, alleging acknowledgment before witnesses, partly unread].
4. Item [contracted formula] Quod [remaining article, about five lines, alleging injury to Brand's good name and possible future damage, partly unread].
5. Item [contracted formula] Quod dicta Isabella Raffles fuit et est parochiae
Sanctae Mariae Beverlacum Ebor diocesis [unread jurisdiction ending].
6. Item [contracted formula] Quod de et super praemissis omnibus et singulis fuit et
est publica vox et fama in dicta parochia Sanctae Mariae Beverlacum alijsque locis
vicinis Et [contracted ending].
Unde facta fide de praemissis [prayer, approximately seven lines on image 4 and seven on image 5 left, seeking correction and costs, partly unread].
Salvo jure [contracted ending].
Et protestamur [contracted ending].

[Latin examination heading referring to commission, official and date: primo Junij 1587; several words unread]

Richardus [Willmote; surname altered] villae Beverlacensis in com[itatu] Ebor Bricklayer
aetatis suae xxviij annorum testis super positionibus et articulis
libelli per partem Agnetis Brand contra Isabellam Raffles
exhibiti productus admissus juratus et examinatus et primo de notitia partium
[contracted] dicit quod Agnetem Brand per decem Annos et ultra
Isabellam Raffles per xxj annos bene novit.

Super primo articulo [contracted] dicit that the articulate Agnes Brand was
and is an honest woman of good lyfe and conversation and accompted
of amongst her neighbours and so fare as this [unread contraction] hath heard she
was never detected of any notorious crime Saving as he is to declare
after [contracted] Et aliter nescit deponere.

Super secundo articulo [contracted] dicit that on a satterday about three
weekes or a fortnight before Christmas last past and [unread word]
betwene foure and five of the clocke in the after noone the same
day this [unread contraction] beinge come home to his owne house [unread words]
worke to supper and after he had supped he came forth of his
house and satt downe att his owne dore and shortly after came by
Thomas Brand husband to the articulate Agnes Brand whoe was
going towards the [altered place:] [unread] in [unread] Beverley [unread contraction]
the said Thomas Brand was going the articulate Isabell Raffles did call upon him
and said come hither Thomas come hither I [unread word] speake with
you whoe came unto her the articulate Isobell [deleted word]
and she said Thomas thy wyfe is a witche and witches
doughter which wordes were spoken att the dore of the said
Isabell Raffles then and there beinge present this [unread contraction]
his precontest Thomas Brand and an other woman whose
name he knoweth not one [name unread, altered] and [unread deleted words]
[inserted witness name unread] and no more so fare as this [unread contraction] remembreth Et aliter
nescit deponere.

Super tertio articulo [contracted] dicit quod nescit deponere aliter quam prius deposuit.
Super quarto et quinto articulis [contracted] non examinatus quia pars fatetur eadem esse
vera.
Super sexto articulo [contracted] dicit quod praedeposita per eum sunt vera et
de sua fama laborare in locis articulatis Et aliter nescit deponere.
Et dicit quod non est doctus instructus aut salariatus neque est
consanguineus aut affinis partis eum producentis nec trahit [unread]
praevaleat in causa modo fiat justitia.

Ad inter[rogatoria].
Ad primum satisfactum est.
Ad secundum respondet quod vellet dare victoriam parti eum producenti si
in sua esset potestate.
Ad tertium [unread] partis est.
Ad quartum respondet quod venit huc ad rogatum et expensas dictae
Agnetis Brand et per [unread] produc[unread].
Ad quintum respondet quod nescit deponere quam primo deposuit
Savinge that the said [deleted word] Agnes Brand was not
there att the speaking of the wordes by him deposed [unread contraction].
Ad sextum refert se [unread clause] et aliter nescit deponere.

Thomas Brand villae Beverlacensis in com[itatu] Ebor Taylor aetatis
suae xlviij annorum testis ut supra productus admissus juratus
et examinatus et primo de notitia partium [contracted] dicit quod novit Agnetem
Brand ejus uxorem per xxviij [provisional numeral] annos et Isabellam Raffles [contracted]
bene novit Et dicit.

Super primo articulo [contracted] dicit that the articulate Agnes Brand was
and is an honest woman of good lyfe and conversation and so
suche a one is commonly accompted and taken amongst her
neighbours and never detected of any notorious crime Saving
as he is to depose Et aliter nescit deponere.

Super secundo articulo [contracted] dicit that this [unread contraction] havinge
occasion to goe to [deleted word, inserted:] a [unread place] wh[ich] he hath in [unread place]
Standing or adjoining next in the towne of Beverley and
going thither upon a satterday [deleted time clause]
[inserted/revised date clause:] about three weekes or a fortnight before
Christmas last past and betwene the houres of foure and
five of the clocke in the after noone the same day the articulate
Isobell Raffles [inserted words unread] standing att her owne dore and as
this [unread contraction] was going by her she called upon him
and said come hither Thomas [insertion:] & [unread] [unread words] with you unto whom this [unread contraction]
then went her the articulate Isobell Raffles then said hearest thou
Thomas thy wyfe is a witche and witches doughter
which wordes were spoken att the dore of the said Isobell
Raffles and in the absence of the articulate Agnes Brand then
and there beinge present this [unread contraction] Richard [surname unread] [unread]
well Willamott and one Dompson a woman his contest and
no more to this [unread contraction] remembrance Et aliter nescit deponere.

Super tertio articulo [contracted] dicit quod nescit deponere [unread ending].
Super quarto et quinto articulis [deleted words] non examinatus quia pars fatetur
eadem esse vera.
Super sexto articulo [contracted] dicit quod praedeposita per eum sunt vera
et de sua fama [contracted wording] et aliter nescit deponere
Et dicit quod non est doctus instructus aut salariatus
in hac causa [deleted words] et quod est maritus istius Agnetis et non [unread]
[remaining two lines concerning preference for justice partly unread].

Ad inter[rogatoria].
Ad primum satisfactum est.
Ad secundum respondet quod vellet dare victoriam parti eum producenti si in sua
esset potestate.
Ad tertium respondet quod est maritus partis eum producentis.
Ad quartum respondet [deleted words]
that he this [unread contraction] beinge husband to the partie him producing doth beare his
[inserted words unread].
Ad quintum respondet [deleted clause] [unread final words].
Ad sextum respondet quod refert se ad dicta et deposita sua supra
[deleted words] et aliter nescit deponere.

Elena Dompson de Beverley in com[itatu] Ebor singlewoman
aetatis suae viginti [duorum; amended numeral] annorum testis ut supra producta admissa
jurata et examinata et primo de notitia partium [contracted] dicit quod
novit Agnetem Brand per x [provisional numeral] annos et Isabellam Raffles
per xij [provisional numeral] annos bene novit Et dicit.

Super primo et secundo articulis [contracted] dicit that she the [unread contraction] Agnes
Brand was and is an honest woman of good lyfe and
conversation and for suche a one is accompted amongst
her neighbours so fare as this [unread contraction] hath heard and never
detected of any notorious crime Saving that the articulate
Isobell Raffles upon a satterday about [deleted numeral] three weekes
or a fortnight before Christmas last past and betwene
the houres of foure and five of the clocke in the after noone
the same day this [unread contraction] [deleted words] beinge sent by
[revised clause:] the articulate [unread name] her aunt Richarde [surname unread] house to the house
of Thomas Brand [deleted/insertion words unread] to borowinge a bottle being in
the said Thomas Brand [deleted clause]
[altered clause about her coming from Brand's house in Beverley]
by the dore of the articulate Isobell Raffles then and there [unread]
[unread] him and she heard the said Isobell Raffles
call the said Thomas Brand and said come hither
Thomas come hither hearest thou Thomas thy wyfe
[image 9 left:]
is a witche and hath bewitched my doughter which wordes
were spoken att the dore of the said Isobell Raffles
then and there beinge present this [unread contraction] her contest
Thomas Brand Richard [surname unread] the father and the
mother of the said Richard [surname unread] Et aliter nescit
deponere.

Super tertio articulo [contracted] dicit quod nescit deponere [unread ending].
Super quarto et quinto articulis non examinata quia pars fatetur eadem esse
vera.
Super sexto articulo [contracted] dicit quod praedeposita per eam sunt vera et de sua
fama laborare in locis [contracted] et aliter nescit deponere et
[contracted] dicit quod non est docta instructa aut salariata
neque est consanguinea aut affinis partis eam producentis nec curat
quis praevaleat in causa modo fiat justitia.

Ad inter[rogatoria].
Ad primum satisfactum est.
Ad secundum respondet quod pars eam producens habuit et vellet dare
victoriam parti eam producenti si in sua esset potestate.
Ad tertium [deleted words] satisfactum est.
Ad quartum respondet quod venit huc ad rogatum et expensas partis eam
producentis Et quod [deleted word] illa [unread] pro [unread] in hac causa.
Ad quintum respondet quod nescit deponere quam primo deposuit
Savinge that the wordes by her deposed of was spoken
in the absence of the articulate Agnes Brand.
Ad sextum [deleted wording] refert se ad dicta et deposita sua
[deleted words] et aliter nescit deponere.