Christian Weech
1604 and 1610; appeal undated · English
Printed source edition; original manuscripts not transcribed here.
Edition details and citation
Sources
Hatfield House, Cecil Papers, P.1067, as printed in Owen 1976, pp.109–111; Green 1857, pp.96,598
Texts included
Printed calendar summary, copied justices’ appeal and two calendared pardon notices.
Edition
1.0
Prepared
2026-10-25
Reading conventions
Square brackets mark expansions, missing text or editorial descriptions; question marks mark tentative readings. Original text and English readings remain separate.
Suggested citation
Witches in Early Modern England, Christian Weech, reading edition, 25 October 2026, section title and source folio or page.
Source rights
Repository and published-source rights remain with their respective holders; no blanket reuse licence is assigned.
Calendar heading and editorial summary
G. Dyfnallt Owen, ed.; Calendar of the Cecil Papers in Hatfield House volume 24 Addenda 1605–1668; (London, HMSO, 1976); Hatfield House, Cecil Papers, P. 1067; Owen 1976 pp.109–110; heading and editorial summary; P.1067
Printed calendar abstract
Original English text
Christian and Thomas Weech to the Earl of Salisbury. [1606 or before].—Sir Henry Gawdy, Sir Edward Cleer, Sir William Paston, Sir Miles Corbett, Sir Philip Woodhouse, Sir Thomas Barney, Dr Redmayne, William Yelverton, Richard Jenkinson, John Burm, Thomas Richardson, Bartholomew Cotton, Justices of the Peace in Norfolk, have written on behalf of Christian, wife of Thomas Weech, who is in prison under sentence of death for witchcraft. The King accordingly granted his letters of pardon to her, but although these have passed the privy seal, they have been stayed from passing the Great Seal by the sinister means of her enemies, and she is still in prison to the great grief of her husband. The Justices of the Peace have again sent a letter to the Lord Chancellor in her favour, to effect her pardon according to the King's intent, and petitioners ask Salisbury and others of the Privy Council to lend their support to this appeal for her release.—Undated. 1 p. (P. 1067.)
Copied appeal on the reverse
G. Dyfnallt Owen, ed.; Calendar of the Cecil Papers in Hatfield House volume 24 Addenda 1605–1668; (London, HMSO, 1976); Hatfield House, Cecil Papers, P. 1067; Owen 1976 pp.110–111; copied contemporary appeal on reverse; P.1067
Contemporary appeal as transcribed in a printed calendar
Modern English reading
The true copy of the honourable appeal of several knights and justices of his Majesty’s peace for Norfolk, made on Christian Weech’s behalf to Thomas, Lord Ellesmere, Lord Chancellor of England. May your Lordship be informed, at the request and on behalf of the distressed gentleman Thomas Weech, that his wife Christian, his only support and guide, is in prison condemned to die for witchcraft. Through earlier representations made under our hands, he petitioned the King for her pardon. The King granted it by special grace and it passed the Privy Seal. Before it could pass the Great Seal, however, their adversaries learned of it and, as we are informed, obtained a stay by alleging, among other things, that neither the woman nor her offence was known to us. This is untrue. We were at her trial and heard the testimony and proofs against her, which in our judgment were too weak to condemn her. We know her as a gentlewoman of ancient descent who lived most of her life without suspicion of witchcraft until shortly before her trial. Although God in his secret wisdom permitted her to be found guilty and sentenced, we are fully persuaded she is innocent of the offence for which she remains condemned. We inform your Lordship of this in view of her modest, religious and discreet conduct since condemnation. Since the King in his goodness and mercy has granted her pardon, which has passed the Privy Seal and awaits only the Great Seal, we ask you, in whose power the matter rests, to favour Thomas and his wife by allowing it to pass. She may then be delivered from the long imprisonment she has endured for three years, to their great financial harm, if not their utter ruin. We leave the matter to your considered judgment, as their distressed condition may move you.
Original English text
The true coppie of the honorable sute of diverse worshippfull knights and Justices of his Maᵗˢ peace for the county of Norfolk made on the behalfe of Christian Weeche, unto the right honorable Thomas, Lorde Ellismere, Lorde Chauncellor of England. Yt maye please your Lordshippe to be advertized at the requests and in the behalfe of a poore distressed gent, Thomas Weeche, whose wife and onely staye and guide, Christian Weeche, beinge in prison condempned to die for witchcrafte, the poore gent, by meanes of foremer advertisements geven by us under our handes became an humble suter unto the Kings Maᵗⁱᵉ for her pardon, who of his speciall grace graunted the same, and it passed under his previe seale, but before it coulde passe the great Seale his and her adversaries understandinge therof used means, as we are inforemed, to stay the same alledginge amongest many other allegations that the woman and her facte was utterly unknowne unto us; which is not soe. For her facte, we weare at her triall and harde suche testimonie and proofes as were then alledged against her, beeinge in our judgments to weake to have condempned her. And for our knowledge of the woeman, we knowe her to be a gentlewoman verie aunciently decended, and for the greatest parte of her life to have lived without any maner of note or suspition of exercizinge of the devilishe and detestable practize of witchcrafte untill some small time before her triall. And howsoever yt pleased God in his secret wisedome to sufer her to be founde guiltie and receive judgement for the facte, yet we are fully perswaded that she is cleare of that wherof she nowe remaine condempned. All which we have thought fittinge to advertize your Lordshippe of in respect of her owne modest religious and discreet cariage ever since her condempnation, and also to become humble suters to your Lordshippe that, seeinge it hathe pleased his moste excellent Maᵗⁱᵉ of his infinite goodnes and mercie to graunt her his pardon, which hathe passed the privie seale and staies onelye for the greate seale, that yt would please your Lordshippe, in whose power it onely rest, to yeelde your honorable favour soe farre to the said Thomas Weeche and his sayd wife as to suffer her said pardon to passe the great seale wherbye she may be delivered of her longe imprisonment which now by the space of three yeares she hathe induered to her housebonds and her great hinderaunce, yf not thier utter undoeinge. And so leave the same unto your honores grave consideration to doe therin as the poore gentlemans distressed estate and his wiffes may moove.
Calendared pardon grant of 1604
Mary Anne Everett Green, ed.; Calendar of State Papers Domestic, James I, 1603–1610; (London, Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans and Roberts, 1857); Docquets 14 and 16 April 1604; Green 1857 p.96; under 16 April 1604; unnumbered notice
Printed calendar abstract
Original English text
Grant to Christian, wife of Thomas Weech, co. Norfolk, of pardon for witchcraft. [April 14 and 16. Docquet.]
Calendared pardon grant naming Mary Freeston
Mary Anne Everett Green, ed.; Calendar of State Papers Domestic, James I, 1603–1610; (London, Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans and Roberts, 1857); 3 April 1610 [Docquet]; Gale volume GALE|MC4323500001; Green 1857 p.598; under 3 April 1610; unnumbered notice
Printed calendar abstract
Original English text
Grant to Christian Weech of pardon for the murder of Mary Freeston by witchcraft. [Docquet.]
About this case and its sources
Reference
Hatfield House, Cecil Papers, P.1067, as printed in Owen 1976, pp.109–111; Green 1857, pp.96,598
Record dates
1604 and 1610; appeal undated
Source languages
English
Record types
Copied appeal, calendar summary and pardon notices
Principal people
Christian Weech; Thomas Weech, her husband; Thomas, Lord Ellesmere, Lord Chancellor; Earl of Salisbury; Mary Freeston, named in the 1610 pardon notice
Norfolk justices named in the calendar
Sir Henry Gawdy; Sir Edward Cleer; Sir William Paston; Sir Miles Corbett; Sir Philip Woodhouse; Sir Thomas Barney; Dr Redmayne; William Yelverton; Richard Jenkinson; John Burm; Thomas Richardson; Bartholomew Cotton
Recorded disposition
Pardon grants are calendared in 1604 and 1610. The undated appeal describes a pardon delayed before the Great Seal. These notices do not establish a release date.
Source distinction
The justices’ names are supplied by the printed calendar summary; individual signatures have not been examined here.
Texts in this edition
Printed calendar summary, copied justices’ appeal and two calendared pardon notices.
Text status
Printed source edition; original manuscripts not transcribed here.
Edition
25 October 2026 · version 1.0
How to cite
Witches in Early Modern England, Christian Weech, reading edition, 25 October 2026, section title and source folio or page.
Citations attached to the represented texts; saved repository catalogue information where explicitly identified.