Samlesbury witch trial
E695047
The Samlesbury witch trial was a 1612 English witchcraft case in Lancashire notable for its sensational but ultimately discredited accusations, highlighting the role of religious and social tensions in early modern witch hunts.
All labels observed (1)
| Label | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| Samlesbury witch trial canonical | 1 |
Statements (46)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
historical event
ⓘ
legal case ⓘ witch trial ⓘ |
| accusation |
attendance at witches' sabbath
ⓘ
cannibalism ⓘ child murder ⓘ witchcraft ⓘ |
| accusedPerson |
Ellen Bierley
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Jane Southworth NERFINISHED ⓘ Jennet Bierley NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| country | Kingdom of England ⓘ |
| court | Lancashire assizes NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| date | 1612 ⓘ |
| evidenceType |
confessional evidence alleged but not proven
ⓘ
witness testimony ⓘ |
| hasTheme |
abuse of witchcraft accusations
ⓘ
credibility of witnesses ⓘ religious conflict ⓘ social tension ⓘ |
| historicalSignificance |
example of how witchcraft accusations could be used in religious disputes
ⓘ
illustrates judicial skepticism toward witchcraft allegations ⓘ |
| judge | Sir Edward Bromley NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| languageOfProceedings | English ⓘ |
| legalContext | enforcement of the 1604 Witchcraft Act ⓘ |
| legalSystem | English common law ⓘ |
| locatedIn |
Lancashire
ⓘ
North West England ⓘ Samlesbury NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| mainAccuser | Grace Sowerbutts NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| notableFor |
contrast with Pendle witch trials of the same year
ⓘ
involvement of religious tensions between Catholics and Protestants ⓘ sensational allegations of witchcraft and cannibalism ⓘ testimony later exposed as fabricated ⓘ |
| numberOfAccused | 3 ⓘ |
| outcome | acquittal of all accused ⓘ |
| partOf |
English witch trials
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
early modern witch hunts ⓘ |
| presidingJudge | Sir Edward Bromley NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| region | County Palatine of Lancaster NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| relatedEvent | Pendle witch trials NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| religiousContext | Catholic–Protestant conflict in early 17th-century England ⓘ |
| socialContext | anti-Catholic sentiment in Lancashire ⓘ |
| source | Thomas Potts' "The Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of Lancaster" NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| timePeriod | early modern period ⓘ |
| verdict | not guilty ⓘ |
| year | 1612 ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.