‘Pretty’ English village was setting of brutal witch trial | History | News
The picturesque coastal village of Bideford in North Devon, known for its historic markets, cobbled streets, and its statue of Tarka the Otter, has a dark past. In 1682, it became one of the last places in England to execute women on charges of witchcraft.
Bideford was a significant player in the transatlantic trade route during that time, with an economy that rivalled London and other major cities. This prosperity led to overcrowding and disease, potentially fuelling superstitious beliefs.
By the late 1600s, witch hunting was largely on the decline, with many trials resulting in acquittal. However, this was not the fate of three Bideford women accused of witchcraft in 1682.
Five women were put on trial for witchcraft, three of whom were beggars, while the other two came from local families. In a stark display of the era’s classism, the two women from families were acquitted, while the other three were hanged.
The three women who met their end at the gallows were Susanna Edwards, Welsh migrant Temperance Lloyd and Irish migrant Mary Trembles.
Temperance was accused of witchcraft by a local shopkeeper, Thomas Eastchurch, after his sister-in-law, Grace Thomas, fell ill. Thomas alleged that he had heard Temperance confess to being a witch and that she had been tempted by the devil to torment Grace.
Susanna and Mary were accused of witchcraft by another woman named Grace Barnes who was suffering from an illness. She claimed that the two women had caused her sickness.
This accusation was supported by a local man, William Edwards.
When asked to testify against the women, William claimed that he had heard Susanna admit that the devil had carnal knowledge of her body and that she and Mary had conspired to make Grace sick. Another woman, Joan Jones, testified that she had heard Mary ask Susan how to become a witch.
During their trial and imprisonment, all three women falsely confessed to committing the crime of witchcraft. They were executed in Exeter on August 25, 1682, and their bodies were buried in unconsecrated graves.
