WITCH TRIALS
How the witch hysteria came to Horninghold.
How the witch hysteria came to Horninghold.
The swimming test was the method of justice used in the Horninghold 'trials'. This was claimed to use divine intervention to decide the guilt of the accused, in that God's water would reject a witch causing them to float. At Horninghold it was used as a form of mob justice to punish the victims, probably as a form of 'entertainment'.
This image is taken from a 1613 pamphlet covering the trial of Mother Sutton and Mary Sutton of Bedfordshire. It is one of the earliest and best depictions of the test.
Please click on the PDF file below to access Horninghold Heritage's publication The Horninghold Witch Trials. This provides a detailed account of the events that took place in the summer of 1709. Printed copies of the booklet are available in the Shop priced at £5. The Village Trail, viewable on the home page, has a Witch Walk to Blaston for those interested in visiting the sites of the 'trials'.