Agnes Waterhouse

Agnes Waterhouse (c. 1503 – 29 July 1566), also known as Mother Waterhouse, was one of the first women executed for witchcraft in England.^[1]

In 1566, she was accused of witchcraft along with two other women: Elizabeth Francis and Joan Waterhouse.

During the trial, Elizabeth Francis was examined first. She confessed to possessing the familiar, a white spotted cat named Satan (or Sathan). Elizabeth Francis received the cat from her grandmother, Mother Eve of Hatfield Peverell, who taught her witchcraft when she was twelve years old. Elizabeth Francis kept the cat for fifteen or sixteen years, before eventually giving it to Agnes Waterhouse. According to Elizabeth Francis, the cat spoke to her in a strange hollow voice and would do anything for her in exchange for a drop of blood. She confessed to stealing sheep, and killing several people including a wealthy man, Andrew Byles, who would not marry her after she became pregnant with his child. Francis also said the cat instructed her on what herbs to drink to terminate the pregnancy. Later, after Francis married, she was unhappy and willed the cat to kill her six-month-old daughter and make her husband lame.[6] The confessions that Elizabeth Francis made expanded the scope of her crimes considerably.^[7] Elizabeth Francis was the first to be accused, and is the one who accused Agnes Waterhouse. She was given a lighter sentence, but was hanged after a second conviction thirteen years later.^[7] A later pamphlet from a 1579 trial shows that Elizabeth Francis and Agnes Waterhouse were sisters.^[2]

Elizabeth Francis gave the cat, Satan, to Agnes Waterhouse in exchange for a cake. She reportedly taught her how to perform witchcraft as she was instructed before by her grandmother, Mother Eve, telling her that "she must call him Satan and give him of her blood and milk as before."

Next, Joan Waterhouse testified that she once tried to "exercise" the cat while her mother was away. Joan Waterhouse had been refused a piece of bread and cheese by a neighbour's child, Agnes Brown, and had invoked the toad's help. She told how the toad promised to assist her if she would surrender her soul, which she did, and then the toad supposedly haunted Agnes Brown in the form of a dog with horns.[6] Joan Waterhouse did not claim to have used the supernatural services of the cat to any large degree, but by testifying to its existence, helped convict the other two women.^[2]

The chief evidence against Agnes Waterhouse came from twelve-year-old neighbour, Agnes Brown.^[6] In her testimony, Agnes Brown described the demon as a black dog with a face like an ape, a short tail, a chain and a silver whistle around his neck, and a pair of horns on his head. She said that in their first encounter he asked her for some butter, which she refused him, so the dog - who had a key to the milkhouse door - opened the door and got some butter.^[6] The child testified that the dog later returned for the last time with a knife and threatened to kill her, saying "that he would thrust his knife to my heart but he would make me to die."^[6] The most incriminating piece of evidence was Agnes Brown's account of asking the dog who his "dame" was, to which he wagged his head towards Agnes Waterhouse's home.^[2]

Final confessions and execution

On 29 July 1566 - two days after the trial finished - Agnes Waterhouse was executed. At this time she repented and asked for forgiveness from

The Chelmsford trial was typical of English witchcraft in the absurdity of the charges and the emphasis upon the familiar.[7] This trial resulted in the first punishments and executions for witchcraft in England, and also inspired the first of many pamphlets on both the subject of witchcraft and particular trials that constitute an important source for witchcraft beliefs.^[6]

A sketch of "Mother Waterhouse" is in a

Agnes Waterhouse is a featured figure on Judy Chicago's installation piece The Dinner Party, being represented as one of the 999 names on the Heritage Floor.^[9]

References