Fraudulent Cases: Boy of Burton 1596-97

Question 1

What did Thomas Darling confess to in 1599?

Answer 1

He admitted that he lied about the whole thing.

Question 2

Who did Darling go hunting with in February 1596?

Answer 2

His Uncle, Robert Toone.

Question 3

What happened to Darling when he returned home from the hunt?

Answer 3

He fell ill and began having fits.

There were hallucinations of green angels and a green cat.

Question 4

What was the impact of the New Testament?

Answer 4

The reading of the New Testament made Darling’s fits worse - Dr claims bewitchment.

Question 5

What does Darling claim happened in the forest?

Answer 5

1. He got separated from his uncle and stated that he met a suspicious women.
2. They had a disagreement and she yelled at him in anger.

Question 6

Who did people immediately identify the woman as?

Answer 6

60 year old Alice Gooderidge

Or her mum, 80 year old Elizabeth Wright

Question 7

Why is it possible that Darling could have blamed these women on purpose?

Answer 7

They were the “witches of Stapenhill”.

He knew of them and their reputation thus they were easy scapegoats for his fits.

Question 8

Had the fits ceased by April 1596?

Answer 8

No, they had continued so they brought Alice to confront Darling.

Question 9

What happened when Darling saw Alice?

Answer 9

He immediately had a fit and scratched her face to try and break the spell.

Question 10

Did Alice confess after confronting Darling?

Answer 10

Kinda.
She confessed to meeting him in the woods but denied the accusations of witchcraft.
She explained how she was stern with him as she mistook him for a boy who had played a trick on her.

Question 11

Despite Alice’s explanation, what happened 2 days later?

Answer 11

Both Alice, and her mother Elizabeth, were arrested.

They were both searched for witch marks that were allegedly found.

Question 12

Where was Alice held and what changed whilst she was there?

Answer 12

Alice was held at Derby prison and her story changed.

She confessed to bewitching Darling, although this was most likely after a period of sleep deprivation and starvation.

Question 13

What was Alice’s explanation whilst at Derby?

Answer 13

She stated that she had a familiar (a red and white dog, Minny) that had been given to her by her mother.
She admitted to sending the familiar to harm Darling.

Question 14

What happened, before Alice’s trial, when she was brought in front of Darling?

Answer 14

He had 37 fits in succession and fell ill.

Question 15

What did Alice tell the JP during Darling’s episode?

Answer 15

She explained that the spell could be broken but she had a choking fit which prevented her from telling.

Question 16

What happened to Alice in the end?

Answer 16

She was sentenced but died in custody before a date for her execution could be fixed.

Question 17

Did Darling recover after Alice died?

Answer 17

No, he continued to have fits.

The well-known exorcist, John Darrell, was brought in.

Question 18

What had Darrell been given 10 years prior?

Answer 18

He was given a judge’s warning for falsely accusing a woman of witchcraft, yet he continued practicing exorcisms.

Question 19

May 1596: Did Darrell’s exorcism on Darling work?

Answer 19

They did appear to have worked.

Question 20

Whom did Darrell exorcise in 1597?

Answer 20

William Somers, who had claimed to have been bewitched by 13 women (headed by Alice Freeman).

Question 21

Why was Somers questioned?

Answer 21

Only 2 of the 13 women were sentenced and people became suspicious of Darrell.

Question 22

What did Somers confess to a Judge?

Answer 22

He confessed that his possession by the devil was fraudulent and that he had been working with Darrell.

Question 23

What did Somers and Darling confess to in front of the Archbishop at Darrell’s examination?

Answer 23

Somers: His case was untrue and it was Darrell that had instructed him to fake symptoms.
Darling: His story of possession was also untrue (slightly tainted as he had faced physical and verbal abuse before the confession).

Question 24

What became of Darrell and his minister, George More?

Answer 24

They were imprisoned for a year.

Question 25

Who was in attendance for Darrell’s examination?

Answer 25

Samuel Harsnett.

Question 26

What did Harsnett publish in 1599?

Answer 26

A Discovery of the Fraudulent Practices of John Darrell

Question 27

What was the impact of the Boy of Burton case? (3)

Answer 27

1. People became sceptical of exorcisms - the Church intro’d a law (1604) where exorcisms could only be performed with licenses.
2. “A Discovery of the Fraudulent Practises of John Darrel” (1599) made the case more widespread (led to the pamphlet war).
3. Darling’s confession showed that personal testimonies (esp from children) could be unreliable.

Question 28

What was important about Harsnett’s publication?

Answer 28

1. The elite became more aware of fraudulent cases.

2. It led to a wider debate around witchcraft and possession (the pamphlet war).

Question 29

What was the limitation of the pamphlet war?

Answer 29

It focussed mainly on the reliability of exorcisms rather than the existence (or lack of) of witchcraft.

Question 30

Overall, did the Boy of Burton case actually lead to much disbelief in witchcraft?

Answer 30

Nope.
It preceded the most intense period of witch hunting in England, and the 1604 Witchcraft Act actually increased legal severity.