The Meeting at Malkin Tower (Edexcel A-Level History): Revision Notes
The Meeting at Malkin Tower
Discovery of the coven
The meeting at Malkin Tower became a turning point in the Lancashire witch trials of 1612. When Roger Nowell, a Justice of the Peace, learned about this gathering, he immediately resumed his investigations. Historians have debated whether this meeting was truly a witches' sabbat (a secret meeting of witches) or simply a gathering of worried neighbours concerned about the arrests already made.
The true nature of the Malkin Tower gathering remains contested by historians. While contemporary accounts described it as a witches' sabbat, modern scholars suggest it may have been nothing more than a meeting of concerned neighbours worried about the escalating accusations and arrests in their community.
In mid to late April 1612, another JP named Henry Hargreaves visited Malkin Tower. He was assisted by James Device (Alizon Device's brother), who helped discover a clay image and some teeth from the graveyard at Newchurch. Although James was now under suspicion himself, he cooperated with the authorities. Together, Hargreaves and James crossed the county border into Yorkshire to visit Jennet Preston in Gisburn, where James identified her as someone who had attended the infamous Malkin Tower meeting.
On 27 April, Nowell enlisted the help of another magistrate, Nicholas Bannister. Together they examined Elizabeth Device, James Device and Jennet Device to establish what had occurred at the meeting. Crucially, Jennet was only nine years old, yet she would become Nowell's most important witness at the trial of her own family.
Critical Point About the Evidence
The prosecution's case relied heavily on the testimony of Jennet Device, who was only nine years old at the time. This raises serious questions about the reliability and validity of the evidence used in these trials, as a child was made to testify against her own mother, brother, and grandmother.
Contents of the meeting
Evidence from Jennet Device
Young Jennet's testimony proved crucial in revealing details about the supposed coven. She told Nowell that:
- James had stolen a sheep to be eaten at the meeting
- He had killed the sheep at their house in front of her
- Approximately 20 witches attended the meeting
- She could only name six of those present
Evidence from James Device
When James was interrogated, he was able to provide more names. Thomas Potts, the clerk who later published an account of the trials, compiled the evidence from the Device family and created a list of those present at what he called the Great Assembly and Feast.
List of attendees
According to the evidence gathered, the following people were identified as attending:
- Elizabeth Device - daughter of Old Demdike, whose house it was
- James Device - Elizabeth's son, who provided the stolen mutton
- Jennet Device - James's nine-year-old sister
- Christopher Howgate (or Holgate) of Pendle - Demdike's son
- Elizabeth Howgate - his wife
- Jennet Hargreaves - wife of Hugh Hargreaves
- Alice Nutter - described as Dick Myles' wife of Roughlee
- Christopher Hargreaves (nicknamed Christopher Jackes) of Thorneyholme
- Elizabeth Hargreaves - his wife
- John Bulcock - of Moss End farm near Newchurch
- Jane Bulcock - his mother
- Alice Gray - of Colne
- Katherine Hewitt - of Colne, nicknamed Mouldheels
- Anne Cronkshaw - of Marsden
- Grace Hay - of Padiham
- Jennet Preston - of Gisburn in Craven, recently released after a trial at York
Additionally, two unnamed women from Burnley were recorded as present, and according to Potts, more people had attended but fled to avoid justice.
Purpose of the meeting
Nowell discovered that the meeting allegedly had three objectives:
The Three Alleged Objectives of the Malkin Tower Meeting:
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To secure the release of prisoners: They planned to free the four women imprisoned at Lancaster Castle by blowing it up and murdering the gaoler. This objective seems highly unrealistic and may not have been genuinely planned at all.
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To perform a naming ritual: They intended to carry out a ritual that would give a name to Alizon Device's spirit. However, as Alizon was detained and could not attend, this ritual was not performed.
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To provide protection: They met to offer protection to Jennet Preston, who had been accused of witchcraft by the Lister family and recently released after a trial at York. She had been identified as a witch by James Device and JP Henry Hargreaves.
The first objective - blowing up Lancaster Castle - stands out as particularly implausible. It is difficult to believe that a group of impoverished peasants would have had either the means or the knowledge to execute such a plan.
Questionable evidence
Much of the evidence concerning the Malkin Tower meeting is highly suspect. It came primarily from two sources: a young nine-year-old girl (Jennet) and her brother James, who is described as deceitful in the sources.
James Device's confessions
James Device's testimony about his own experiences as a witch included numerous stereotypical elements:
- A brown dog pestering him to surrender his soul
- A black cat visiting him in his bedroom at midnight
- Taking on a familiar (a spirit helper) in the shape of a black dog called Dandie
- Confessing to murdering two people who mysteriously died within a week of meeting him
Warning Signs of Coerced or False Confessions
James Device's confessions contain many stereotypical elements that were common in witch trial narratives across Europe. The presence of these clichés - familiars in the form of black dogs and cats, midnight visitations, soul-selling - suggests his testimony may have been influenced by leading questions or contemporary beliefs about witchcraft rather than genuine experiences.
The nature of the meeting
Historians Edgar Peel and Pat Southern have argued that this meeting bore little resemblance to the typical depiction of a witches' sabbat. They noted that:
Compared with the satanic midnight orgies reputedly taking place on the Continent, this noon gathering, consisting mostly of worried and helpless peasants, was a tame affair. They were unable to depend on the Devil to find them something to eat, and their hunger was appeased by a meal of beef, bacon and mutton.
It is quite possible that a meeting of some kind did occur, but it was more likely a gathering of neighbours and friends who were worried they might be implicated through their association with those already arrested, rather than a genuine witches' sabbat.
The contrast between Continental witchcraft stereotypes and what allegedly occurred at Malkin Tower is striking. Instead of midnight rituals and demonic ceremonies, the evidence describes a daytime meal of ordinary food shared among impoverished neighbours. This mundane reality strongly suggests the meeting was not the sinister sabbat it was portrayed to be.
Elizabeth Device's confession
Both Jennet and James implicated their mother, Elizabeth Device, who, according to Potts, made a voluntary confession. Her confession included:
- Taking responsibility for the murder of John Robinson with the help of her familiar, Ball (Robinson had accused her of having an illegitimate child)
- Admitting to causing the death of Robinson's brother, James, though the reason was unclear
Outcomes and arrests
Despite the large number of people accused as a result of the Malkin Tower confessions, only some were sent to Lancaster Castle for trial:
- Alice Nutter
- John Bulcock and Jane Bulcock
- Katherine Hewitt
- Alice Grey
- James Device and Elizabeth Device
In total, 11 people were detained as a result of Nowell's investigations following the Malkin Tower meeting.
Historical context
It is important to note that no contemporary depictions of the meeting at Malkin Tower exist. Later illustrations, such as one from an 1849 book called The Lancashire Witches by William Harrison Ainsworth, are highly sensationalized. These Victorian images show witches carrying out rituals around cauldrons with their familiars watching, but such depictions do not reflect the historical reality of what likely occurred.
Victorian Sensationalism vs. Historical Reality
19th-century depictions of the Lancashire witch trials were heavily influenced by Romantic and Gothic literature. These dramatized images served entertainment purposes rather than historical accuracy. When studying the witch trials, it's crucial to distinguish between contemporary evidence from 1612 and later fictional or artistic interpretations.
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- The Malkin Tower meeting was discovered through investigations by JPs Henry Hargreaves and Roger Nowell in April 1612
- Jennet Device, only nine years old, became the key witness against her own family, naming six attendees
- Approximately 20 people were alleged to have attended, with three stated objectives: freeing prisoners, performing a naming ritual, and protecting Jennet Preston
- Much of the evidence is highly questionable, coming from a child and her brother James, whose confessions included stereotypical witchcraft clichés
- Historians believe the meeting was more likely a gathering of worried neighbours rather than a genuine witches' sabbat
- As a result of the Malkin Tower confessions, 11 people were detained at Lancaster Castle awaiting trial