"Admiral Delaval and his servant, coming late one night past Benton church (near Newcastle-upon-Tyne), they observed a light in it. He desired his man to get off and see what was doing; but the man refused, saying he did not dare to do it. The admiral therefore gave his horse to his servant, and went himself. Through a window he observed a man and a woman busy about a corpse. He found the door unlocked, and stepping up quickly to the persons found them cutting off the breasts of a female corpse. The man vanished, and was supposed to be the devil; the woman he secured and carried off, but when his servant was requested to take her up behind him he again refused through fear; the admiral therefore had her put up and tied on behind himself. On examining her at the proper court she was found to be a witch, and was of course hanged."
"The clergyman who preceded Mr. Hall, at Earsdon (near Newcastle-upon-Tyne), had a school for young gentlemen. A beggar-woman came to a poor person's house in the village, where a child was crying; and its mother being angry with it, dismissed the beggar with some sharp observations. The old mendicant had scarcely gone out of their presence than the child began to cry * Mother, mother, that old woman is tearing my heart out of me.' Alarm was given; the young gentlemen ran after the old woman, whom the child pricked on the forehead with a pin till the blood came, when the spell of torment which she had laid upon it was dissolved,"—Vol. i. pp. 352-3.
[The following document is quoted from the records preserved in the Consistory Court of Durham.]
"June 6, 1627. James Cowle, of the parishe of Morpethe, aged 30 years, a witness, &c., has known the said Sara Hatherick for 8 years, and the said Jane Urwen from his infancy.
"He saith that about two yeares since now last past, a more certaine time he remembrethe not, the said Jane Urwen came to this examinate's house, then situate in Morpeth, about some business in an eveninge, and after some other conference the said Jane asked this examinate how and upon what tearmes he had lett a house and certaine grounds unto Lancelott Hatherwick, husband to the said Sara, wherein he satisfied her; whereupon the said Jane Urwen replied and said, that the said Lancelott was nought; but, quoth she, his wife, meaning
