THE

ARRAIGNMENT

and Triall

of

IENNET

PRESTON of Gisborne in Crauen, in the Countie of Yorke, at the Afsifes and generall Gaole-deliuerie, holden at the Cafile of Yorke, in the Countie of Yorke, the feuen and twentieth day of Iuly laft paft. Anno Regni Regis Iacobi Angliæ &c. Decimo & Scotia xlvj.

Jennet Preston.

ANY haue vndertaken to write great difcourfes of Witches and many more difpute and fpeake of them. And it were not much if as many wrote of them as could write at al, to fet forth to the world the particular Rites and Secrets of their vnlawfull Artes, with their in

finite and wonderfull practifes which many men little feare till they feaze vpon them. As by this late wonderfull difcouerie of Witches in the Countie of Lancafter may appeare, wherein I find fuch apparant matter to fatisfie the World, how dangerous and malitious a

Witch this Tennet Prefton was, How vnfit to liue, hauing once fo great mercie extended to her: And againe to reuiue her practifes, and returne to her former course of life; that I thinke it neceffarie not to let the memorie of her life and death die with her; But to place her next to her fellowes and to fet forth the Arraignement Triall and Conviction of her, with her offences for which he was condemned and executed.

And although thee died for her offence before the reft, I yet can afford her no better place then in the end of this Booke in refpect the proceedings was in an other Countie;

You that were husband to this Iennet Prefton; her friends and kinsfolkes, who haue not beene sparing to deuife fo fcandalous a flander out of the malice of your hearts, as that thee was maliciously profecuted by Master Lister and others; Her life vniuftly taken away by practife; and that (euen at the Gallowes where shee died impenitent and void of all feare or grace) she died an Innocent woman, becaufe fhe would confeffe nothing: You I fay may not hold it ftrange, though at this time, being not only moued in confcience, but directed, for example fake, with that which I haue to report of her, I fuffer you not to wander any further, but with this fhort difcourfe oppofe your idle conceipts able to feduce others: And by Charmes of Imputations and flander, laid vpon the Iuftice of the Land, to cleare her that was iuftly condemned and executed for her of fence; That this Iennet Preston was for many yeares well thought of and efteemed by Mafter Lister who afterwards died for it Had free acceffe to his houfe, kind refpect and entertainment; nothing denied her fhe ftood

ftood in need of. Which of you that dwelleth neare them in Crauen but can and will witneffe it? which might haue incouraged a Woman of any good condition to haue runne a better course.

The fauour and goodneffe of this Gentleman Mafter Lifter now liuing, at his firft entrance after the death of his Father extended towards her, and the reliefe she had at all times, with many other fauours that fucceeded from time to time, are fo palpable and euident to all men as no man can denie them. Thefe were fufficient motiues to haue perfwaded her from the murder of fo good a friend.

But fuch was her execrable Ingratitude, as euen this grace and goodneffe was the cause of his miferable and vntimely death. And euen in the beginning of his greatest fauours extended to her, began fhee to worke this mischiefe, according to the courfe of all Witches.

This Iennet Preston, whofe Arraignment and Triall, with the particular Euidence against her I am now to fet forth vnto you, one that liued at Gisborne in Crauen, in the Countie of Yorke, neare Mafter Lister of Weftbie, against whom the practifed much mischiefe; for hauing cut off Thomas Lister Esquire, father to this gentleman now liuing, fhee reuenged her felfe vpon his fonne: who in fhort time receiued great loffe in his goods and cattell by her meanes.

These things in time did beget fufpition, and at the Affizes and Generall Gaole deliuerie holden at the Caftle of Yorke in Lent laft paft, before my Lord Bromley, fhee was Indicted and Arraigned for the murder of a Child of one Dodg-fonnes, but by the fauour and mercifull confideration of the Iurie thereof acquited.

But this fauour and mercie was no fooner extended towardes her, aud fhee fet at libertie, But fhee began to practise the utter ruine and ouerthrow of the name and bloud of this Gentleman.

And the better to execute her mifchiefe and wicked intent, within foure dayes after her deliuerance out of the Castle at Yorke, went to the great Affembly of Witches at Malking-Tower vpon Good-friday laft: to praye aide and helpe, for the murder of Mafter Lister, in refpect he had profecuted against her at the fame Affi

zes.

Which it pleafed God in his mercie to discouer, and in the end, howfoeuer he had blinded her, as he did the King of Egypt and his Inftruments, for the brighter euidence of his own powerfull glory: Yet by a Iudiciall courfe and triall of the Law, cut her off, and fo deliuered his people from the danger of her Deuilish and wicked practifes: which you fhall heare against her, at her Arraignement and Triall, which I fhall now fet forth to you in order as it was performed, with the wonderfull fignes and tokens of GOD, to fatisfie the Iurie to finde her guiltie of this bloudie murther, committed foure yeares fince.

In

TH

Indictment.

His Iennet Prefton being Prifoner in the Castle at Yorke, and indicted, for that thee felloniously had practifed, vfed, and exercifed diuerfe wicked and deuillish Arts, called Witchcrafts, Inchauntments, Charmes, and Sorceries, in and vpon one Thomas Lister of Westby in Crauen, in the Countie of Yorke Efquire, and by force of the fame Witchcraft felloniously the faid Thomas Lister had killed, Contra Pacem &c. beeing at the Barre, was arraigned.

To this Indictment vpon her Arraignement, shee pleaded not guiltie, and for the Triall of her life put her felfe vpon GOD and her Countrey.

Whereupon my Lord Altham commaunded Master Sheriffe of the Countie of Yorke, in open Court to returne a Iurie of sufficient Gentlemen of vnderstanding, to paffe betweene our Soueraigne Lord the Kings Majestie and her, and others the Prifoners, vpon their liues and deaths; who were afterwards fworne, according to the forme and order of the Court, the prifoner being admitted to her lawfull challenge.

Which being done, and the Prifoner at the Barre to receiue her Tryall, Mafter Heyber, one of his Maiefties Iuftices of Peace in the fame County, hauing taken great paines in the proceedings against her; and being beft inftructed of any man of all the particular points of Euidence against her, humbly prayed, the witneffes hereaf ter following might be examined against her, and the seuerall Examinations, taken before Mafter Nowel, and certified, might openly bee published against her; which hereafter follow in order, viz.