Chapter VIII: Familiars and Transformations (1)

The question of familiars is one which has always puzzled the student of witch-trials, and almost more than any other has been the cause of the belief that hysteria and hallucination were the foundation of the witches' confessions. Yet when the accounts are carefully examined, the circumstantial detail given in the evidence shows that here, as elsewhere, a foundation of fact underlies the statements of the accused. These statements are often misunderstood and therefore misrepresented by the recorders, and still more so by the modern commentator, but by comparison of the details a considerable amount of information can be gained.

The familiars can be divided into two types: (1) those by which the witch divined, (2) those who attended on the witch to obey her commands.

1. _The Divining Familiar_

The essence of this familiar is that it did not belong to the witch but was an animal which appeared accidentally after the performance of certain magical ceremonies. Forbes puts this quite clearly when describing the contract: 'The Devil on his Part articles with such Proselytes, concerning the Shape he is to appear to them in, the Services they are to expect from him, upon the Performance of certain Charms or ceremonious Rites.'[831] From this statement and from the facts revealed in the trials it would seem that the Devil appointed to the witch, on her admission, some kind of animal or animals by which she should divine, and which therefore represented himself for the time being, for he claimed the power, as God, to know and reveal the future. This explanation accounts for the fact that the witches always spoke of such animals as the Devil and believed that they could foretell the future by his means. The actual method of divination is not preserved; all that remains of the ceremony are the words and gestures which were used before the appearance of the animal, and these only in few cases. The method was probably such as obtained in other places where auguries by animals and birds were practised, i.e. by the direction and pace of the animal, by its actions, by its voice if it emitted any sound, and so on. The method of making such observations and of translating them when made was part of the instruction given to the witch by the Devil; and was usually employed to discover whether a person were bewitched, the ultimate result of an illness, and the length of life of any given person.

In 1566 John Walsh, of Netherberry in Dorset, who 'knoweth when anye man is bewytched, sayth vpon his oth, that his Familiar would sometyme come vnto hym lyke a gray blackish Culuer, and somtime like a brended Dog, and somtimes lyke a man.'[832] In 1590 Agnes Sampson, the 'wise wife' of Keith, was--

'fylit and convict, that the Dewill apperit to hir in liknes of ane
dog, att quhom she socht her haill responsis that quhene sche wes send
for to haill the auld Lady Edmestoune, quhene sche lay seik, befoir
the said Agnes departit, sche tauld to the gentilwemene, that sche
sould tell thame that nycht quhidder the Lady wald haill or nocht; and
appointit thame to be in the gardin efter supper, betuix fyve and sax
att ewin. Sche passit to the gairdene, to devyise vpoun hir prayer,
one quhat tyme sche chargeit the Dewill, calling him "Elva", to cum
and speik to hir, quha come in owir the dyke, in liknes of ane dog,
and come sa neir to hir, that sche wes effrayit, and chargeit him "on
the law that he lewit on", to cum na neirar, bot to ansuer hir; and
sche demandit, Quhidder the lady wald leif or nocht. He said, "Hir
dayes war gane." Than he demandit, "Gif the gentilwemen hir dochteres,
quhair thay wer?" And sche said, that "the gentilwemen said, that thay
war to be thair". He ansuerit, "Ane of thame sould be in perrell, and
that he sould haif ane of thame." Sche ansuerit, "It sould nocht be
sa", and swa departit fra hir zowling. Fra this tyme quhill eftir
supper, he remanit in the wall [well]. Quhen the gentilwemen come in,
the dog come out of the wall, and apperit to thame; quhairatt thay wer
effrayit. In the mene tyme, ane of the said gentilwemen, the Lady
Torsenze, ran to the wall, being forceit and drawin by the Devill,
quha wald haif drownit hir, war nocht the said Agnes and the rest of
the gentilwemen gatt ane gryp of hir, and with all hir [their?]
forceis drew hir abak agane, quhilk maid thame all effrayd. The dog
passit away thaireftir with ane zowle.'[833]

Margerat Clarke, like Agnes Sampson a midwife of great reputation, was tried at Aberdeen in 1597 for witchcraft, in that, being sent for to a case

'and ane Androw Mar cuming for the, the Devill thy maister, quhome
thow seruis, and quha techis the all this vytchcraft and sorcerie,
apperit to the, in the licknes of ane horss, in ane how and den, and
spak and conferrit with the a lang speace.--[Being sent for to another
case] and the said guidman of Kincragie sendand his awin best horss,
with ane boy of his awin, to bring the to his wyiff; and the said boy
on horse cuming to the, and thow beand on the horss behind the boy,
att thy awin dure, thy maister Satane, the Dewill, apperit in the
licknes of ane gray staig, and convoyit the and the boy fra thy awin
houss to Kincragie, and keipit cumpanie all the way with you, with
quhome thow haid thy secreitt conference.--Vpone Nwris [New-year's]
day, thow was att the loche syid besyid Boigloche, and thair thow
pudlit be ane lang speace, thy selff alane, in ane deip holl amongis
the watter, castand watter, erd and stone oure thi schowlderis, and
thair was besyid the thy maister the Deuill, quhome thow seruis, in
the licknes of ane hen flichtering, with quhome thow was thane
consultand, and quhais directiounis than thow was taikand.'[834]

In Derbyshire in 1597, 'Whereas Alice Gooderige said her familiar was like one William Gregories dog of Stapenhill, there arose a rumor, his dog was her familiar: Wherefore hee with his neighbour maister Coxe went the next day to examin her concerning this report; and she saide, my diuel (I say) was like your dog. Now out vpon thee (saide Gregorie) and departed: she being further examined, saide she had her familiar of her mother.'[835] Alexander Hamilton, tried at Edinburgh in 1630, confessed that--

'haifing ane battoun of fir in his hand the devill than gave the said
Alexr command to tak that battoun quhan evir he had ado with him and
thairwt to strek thruse upone the ground and to nhairge him to ruse up
foule theiff Conforme to the whilk directioun and be streking of the
said battone thryse upone the ground the devill was in use sumtymes to
appeir to the said Alexr in the liknes of ane corbie at uther tymes in
the schape of ane katt and at uther tymes in the schape of ane dog and
thereby the said Alexr did ressave reponsis frome him.--The said Alexr
Hamiltoun coming to the said Thomas Homes house and seing him visseit
with the said seiknes declairit to him that he was bewitchet and
promeist to cure him thereof Lykas for this effect the said Alexr
schortlie thereftir past to clarkingtoun burne besyde the rottoneraw
haifing ane katt under his okister and thair wt his said battoun
raisit Sathan his maister quha than appeirit to him in the liknes of
ane corbie and thair instructit him be quhat meanis he sould cure the
said Thomas of his said seiknes and he haifing ressauit that respons
fra the devill the said Alexr thereftir cuist to him the kat quha
therewt vanischet away'.[836]

Two of the Somerset witches in 1664 had familiars; to Elizabeth Style the familiar came as a black dog, 'and when she hath a desire to do harm, she calls the Spirit by the name of _Robin_, to whom when he appeareth, she useth these words, _O Sathan give me my purpose_. She then tells him what she would have done. And that he should so appear to her was part of her Contract with him.--Alice Duke saith, that when the Devil doth any thing for her, she calls for him by the name of _Robin_, upon which he appears, and when in the shape of a Man, she can hear him speak'.[837] This shows that the familiar, or Devil as she called him, was not always in the form of a man. The trial of Margaret Nin-Gilbert at Thurso was as late as 1719: 'Being interrogat, If ever the devil appeared afterwards to her? Confessed, That sometimes he appeared in the likeness of a great black horse, and other times riding on a black horse, and that he appeared sometimes in the likeness of a black cloud, and sometimes like a black henn'.[838]

2. _The Domestic Familiar_

Forbes, the great Scotch lawyer, says that 'to some he [the Devil] gives certain Spirits or Imps to correspond with, and serve them as their Familiars, known to them by some odd Names, to which they answer when called. These Imps are said to be kept in Pots or other Vessels.'[839] Though the domestic familiar is thus mentioned in the law of Scotland, it never occurs in the trials. It is confined so strictly to England that Hutchinson is able to say 'I meet with little mention of _Imps_ in any Country but ours, where the Law makes the feeding, suckling, or rewarding of them to be Felony'.[840] It is not found north of Lancashire, and the chief records are in Essex, Suffolk, and the other Eastern counties.

The domestic familiar was always a small animal, was fed in a special manner on bread and milk and blood, and was kept, as Forbes points out, in a box or earthen pot on a bed of wool. It was used for working magic on the persons and property of other people, never for divining. Giffard records the general belief: 'The witches have their spirits, some hath one, some hath more, as two, three, foure, or five, some in one likenesse, and some in another, as like cats, weasils, toades, or mise, whom they nourish with milke or with a chicken, or by letting them suck now and then a drop of bloud.'[841]

In the earlier trials the witches confessed to pricking the hands or face and giving the resulting drop or drops of blood to the familiar. In the later trials this has developed into the sucking of the witch's blood by the familiar; and the supernumerary nipple, which was so marked a feature of the English witches, was popularly supposed to be caused by such sucking. It is more probable, however, that the witch who was possessed of a supernumerary nipple would regard it as something supernatural, and would use it to nourish a supernatural animal.

Elizabeth Francis, tried at Chelmsford in 1556,

'learned this arte of witchcraft of hyr grandmother whose nam mother
Eue. Item when shee taughte it her, she counseiled her to renounce God
and his worde and to geue of her bloudde to Sathan (as she termed it)
whyche she delyuered her in the lykenesse of a whyte spotted Catte,
and taughte her to feede the sayde Catte with breade and mylke, and
she dyd so, also she taughte her to cal it by the name of Sathan and
to kepe it in a basket. Item that euery tyme that he did any thynge
for her, she sayde that he required a drop of bloude, which she gaue
him by prycking herselfe, sometime in one place and then in an other.
When shee had kept this Cat by the space of XV or XVI yeare, and as
some saye (though vntruly) beinge wery of it, she came to one mother
Waterhouse her neyghbour, she brought her this cat in her apron and
taught her as she was instructed by her grandmother Eue, telling her
that she must cal him Sathan and geue him of her bloude and breade and
milke as before.--Mother Waterhouse receyued this cat of this Frances
wife in the order as is before sayde. She (to trye him what he coulde
do) wyld him to kyll a hog of her owne, which he dyd, and she gaue him
for his labour a chicken, which he fyrste required of her and a drop
of her blod. And thys she gaue him at all times when he dyd anythynge
for her, by pricking her hand or face and puttinge the bloud to hys
mouth whyche he sucked, and forthwith wold lye downe in hys pot
againe, wherein she kepte him. Another tym she rewarded hym as before,
wyth a chicken and a droppe of her bloud, which chicken he eate vp
cleane as he didde al the rest, and she cold fynde remaining neyther
bones nor fethers. Also she said that when she wolde wyl him to do any
thinge for her, she wolde say her Pater noster in laten. Item, this
mother Waterhouse confessed that shee fyrst turned this Cat into a
tode by this meanes, she kept the cat a great while in woll in a pot,
and at length being moued by pouertie to occupie the woll, she praied
in the name of the father and of the sonne, and of the holy ghost that
it wold turne into a tode, and forthwith it was turned into a tode,
and so kept it in the pot without woll.'[842]

In 1579 at Windsor--

'one Mother Dutton dwellyng in Cleworthe Parishe keepeth a Spirite or
Feende in the likenesse of a Toade, and fedeth the same Feende liyng
in a border of greene Hearbes, within her Garden, with blood whiche
she causeth to issue from her owne flancke. Mother Deuell, dwellyng
nigh the Ponde in Windesore, hath a Spirite in the shape of a Blacke
Catte, and calleth it Gille, whereby she is aided in her Witchcrafte,
and she daiely feedeth it with Milke, mingled with her owne bloud.
Mother Margaret, dwellying in the Almeshouse at Windesore, dooeth
feede a Kitlyng or Feende by her named Ginnie, with crummes of bread
and her owne blood. The saied Elizabeth Stile, of her self confesseth
that she the same Elizabeth kept a Ratte, beeyng in very deede a
wicked Spirite, namyng it Philip, and that she fedde the same Ratte
with bloode, issuing from her right handwrest, the markes whereof
euidently remaine.'[843]

At St. Osyth in Essex in 1582 Thomas Rabbet, aged eight, said that his mother Ursley Kemp 'hath foure seuerall spirites, the one called Tyffin, the other Tittey, the third Pigine, and the fourth Iacke: and being asked of what colours they were, saith, that Tyttey is like a little grey Cat,[844] Tyffin is like a white lambe, Pygine is black like a Toad, and Iacke is blacke like a Cat. And hee saith, hee hath seen his mother at times to giue th[~e] beere to drinke, and of a white Lofe or Cake to eate, and saith that in the night time the said spirites will come to his mother, and sucke blood of her vpon her armes and other places of her body.' Febey Hunt, stepdaughter of Ales Hunt, one of the accused witches, stated that 'shee hath seen her mother to haue two little thinges like horses,[845] the one white, the other blacke, the which shee kept in a little lowe earthen pot with woll, colour white and blacke, and that they stoode in her chamber by her bed side, and saith, that shee hath seene her mother to feede them with milke'. Ales Hunt herself said that 'shee had within VI. dayes before this examination two spirits, like unto little Coltes, the one blacke, and the other white: And saith she called them by the names of _Iacke_ and _Robbin_. This Examinate saith that her sister (named Margerie Sammon) hath also two spirites like Toades, the one called _Tom_, and the other _Robbyn_.' Ursley Kemp confessed that 'about a quarter of a yere past, she went vnto mother Bennets house for a messe of milke, the which shee had promised her: But at her comming this examinate saith shee knocked at her dore, and no bodie made her any answere, whereupon shee went to her chamber windowe and looked in therat, saying, ho, ho, mother Bennet are you at home: And casting her eyes aside, shee saw a spirit lift up a clothe, lying ouer a pot, looking much lik a Ferret. And it being asked of this examinate why the spirite did looke vpon her, shee said it was hungrie'. Elizabeth Bennet acknowledged that she had two 'spirits, one called _Suckin_, being blacke like a Dogge, the other called _Lierd_, beeing red like a Lion. Suckin this examinat saith is a hee, and the other a shee. Many tymes they drinke of her milke bowle. And when, and as often as they did drinke of the mylke: This Examynate saith they went into the sayd earthen pot, and lay in the wooll.' Ursley Kemp also gave evidence concerning Ales Hunt's familiars: 'About the foureteene or fifteene day of Januarie last, shee went to the house of William Hunt to see howe his wife did, and shee being from home, shee called at her chamber window and looked in, and then espied a spirite to looke out of a potcharde from vnder a clothe, the nose thereof beeing browne like vnto a Ferret.'[846] In 1588 in Essex an old woman, whose name is not given,

'confessed all: Which was this in effect: that she had three spirits:
one like a cat, which she called Lightfoot, another like a toad, which
she called Lunch, the third like a Weasill, which she called
Makeshift. This Lightfoot, she said, one mother Barlie of W. solde her
aboue sixteene yeares agoe, for an ouen cake, and told her the Cat
would doe her good seruice, if she woulde, she might send her of her
errand: this Cat was with her but a while, but the Weasill and the
Toad came and offered their seruice: The Cat would kill kine, the
Weasil would kill horses, the Toad would plague men in their
bodies.--There was one olde mother W. of great T. which had a spirite
like a Weasill: she was offended highlie with one H. M. home she went,
and called forth her spirite, which lay in a pot of woll vnder her
bed, she willed him to goe plague the man; he required what she would
give him. She said she would give him a cocke, which she did.' Another
Mother W. 'sayd she had a spirit in the likenesse of a yellow dun
cat'.[847]

In Lancashire in 1613 old mother Demdike confessed that 'vpon a Sabbath day in the morning, this Examinate hauing a litle Child vpon her knee, and she being in a slumber, the sayd Spirit appeared vnto her in the likenes of a browne Dogg, forcing himselfe to her knee, to get blood vnder her left Arme: and she being without any apparrell sauing her Smocke, the said Deuill did get blood vnder her left arme'.[848] Of the witches who plagued the Fairfax family at Fewstone in 1621, five had domestic familiars: Margaret Waite's was 'a deformed thing with many feet, black of colour, rough with hair, the bigness of a cat'; her daughter, Margaret Waite, had as 'her spirit, a white cat spotted with black, and named Inges'; Jennet Dibble had 'her spirit in the shape of a great black cat called Gibbe, which hath attended her now above 40 years'; Dibble's daughter, Margaret Thorpe, had a 'familiar in the shape of a bird, yellow of colour, about the bigness of a crow--the name of it is Tewhit'; Elizabeth Dickenson's spirit was 'in the likeness of a white cat, which she calleth Fillie, she hath kept it twenty years'.[849] The witch of Edmonton, Elizabeth Sawyer, in 1621, said: 'It is eight yeares since our first acquaintance, and three times in the weeke, the Diuell would come and see mee; he would come sometimes in the morning, and sometimes in the evening. Alwayes in the shape of a dogge, and of two collars, sometimes of blacke and sometimes of white. I gaue him leaue to sucke of my bloud, the which hee asked of me. When he came barking to mee he then had done the mischiefe that I did bid him to doe for me. I did call the Diuell by the name of Tom. I did stroake him on the backe, and then he would becke vnto me, and wagge his tayle as being therewith contented.'[850] Margaret Johnson, another Lancashire witch in 1633, 'alsoe saith, yt when her devill did come to sucke her pappe, hee usually came to her in ye liknes of a cat, sometymes of one colour, and sometymes on (_sic_) an other. And yt since this trouble befell her, her spirit hath left her, and shee never sawe him since.'[851]

From 1645 to 1647 are the chief records of the witch trials of Essex and the eastern counties, celebrated as the scene of Matthew Hopkins's work. The Essex trials took place in 1645: John Sterne, Hopkins's assistant, deposed that when watching Elizabeth Clarke,

'the said Elizabeth desired this informant, and the rest that were in
the roome with her, to sit downe, and said, shee would shew this
informant and the rest some of her impes: and within halfe an houre
there appeared a white thing in the likeness of a cat, but not
altogether so big: and being asked, if she would not be afraid of her
impes, the said Elizabeth answered, "What, do yee think I am afraid of
my children?" And that shee called the name of that white impe, Hoult.
And this informant further saith, That presently after there appeared
another white impe, with red spots, as big as a small dog, which shee
then called Jarmara: and that immediately after, there appeared at the
threshold of the doore another impe about the bignesse of the first,
but did presently vanish away. And then the said Elizabeth being
asked, if any more impes would come? she answered, "That Vinegar Tom
would come by and by". And forthwith there appeared another in the
likenesse of a dumb dogge, somewhat bigger than any of the former. And
the said Elizabeth also told this informant, that shee had three impes
from her mother, which were of a browne colour, and two from the old
beldam Weste; and that there had five [? four] impes appeared, but
shee had one more, called Sack and Sugar. And the said Elizabeth
further confessed to this informant, that shee had one impe for which
she would fight up to the knees in bloud, before shee would lose it;
and that her impes did commonly suck on the old beldam Weste, and that
the said beldam's impes did suck on her the said Elizabeth
likewise.--Anne Leech saith, That she had a grey impe sent to her, and
that this examinant, together with the said Elizabeth Clark, and
Elizabeth the wife of Edward Gooding, did about a yeer since, send
their imps to kill a black cowe and a white cowe of Mr. Edwards, which
was done accordingly. And this examinant saith, that she sent her grey
impe, Elizabeth Clark a black imp, and Elizabeth Gooding a white imp.
And this examinant confesseth, that she and the said Elizabeth
Gooding, sent either of them an imp to destroy the childe of the said
Mr. Edwards; this examinant's imp being then a white one, and
Elizabeth Gooding's a black imp; and that about thirty yeers since,
this examinant had the said white imp and two others, a grey and a
black imp of one Anne, the wife of Robert Pearce of Stoak in Suffolk,
being her brother; and that these imps went commonly from one to
another, and did mischief where ever they went; and that when this
examinant did not send and imploy them abroad to do mischief, she had
not her health, but when they were imployed, she was healthfull and
well, and that these imps did usually suck those teats which were
found about the privie parts of her body.--Hellen Clark confesseth,
that about six weeks since, the Devill appeared to her in her house,
in the likenesse of a white dog, and that she calleth that familiar
Elimanzer; and that this examinant hath often fed him with milk
pottage.--Rebecca West saith, that about a moneth since, the aforesaid
Anne Leech, Elizabeth Gooding, Hellen Clark, Anne West, and this
examinant, met all together at the house of the aforesaid Elizabeth
Clark in Mannyntree, where they spent some time in praying unto their
familiars, and every one in order went to prayers; afterwards some of
them read in a book, the book being Elizabeth Clarks; and this
examinant saith, that forthwith their familiars appeared, and every
one of them made their severall propositions to those familiars, what
every one of them desired to have effected.--The Information of
Matthew Hopkins, Gent. taken upon oath before the said Justices. This
informant saith, That being lately at Colchester, he went to the
castle, where the said Rebecca Weste, with the other five, are secured
until the next gaole delivery: and this informant going to Rebecca
Weste, and asking her how shee came first to be a witch, the said
Rebecca told this informant, that about a yeare since, or thereabouts,
halfe an houre before sun-set, the said Anne Weste (her mother)
carried the said Rebecca Weste towards Mannintree (which is about a
small mile from the place where the said Anne dwelt) and the said
Rebecca told this informant, that as her mother and shee walked
together, the said Anne told the said Rebecca, shee must keepe secret
whatsoever shee saw, whither they were then going; and the said
Rebecca promised so to doe; and the said Rebecca told this informant,
that her mother and shee went to the house of the aforesaid Elizabeth
Clarke, where at their comming in they found the aforesaid Anne Leech,
widow, Elizabeth Gooding, Hellen Clarke, and the house-keeper
Elizabeth Clarke, and that forthwith the Devill appeared to them in
the shape of a dogge; afterwards in the shape of two kitlyns; then in
the shape of two dogges; and that the said familiars did doe homage in
the first place to the said Elizabeth Clarke, and skipped up into her
lap and kissed her; and then went and kissed all that were in the
roome, except the said Rebecca: and the said Rebecca told this
informant, that immediately one of the company asked the said Anne her
mother, if shee had acquainted her daughter (the said Rebecca) with
the businesse. [Rebecca then took an oath of secrecy]; after she had
consented to all these things, the Devill came into her lap, and
kissed her, and promised to doe for her what she could desire.--The
Information of Elizabeth Otley of Wyvenhoe, taken upon oath before the
said justices. This informant saith, that Alice Dixon, who now stands
committed for a suspected witch, did in the presence of Mary Johnson
of the same town, charge and accuse the said Mary Johnson to be the
death of this informant's child, saying, that the said Mary Johnson
did carry an impe in her pocket to this informant's house, and put the
said impe into the house, at an hole in the doore, bidding it go rock
the cradle, and do the businesse she sent it about.--The Information
of Joseph Long, Minister of Clacton in the County of Essex, taken
before the said Justices. This informant saith, that Anne the wife of
John Cooper of Clacton aforesaid, being accused for a witch: Confessed
unto this informant, that she the said Anne hath had three black impes
suckled on the lower parts of her body; called by the names of Wynowe,
Jeso, and Panu. And the said Anne further confessed unto this
informant, that she the said Anne offered to give unto her daughter
Sarah Cooper an impe in the likenes of a gray kite [kit], to suck on
the said Sarah; which impes name the said Anne called Tom boy; and
told the said Sarah, there was a cat for her.--This informant Henry
Cornwall saith, that the said Margaret [Moone] did confesse to him
that she had twelve impes, and called them by their names; of which he
remembers onely these following: Jesus, Jockey, Sandy, Mrit.
Elizabeth, and Collyn.--The information of Francis Milles, taken upon
oath before the said Justices. This informant saith, that she asking
the said Margaret [Moone] for her impes, which sucked those teats; she
said, if she might have some bread and beere, she would call her said
impes; which being given unto her, she put the bread into the beere,
and set it against an hole in the wall, and made a circle round the
pot, and then cried, Come Christ, come Christ, come Mounsier, come
Mounsier: And no impe appearing, she cried out and said, she had
devilish daughters, which had carried her impes away in a white bagge,
and wished they might be searched.--The information of Francis Stock,
and John Felgate, taken upon oath before the said Justices. The said
Francis and John say, that the said Sarah Barton, told them, that the
said Marian [Hocket] had given and delivered unto her the said Sarah
three imps, and that the said Marian called them by the names of
Littleman, Pretty-man, and Dainty.--This examinant, Elizabeth Harvie
saith, that about halfe a yeer since, the said Marian Hocket brought
three things to her house, two of them being smaller than mouses, and
the other somewhat bigger and longer; and that the said Marian told
this examinant they were pretty things, and would do her and this
examinant good, if shee this examinant would keep them.--Rose
Hallybread saith, that about fifteen or sixteen yeers since, there was
an imp brought to her house by one Goodwife Hagtree, which imp this
examinant entertained, fed it with oatmeale, and suckled it on her
body, for the space of a yeer and a halfe, or thereabouts, and then
lost it: And this examinant further saith, that about half a yeer
since, one Joyce Boanes (who is now also accused for Witchcraft),
brought to this examinants house another imp, in the likenesse of a
small grey bird, which this examinant received. And this examinant
further saith, that about eight dayes since, Susan Cock, Margaret
Landish, and Joyce Boanes, (all which stand now suspected for
Witchcraft) brought to this examinants house each of them an imp, (in
all three) to which this examinant added one of her own imps; and then
the said Joyce Boanes carryed the said four imps to the house of one
Robert Turner, to torment his servant.--Joyce Boanes saith, that about
thirteen yeers since, shee had two imps which came into the bed to her
in the likenesse of mouses, and that they sucked on this examinants
body. And this examinant also saith, that she carried one of her said
imps, called Rug, to the house of the said Rose Hallybread; and that
her said imp Rug, with the three imps of the said Rose Hallybread,
Susan Cock, and Margaret Landish, each of them sending one, were
carried by this examinant from the house of the said Rose Hallybread,
to the house of the said Robert Turner to kill the servant of the said
Robert.--Susan Cock saith, that about three or four yeeres since, one
Margery Stoakes, this examinants mother, lying upon her death-bed, and
this examinant comming to visit her, shee the said Margery desired
this examinant privately to give entertainment to two of her imps, and
withall told this examinant, they would do this examinant good: And
this examinant saith, that the same night her said mother dyed, the
said two imps came to her accordingly, and sucked on her body: And
this examinant saith, that one of the said imps was like a mouse, and
the name of that was Susan; that the other was of a yellow colour,
about the bigness of a cat; and that the name of that imp was
Besse.--Rebecca Jones saith, that as shee was going to St. Osyth
(where this examinant doth now dwell) to sell her said masters butter,
a man met with her, being in a ragged sute, and having such great
eyes, that this examinant was much afraid of him; who came to this
examinant, and gave her three things like to moules, having foure feet
a piece, but without tayles, and of a black colour, and bid this
examinant nurse the said three things, untill he did desire them
againe; And this examinant asked the said man, what she should give
them to eate, and he told this examinant milke, and that they would
not hurt her, and wished her not to be afraid of them. And the said
man told this examinant, that those three things which he gave her,
would avenge her on her enemies, and bid her murther some, but not too
many, and he would forgive her; and then went away from this
examinant. And this examinant saith, that the names of her three imps
were Margaret, Amie, and Susan. And that a while after, this examinant
and one Joyce Boanes, now in prison, did send each of them an impe to
kill one Thomas Bumstead of St. Osyth: And that the impe which the
said Joyce Boanes sent was a dund one like unto a mouse.--Johan Cooper
saith, That she hath been a witch about twenty yeers, and hath three
familiars, two like mouses, and the third like a frog; the names of
the two like mouses are Jack, and the other Prickeare, and the name of
the third, like a frog, is Frog.--Anne Cate saith, That she hath four
familiars, which shee had from her mother, about two and twenty yeeres
since, and that the names of the said imps are James, Prickeare,
Robyn, and Sparrow: and that three of these imps are like mouses, and
the fourth like a sparrow, which she called Sparrow.'[852]

In 1646 the Huntingdonshire witches were tried. Elizabeth Weed of Great Catworth confessed that--

'about one and twenty yeares since she being saying her Prayers in the
evening about bedtime, there did appeare unto her three Spirits, one
in the likeness of a young man or boy, and the other two of two
Puppies, the one white and the other black. Being demanded the name of
the lesser Spirits, shee saith the name of the white one was Lilly,
and the blacke one Priscill; and that the office of Lilly was to hurt
man, woman, or childe; and the office of Priscill was to hurt Cattell
when she desired.--Francis Moore saith, that about eight yeares since
she received a little blacke puppy from one Margaret Simson of great
Catworth, which dog the said Margaret had in her bed with her, and
took it thence when she gave it to the Examinate: The Examinate
further saith, that the said Margaret told her, that she must keep
that dogge all her life time; and if she cursed any Cattell, and set
the same dog upon them, they should presently dye, and the said
Margaret told her that she had named it already, his name was Pretty.
And the said Examinate further saith, that about the same time one
goodwife Weed gave her a white Cat, telling her, that if she would
deny God, and affirme the same by her bloud, then whomsoever she
cursed and sent that Cat unto, they should dye shortly after.
Whereupon the said Examinate saith that shee did deny God, and in
affirmation thereof shee pricked her finger with a thorne, whence
issued bloud, which the Cat presently licked, and the said gooodwife
(_sic_) Weed named the Cat _Tissy_. And she further saith, that she
killed the said Dog and Cat about a yeare since.--Joan Wallis of
Keiston said [that the Devil came to her] and shee asked what his name
was, and he said his name was Blackeman, and asked her if she were
poore, and she said I; then he told her he would send one Grissell and
Greedigut to her, that shall do any thing for her. And after Blackman
was departed from her, within three or four dayes, Grissell and
Greedigut came to her, in the shapes of dogges with great brisles of
hogges haire upon their backs.' The accounts given by John Winnick,
Ellen Shepheard, and Anne Desborough suggest that they are confused
amplifications of the ritual to be observed in taking a familiar, the
ritual being clearly given in the confession of Francis Moore when she
was presented with the cat Tissy. John Winnick said, 'On a Friday
being in the barne [where he lost his purse] there appeared unto him a
Spirit, blacke and shaggy, and having pawes like a Beare, but in bulk
not fully so big as a Coney. The Spirit asked him what he ailed to be
so sorrowfull, this Examinate answered that he had lost a purse and
money, and knew not how to come by it againe. The Spirit replied, if
you will forsake God and Christ, and fall down and worship me for your
God, I will help you to your purse and mony againe: This Examinate
said he would, and thereupon fell down upon his knees and held up his
hands. Then the Spirit said, tomorrow about this time of the day, you
shall find your purse. Whereupon at the time prefixed, this Examinate
went unto the place, and found his purse upon the floore and tooke it
up, and looking afterwards into it, he found there all the money that
was formerly lost: but before he had looked into it, the same Spirit
appears unto him, and said, there is your purse and your money in it:
and then this Examinate fell downe upon his knees and said, my Lord
and God I thanke you. The said Spirit at that time brought with him
two other Spirits, for shape, bignesse, and colour, the one like a
white Cat, the other like a grey Coney: and while this Examinate was
upon his knees, the Beare Spirit spake to him, saying, you must
worship these two Spirits as you worship me, and take them for your
Gods also: then this Examinate directed his bodie towards them, and
call'd them his Lords and Gods. Then the Beare Spirit told him that
when he dyed he must have his soule, whereunto this Examinate yielded.
Hee told him then also that they must suck of his body, to which this
Examinate also yielded.--Ellen Shepheard saith that about five years
since, when she was in her homsted at Molesworth, there appeared unto
her a Spirit, somewhat like a Rat, but not fully so big, of an
iron-grey colour, and said you must goe with me, and she said, I will
not, avoid Satan, and thereupon he went away. Shee saith, that within
a short time after, going into the field, cursing, and fretting, and
blaspheming, there appeared three Spirits more with the former in the
fashion of Rats, of an iron-grey, and said, you must forsake God and
Christ, and goe with me, and take those Spirits for your Gods, and you
shall have all happinesse, whereunto she consented: And moreover they
said unto her, that when she dyed, they must have her body and soule,
and said they must have blood from her, which she granted, and
thereupon they sucked her upon and about her hippes.--Anne Desborough
confesseth, that about thirty yeares since, the first weeke of Cleane
Lent, there appeared unto her a thing some-what bigger than a Mouse,
of a brown colour, and of the likenesse of a mouse. This was while
shee lived at Tichmarsh in the County of Northampton: she being there
in bed, and in a dreame, the said likenesse then gave her a nip, and
thereby awakened her out of her dreame, and then told her (when she
was awakened) that it must have part of her soule; whereupon she was
in a great feare, and gave him no answer, but prayed to God, and
thereupon it vanished away from her. About five dayes after, the same
Mouse appeared to her againe, bringing with it another Mouse, about
the bignesse of an ordinary Mouse, or very little bigger, browne like
the former, save only that the latter had some white about the belly,
whereas the former was all browne. Then the Mouse that first appeared,
said, we must sucke of your body. She yielded to them, and said, they
should; upon her yielding, they went to her and sucked of her bodie,
where the markes are found. The bigger mouse she called Tib, and the
lesser Jone. Tib told her that she must forsake God and Christ, and
take them for her Gods, telling her that when she dyed, they must have
her soule, to all which she yielded.'[853]

In Cambridgeshire in 1647 Dorothy Ellis 'saith that about thirtie yeares since shee being much troubled in her minde there appeared unto hir the Devell in the liknes of a great catt and speak unto this ex^t and demanded of hir hir blood w^ch she gave hime after which the spirit in the liknes of a catt suck upon the body of this ex^t and the first thing this ex^t commanded her spirit to doe was to goe and be witch four of the cattell of Tho. Hitch all which cattell presently died '.[854] John Palmer of St. Albans in 1649, 'upon his compact with the Divel, received a flesh brand, or mark, upon his side, which gave suck to two familiars, the one in the form of a dog, which he called George, and the other in the likeness of a woman, called Jezebell.'[855] Of the Somerset witches in 1664, Alice Duke 'confesseth that her Familiar doth commonly suck her right Breast about seven at night, in the shape of a little Cat of a dunnish colour, which is as smooth as a Want, and when she is suckt, she is in a kind of a Trance.--Christian Green saith, The Devil doth usually suck her left Brest about five of the Clock in the Morning in the likeness of an Hedghog, bending, and did so on Wednesday Morning last. She saith that it is painful to her, and that she is usually in a trance when she is suckt.'[856] In 1665 Abre Grinset of Dunwich in Suffolk 'did confess that the Devil did appear in the form of a Pretty handsom Young Man first; and since Appeareth to her in the form of a blackish Gray Cat or Kitling, that it sucketh of a Tett and hath drawn blood.'[857]

The only published account of the animal familiar in France shows a combination of the two classes, for the creature was a toad kept in the house, fed in a particular way, and used for divination.

Silvain Nevillon and Gentien le Clerc were tried at Orleans in 1614. Silvain confessed--

'qu'il y a des Sorciers qui nourrissent des Marionettes, qui sont de
petits Diableteaux en forme de Crapaux, & leur font manger de la
bouillie composee de laict & de farine, & leur donnent le premier
mourceau, & n'oseroient s'absenter de leur maison sans leur demander
conge, & luy faut dire combien de temps ils seront absens, comme trois
ou quatre iours, & si elles disent que c'est trop, ceux qui les
gardent, n'osent faire leur voyage ny outre-passer leur volonte. Et
quand ils veulent aller en marchandise ou ioueer, & scauoir s'il y fera
bon, ils regardent si les-dites Marionettes sont ioyeuses, en ce cas
ils vont en marchandise, ou ioueer: mais si elles sont maussades &
tristes, ils ne bougent de la maison.--Gentil ou Genti[~e] le Clerc
dit qu'il y auoit plus d'acquest en sa Marionette qu'en Dieu. Et auoit
veu souuent la Marionette dudit Neuillon, qui est comme vn gros
crapaut tout noir, comme d'vne fourrure noire, & estoit dans vne
boette cache soubs vn carreau, qui sautoit & leuoit quand on vouloit
donner a manger audit crapaut. Qu'il l'a veu encore puis six sepmaines
en la ruelle du lict dudict Neuillon, & qu'il a veu qu'il l'apportoit
vne autre fois dans son manteau, qu'il luy a dit vne douzaine de fois,
que s'il vouloit il luy en feroit auoir vne. Qu'il y auoit plus profit
en icelle qu'en Dieu, & qu'il gagneroit rien a regarder Dieu: mais que
sa Marionette luy apportoit tousiours quelque chose.'[858] With this
may be compared the account of a Lapp familiar in 1653: 'Dans chaque
maison il y a un gros chat noir, duquel ils font grand estime, parlant
a luy comme s'il avoit de la raison, ne font rien qu'il ne luy
communique, croyans qu'il leur aide en leurs entreprises, ne manquans
tous les soirs de sortir de leurs cabannes pour le consulter, & les
suit par tout ou ils vont, tant a la pesche qu'a la chasse. Quoy que
cet animal ait la figure d'un chat par son regard, qui est
epouvantable, j'ay creu & croy encore que c'est un Diable familier.'

3. _Methods of obtaining Familiars_

There seem to have been four methods of obtaining familiars: 1, by gift from the Devil; 2, by gift from a fellow-witch; 3, by inheritance; 4, by magical ceremonies. Of these, Nos. 2 and 3 appear to be confined to the domestic familiar, consequently they are found chiefly in the eastern counties of England.

1. The gift of the Devil was sometimes a divining familiar, sometimes a domestic familiar, commonly presented at the admission ceremony. As the divining familiar it represented the Devil himself, and the 'responses' received to questions were believed to come from him. As the essential point of this class of familiar was that it should be a species of animals and not one special animal, the devil merely appointed to the witch what species she should observe in divining. The domestic familiar, being a small animal, could be actually given into the hands of the witch, with instructions for its feeding and for the method of using it. It was sometimes, but not always, identified with the devil, and was usually[859] called an 'imp',[860] perhaps with the idea of a small or miniature Devil, like the Marionette of Silvain Nevillon. It acted as the Devil's substitute when he himself was not present, and was endowed with some, though not all, of his power; for this reason the witch often had more than one familiar, each to serve a single purpose. In 1645 at Ipswich Mother Lakeland confessed that after she had signed the covenant with the Devil, 'he furnished her with three Imps, two little Dogs and a Mole.'[861] In the same year, Rebecca Jones, an Essex witch,

'saith, that as shee was going to St Osyth to sell her masters butter,
a man met with her, being in a ragged sute, and having such great
eyes, that this examinant was much afraid of him; who came to this
examinant and gave her three things like to moules, having foure feet
a piece, but without tayles, and of a black colour, and bid this
examinant nurse the said three things, untill he did desire them
againe; And the said man told this examinant, that those three things
which he gave her, would avenge her on her enemies, and bid her
murther some, but not too many, and he would forgive her; and then
went away from this examinant.'[862]

In 1646 the Huntingdonshire witch, Joane Wallis, said that Blackman 'told her he would send one Grissell and Greedigut to her, that shall do any thing for her. And after Blackman was departed from her, within three or four dayes, Grissell and Greedigut came to her, in the shapes of dogges.'[863] Another witch of the same Coven, Elizabeth Weed, confessed that 'there did appeare unto her three Spirits, one in the likenesse of a young man or boy, and the other two of two Puppies, the one white and the other black.'[864]

2. The gift from a fellow-witch was always a domestic familiar, as to the Devil alone belonged the power of appointing a divining familiar; therefore this method of obtaining a familiar is found only in the eastern counties and other places where the domestic or sucking familiar is recorded. In 1556 Elizabeth Francis, whose evidence was corroborated by Mother Waterhouse, said that 'she came to one mother Waterhouse her neighbour, she brought her this cat in her apron and taught her as she was instructed by her grandmother Eue, telling her that she must cal him Sathan and geue him of her bloude and bread and milke as before.--Mother Waterhouse said, she receyued this cat of this Frances wife in the order as is before sayde.'[865] In 1566 John Walsh, the Dorset witch, 'being demaunded whether he had euer any Familiar or no: he sayth that he had one of his sayde mayster. He being demaunded howe long he had the vse of the Familiar: He sayd one yeare by his sayd maister's life, and iiii yeres after his death.'[866] An Essex witch in 1588 had three familiars, 'one like a cat, which she called Lightfoot. This Lightfoote, she said, one mother Barlie, of W., solde her aboue sixteene yeares ago, for an ouen cake, and told her the Cat would do her good seruice, if she woulde, she might send her of her errand.'[867] At Orleans in 1614 Gentil le Clerc said that he had seen Nevillon's familiar, and that Nevillon 'luy a dit vne douzaine de fois, que s'il vouloit il luy en feroit auoir vne'.[868] Elizabeth Clarke in Essex in 1645 said she 'had three impes from her mother, which were of a broune colour, and two from old beldam Weste. The said Anne Weste seemed much to pitie this examinant for her lamenesse (having but one leg) and her poverty; And said to this examinant, That there was wayes and meanes for her to live much better then now shee did: And said, that shee would send to this examinant a thing like a little kitlyn, which would fetch home some victualls for this examinant; and that it should doe her no hurt.'[869] The Huntingdonshire witch, Francis Moore, in 1646, 'saith that about eight yeares since she received a little blacke puppy from one Margaret Simson of great Catworth. The Examinate further saith, that the said Margaret told her, that she must keep that dogge all her life time; and if she cursed any Cattell, and set the same dog upon them, they should presently dye. And the said Examinate further saith, that about the same time one goodwife Weed gave her a white Cat, telling her, that if she would deny God, and affirme the same by her bloud, then whomsoever she cursed and sent that Cat unto, they should dye shortly after.'[870]