Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-09-06

callous, for one morning meeting neighbor,
one John Chapman, he applied to her the very
words which the little foot-page addressed to
Queen Guinever when the magic mantle revealed
her infdelity to the astonished eyes of the
knights and danes of King Arthur's court
whereupon Jane Wenham, feeling no less indig.
nation than her royal prototype, sought ven
geance tor the wrong at the hands of neigh
boring knight, Sir Henry Chauncy, of Ardley-
Bury. We shall now avail ourselves Of Mr.
Bragge's narrative, which begins as follows:
" 1t often falls out that, by the oyerruling
providence of Almighty God, the most hidden
and private weaknesses are discovered by the
very means used to conceal them; and SO it
happened to Jane Wenham One John Chap.
man, farmer at Wallzcrne, had long enter
tanned suspicion that the strange deaths of
many of his and the neighbors' horses and cattle
were occasioned by the witchcrafts of this wo.
man, and thought that he himself had suffered
by them to the value of 1900 in a short time
but not being able to prove anything upon her,
he did not inform against her, but waited till
time should present favorable opportunity of
convicting her. And soon after, an accident
fell out, which in it's consequences brought on
this prosecution. I shall relate it in the very
words Of the information Of Matthew Gilston,
servant to the above said John Chapman, taken
on the 18th day of Feb, l7ll-l2, before Sir
Henry Chauncy.
" Matthew Gilston, of the parish of Walk
erne, says, upon oath, that on New Years Day
last past, he carrying straw upon a fork from
Mr.. Gardeners barn, met Jane Wenham. who
asked him for some straw, which he refused to
give her; then she said she would take some.
and accordingly took some away from this in
formant.
And farther, this informant saith, that on
tine 29th Of January last, when this informant
was thrashing in the barn of his master, John
Chapman, an old woman in ridlng-hood or
cloak, he knows not which, came to the barn
door. and asked him for pennyworth of straw
he tcld her he could give her none, and she went
away muttcring.
" And this informant saith, that after the
woman was gone, he was not able to work. but
ran out ofthe barn as far as a place called Mum
der Hill (Which is above three miles from
WAlkemc), and asked at house there for
Icnnyworth OF straw and they refused to give
him any he went farther to some dung heaps,
and took some straw from thence, and pulled
of his shirt and brought it home in his shirt
he knows not what moved him to this, but says
he was forced to it, he knows not how. Thus
by some persons, who met this Matthew Giston
running on his FOOLS Grand, that he went at
very great pace, and when he came to q river,
he did not 90 over bridge in his way, but d.
rectly through the water. This odd story, and
the strange account the boy gave of it, made
his master, John Chapman, suspect that Jane
Wcnham had played this trick upon his servant
and soon after, he meeting her, told her of it,
and in heat of anger called her witch and bitch
After the scolding bout was over, this Jane Wen
ham thought she had got an advantage over her
i'CISlNSl OHIlhltAllI tHSt Llldb nuC NUulu ne hC
him pay for his words accordingly, on the 9th
of February she applies herself to Sir Henry
: Chauncy for a warrant against this man Tor
calling her WITCH expecting not only to get
something out of him, but to deter other people
from calling her SO any more besides, this show
Of innocence might make her the less suspected
, for the future
Sir Henry Chouncy IS known by his History
of HerYordshire, which was published in 100,
and is sill the standard history of that county.
, lie was man Of high position and ancient fam
| lily, the lineal descendant of the Chauncy de
Chauncy who rode 10y the side of William the
r Conqueror at Hastings, and whose name is in
scribed on the Roll of Battle Abbey. He was
7 educated at Caius College, Cambridge, called to
{ the bar by the Middle Temple, Of which learned
society he was successfully reader and treasurer
/ he was a scricant-at-law, Recorder Of 1Crttord,
/ and one of the Justices of the Prncipality OF
Wales He is said to have sat for single day
t on the bench of one Of the superior courts at
Westminster when the Revolution Of 1858 de-
j. priyed him of his seat. lie was unquestlonably
IS Il man OF high rank in the profession of the
: law, of liberal education, and considerable learn
= ing. Perhaps the most remarkable circumstance
d connected with these transactions is the par
:, which it will be seen was taken by such a mal
lie and the various members of his family In th'
d first instance, however, he seems to have acte(
70 like a man of sense he refused to interfere an,
J; recommended the parties to refer the matter t.
y one of their neighbors. Jano Wenham namc'