Winfrith.
An extraordinary affair.
This village and neighbourhood has been thrown into a state of consternation and alarm during th elast week or ten days, by what has happened at a house in Knighton. It seems that a girl, who is about 15 years of age, and an orphan, living with her grand-parents, who are somewhat advanced in years, and are quiet respectable people, has had manifestations of such a character as would put the Davenport Brothers in the shade, if all is true that is said, for in the day-time, as well as at night, articles of furniture, cups and saucers, &c., are seen flying about the house in a very extraordinary manner.
Neighbours, who have gone to render assistance, have been struck in the back or side by some heavy missile thrown by the invisible hand, while the girl has appeared to be suffering at times from hysterics and contortion most acutely. So violent have been these fits that it has taken three or four persons to hold her, articles have been thrown through the windows, smashing the panes, the clock face broken, and the kettle of boiling water jumped from off the grate to the floor.
Nor has the havoc been confined to the dwelling-room below; or upstairs the beds have been stripped and the clothes scattered about in the greatest confusion and disorder; some of the things torn and tied into knots.
Scores from the neighbourhood have called on these troubled people and have seen the damage done, and have their own idea as to the cause. Two doctors sat for some time with the poor girl, but the spirits did not manifest themselves to these gentlemen. It is a sad affair, and much sympathy is felt for the unfortunate people who are well known and much respected.
Bridport, Beaminster and Lyme Regis Telegram, 20th December 1878.
Dorsetshire.
Superstition in Dorsetshire.
The village of East Knighton has been the scene of no little commotion during the past week, owing to some extraordinary scenes which are said to have happened at the house of a labouring family, where one of the children, a grown-up girl, is reputed to have come under the baneful influence of the evil one, or, in other words, to have been bewitched; a quiet, inoffensive old dame, well known in the village, being accused of occasioning all the mischief.
The most extraordinary storeis are related of what has happened at the house – how things are instantaneously moved from one spot to another by an unseen hand in the presence of the household, whilst their attention is momentarily diverted elsewhere; how crockery-ware is smashed in different parts of the house, windows also suffering a similar fate – all this, too, without any one being able too detect the cause, although the most rigorous watch is kept.
Cats are also said to play a conspicuous part in the strange proceedings, the wildest stories being told of how any number of the feline tribe disappear as if by magic through the windows, leaving behind not the least trace of their whereabouts.
Every effort has been made to solve the mystery, but up to the present without any satisfactory result; the superstitiously-inclined believing it to be due to witchcraft and nothing else, and to this opinion they firmly adhere.
The matter has now been taken up by the parish clergyman and other respectable inhabitants, and it is to be hoped they will be successful in unravelling the mystery, and thus relieve the superstitious of the fears which hang so terribly on their minds.
Somerset County Gazette, 21st December 1878.
Winfrith.
Witchcraft. – At East Knighton, a small village situated about eight miles from Wareham, lives an old woman named Kerley, with her grand-daughter, an orphan, respecting whom extraordinary reports have been circulated throughout the neighbourhood during the last few weeks. Wishing to investigate the matter, we called at Knighton and were quickly delivered to the cottage, which presented a very desolate and wretched appearance, the furniture, crockery, windows, &c., being more or less damaged or broken. We found the old woman, her grown up son and the grandchild, a girl of about eighteen years of age, who appeared very pale and ill.
A woman named Parker was also present, and informed us the girl was the subject of extraordinary manifestations, and that she remained with her as company. At times during the day articles in the room flew about in all directions, without any apparent human agency. Whilst she had been there the tea tray had jumped to the ceiling, a flower pot had suddenly shot itself through the window, and the hands of the clock had been twisted and the glass broken.
We questioned the girl herself, who had a dazed, frightened appearance, and she stated she had been subject to fits, and the spirits came and tried to drag her away. We asked her if she could give the matter any explanation, and the son at once said “It was all the work of an old witch named Burt, who lived down the ‘drong,’ whom the young girl had offended. Several neighbours had by this time assembled, who supported this extraordinary assertion, and, although we attempted to reason them out of their superstition they would not listen, and said unless the girl drew blood from Mrs. Burt she would never be any better.
One man affirmed the same old woman had bewitched a certain Mrs. Angel, who lived in a neighbouring village. She was ill for several years, but as both were leaving the chapel one Sunday evening she summoned up courage and suddenly attacked Mrs. Burt, scratching her severely and causing the blood to flow; ever since that time she had enjoyed good health. As all this was said in the presence of the poor girl the effect on her mind may be better imagined than described. Such extraordinary and widespread ignorance and superstition existing in the nineteenth century, side by side with and in spite of Board Schools and new Education Acts, is greatly to be deplored.
This communication is written in the hope some influential persons will take the matter up and rescue the poor girl before her life or reason is lost, by placing her in a hospital or home where she would be well cared for. Something should also be done to protect the old woman Burt from the attacks of the ignorant neighbours.
Southern Times and Dorset County Herald, 21st December 1878.
East Knighton.
Superstition. – Reports continue to be received of a sad case of superstition at East Knighton. The chief victim has been a young woman, who imagined she was watched or bewitched by an elderly dame of the village, the result being that the strangest noises are said to have been heard in her house, windows being broken, and crockery smashed, besides other damage done. The belief in the witchery is shared by others, and the impression prevails that until blood is drawn from the witch this state of things will not be altered. It is stated that the girl’s condition has been brought before the clergyman of the parish, and her case is regarded as one for the greatest commiseration.
Poole and Dorset Herald, 2nd January 1879.
When will the parsons and schoolmasters in Dorset and Somerset expel from the minds of the people a belief in witchcraft? In a cottage in the village of East Knighton, in the Dorchester Union, there dwells a woman named Kerley and her daughter, a girl of about eighteen, and the latter is supposed to be bewitched – to be the subject of the strangest manifestations. It is positively declared that articles have been thrown out of the cottage into the street, although neither window nor door was open, and these are stated to have been sent flying about in all directions. An old woman named Burt is set down as the cause of all the mischief, and she is declared to have assumed the form of a hare, to have been chased by the neighbours, and then to have sat up and looked defiantly at them. It is positively believed that until blood is drawn from the witch the manifestations will not cease. A few days ago a gentleman who was recently in the village assured us that the simple people generally believe in the absurd reports. Some persons, however, who have visited the place during the last fortnight, declare that it is not difficult to understand the cause of the “manifestations.” If instead of writing down old Mother Burt as a witch, a certain young women of the village was sent away for a week’s holiday, they aver that during the girl’s absence the excitement is bound to cease.
Poole and Dorset Herald, 6th February 1879.