(I believe I have the correct place, as it is near Longburton, and near Leigh. It’s not so convincing though, with an actual hammer and actual hammer marks? But the pole story is good).
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Relation 13.
The Relation of James Sherring, taken concerning the matter at old Gast’s house of Little-Burton, June 23, 1677, as follows:
The first night that I was there with Hugh Mellmore, and Edward Smith, they heard, as it were, the washing in water over their heads. Then taking a candle and going up the stairs, there was a wet cloth thrown at them, but it fell on the stairs. They going up farther, there was another thrown as before. And when they were come up into the chamber, there stood a bowl of water, some of it sprinkled over, and the water looked white, as if there had been soap used in it. The bowl just before was in the kitchen, and could not be carried up but through the room where they were.
The next thing that they heard the same night was a terrible noise as if it had been a clap of thunder, and shortly after that they heard great scratching about the bedstead, and after that, great knocking with a hammer against the bed’s head, so that the two maids that were in the bed cried out for help. Then they ran up the stairs, and there lay the hammer on the bed, and on the bed’s head there were near a thousand prints of the hammer, which the violent strokes had made. The maids said, that they were scratched and pinched with a hand that was put into the bed, which had exceeding long nails. They said the hammer was locked up fast in the cupboard when they went to bed. This was that which was done the first night, with many other things of the like nature.
The second night that James Sherring, and Tho. Hillary were there, James Sherring sat down in the chimney to fill a pipe of tobacco; he made use of the fire-tongs to take up a coal to light his pipe, and by and by the tongs were drawn up the stairs, and after they were up in the chamber, they were played withal, (as many times men do) and then thrown down upon the bed. Although the tongs were so near him, he never perceived the going of them away.
The same night one of the maids left her shoes by the fire, and they were carried up into the chamber, and the old man’s brought down and set in their places. the same night there was a knife caarried up into the chamber, and it did scratch and scrape the bed’s head all the night, but when they went up into the chamber, the knife was thrown into the loft. As they were going up the stairs there were things thrown at them, which were just before in the low room, and when they went down the stiars, the old man’s breeches were thrown down after them. These were the most remarkable things done that night, only there was continual knocking and pinching of the maids, which was usually done every night.
The third night, when James Sherring and Thomas Hillary were there, as soon as the people were gone to bed, their clothes were taken and thrown at the candle and put out, and immediately after they cried with a very hideous cry, and said, they should be all choked if they were not presently helped. then they run up the stairs and there were abundance of feathers plucked out of the bolster that lay under their heads, and some thrust into their mouths that they were almost choked. The feathers were thrown all about the bed and room. They were plucked out at a hole no bigger than the top of one’s little finger.
Some time after they were vexed with a very hideous knocking at their heads as they lay on the bed. Then James Sherring and Thomas Hillary took the candle and went upstairs and stood at the bed’s feet, and the knocking continued. Then they saw a hand with an arm-wrist hold the hammer which kept on knocking against the bedstead. Then James Sherring going towards the bed’s head, the hand and hammer fell down behind the bolster and could not be found. For they turned up the bedclothes to search for the hammer. But as soon as they went down the stairs the hammer was thrown out into the middle of the chamber. These were the most remarkable things that were done that night.
The fourth and fifth nights there was but little done more than knocking and scratching as was usually.
The sixth and seventh nights there was nothing at all, but as quiet as at other houses. These were all the nights that they were there. The things that do follow are what James Sherring heard the people of the house report.
There was a saddle in the house of their Uncle Warren’s of Leigh (which it should seem they detained wrongfully from the right owner), that as it did hang upon a pin in the entry would come off and come into the house, as they termed it, hop about the house from one place to another, and upon the table, and so to another, which stood on the other side of th house. Jane Gast and her kinswoman took this saddle and carried it to Leigh, and as they were going along in the broad Common, there would be sticks and stones thrown at them, which made them very much afraid, and going near together, their whittles [cloaks] which were on their shoulders were knit together. they carried the saddle to the house which was old Warren’s, and there left it, and returned home very quiet. But being gone to bed at night, the saddle was brought back from Leigh (which is a mile and a half at least from old Gast’s house) and thrown upon the bed where the maids lay. After that, the saddle was very troublesome to them, until they broke it in small pieces and threw it out onto the highway.
There was a coat of the same party’s, who was owner of the saddle, which did hang on the door in the hall, and it came off from the place and flew into the fire and lay some considerable time, before they could get it out. For it was as much as three of them could do to pluck it out of the fire, because of the ponderous weight that lay on it, as they thought. Nevertheless there was no impression on it of the fire.
Old Gast sat at dinner with a hat of this old Warren’s on his head, and there was something came and struck it off into the dish where his meat was.
There was a pole which stood in the backside about fourteen or fifteen foot in length, which was brought into the house and carried up into the chamber, and thrown on the bed; but all the wit they had could not get it out of the chamber, because of its length, until they took down a light of the window. They report that the things in the house were thrown about and broken to their great damage.
One night there were two of this old Gast’s granddaughters in bed together, they were aged, one of them about twelve or thirteen years, and the other about sixteen or seventeen. They said, that they felt a hand in bed with them, which they bound up in the sheet, and took bed staves and beat it until it were as soft as wool, then they took a stone which lay in the chamber, about a quarter of a hundred weight, and put on it, and were quiet all the night. In the morning they found it as they left it the night before. Then the eldest of the maids swore that she would burn the devil, and goes and fetches a fuz [furze?] faggot to burn it, but when she came again, the stone was thrown away, and the cloth was found wet.
There were many other things which are too long and tedious to write, it would take up a great deal of time.
This which follows is the relation of Jone Winsor of Long Burton, she being there three nights, take the third day of July, 1677. She heard or saw nothing as long as the candle did burn, but as soon as it was out, there was something which did seem to fall down by the bedside, and by and by it began to lay on the bed’s head with a staff, and did strike Jone Winsor on the head. She put forth her hand and caught it, but was not able to hold it fast. She got out of the bed to light a candle, and there was a great stone thrown after her, but it missed her. When the candle was lighted, they arose and went down to the fire. One of them went up to fetch the bedclothes to make a bed by the fire, and there lay a heap of stones on the bed whereon they lay just before. As soon as the bed was made, and they laid down to take their rest, there was a scratching on the form that stood by them in an extreme manner. Then it came, and did heave up the bolster whereon they laid their heads, and did endeavour to throw them out. At last it got hold on one end of the pillow, and set it quite on end, and there it stood for some considerable time; at last falling down in its place, they fell fast asleep, and so continued all that night.
The staff that was spoken of before was Jone Winsor’s, and she says, she left it below in the kitchen. She says, that which troubled, did endeavour to kill the people, if it had power. She put them to it, to know the reason why they were so troubled, and they said they knew nothing, unless it was about the business of old Warren. She was there three nights, and the trouble was much after the same manner, nothing that was more remarkable.
This is the truth of what I heard them speak from their own mouths, and they will attest it if called thereunto.
N. B. A very considerable story this is, and sufficiently circumstantiated for time and place, saving that the county is not named. The reason whereof I conceive to be, that it was in the very county in which Mr Glanvill lived, to whom the information was sent, namely, in Somersetshire. And there are Burtons more than one there, and also Leighs, but this Burton is determined by the space of something more than a mile and a half’s distance from Leigh. So that the topographical account is sufficiently exact. And the manner of the narrative is so simple, plain and rural, that it prevents all suspicion of fraud or imposture in the relator.
The transporting of things out of one room into another, and striking and the like by invisible agents, minds me of Mr Lloyd’s story, as tis called in Mr Glanvill’s papers, whom in a letter he tells he may rely upon it for truth, as being sent from a person of quality and integrity in those parts.
Sadducismus Triumphatus (1726), By Joseph Glanvill.