Pendle Witch Trial Opens: England's Darkest Hunt
James Device and his sister Elizabeth Chattox faced charges that ignited a frenzy across Lancashire, resulting in ten executions within weeks. This brutal crackdown cemented local superstition into legal precedent, driving generations of rural communities to view any unexplained misfortune as a capital offense rather than a natural occurrence.
August 18, 1612
414 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on August 18
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