More C18th witches

They write from Glen, in the county of Leicester, that on Wednesday sevennight last, a dispute arose between two old women of that town, one of whom called the other the witch, and she affirming, that she was no more a witch than herself, a challenge ensued, and they both agreed to be dipt by way of trial; they accordingly stript to their shifts, had their thumbs and great toes tied across, and with a cart rope about their middles, suffered themselves to be thrown into a pool of water; one of them is said to have sunk, whilst the other continued struggling upon the surface, which the mob called swimming, and deemed an infallible sign of her being a witch, insisting upon her impeaching her accomplices in the craft; she accordingly told them that in the neighbouring village of Burton, there were several other old women as much witches as she was.

These suspicions being confirmed by a student in astrology, or White witch, who was referred to on account of a young woman, said to be afflicted with an uncommon disorder, and pronounced to be bewitched; the mob, in consequence of this intelligence, next day repaired to Burton, and after a little consultation proceeded to the old woman's house on whom they had fixed the strongest suspicion; the poor old creature on their approach, locked the house door and went into a chamber, and from the window asked what they wanted? They informed her that she was charged with being guilty of witch-craft, which they were come to try her for, by ducking; remonstrating at the same time upon the necessity there was of her giving proof whether she was a witch or no; but upon her persisting in a positive refusal to come down, they broke open the house, went into the chamber, carried her down stairs, and by force took her to a deep gravel pit full of water, tied her thumbs and toes as above, then threw her in, where they kept her during pleasure.

The same day the mob tried the experiment upon another poor old woman, and on Thursday a third underwent a like discipline.

Several of the ringleaders in this riot, we hear, have been apprehended and carried before a justice; two of which have been bound over to the sessions, and others ordered to pay small fines.

No longer ago than the year 1751, at Tring in Hertfordshire, a mob of the same nature murdered, by ducking to try whether they were witches, two poor harmless people, aged above 70, for which one of the offenders was soon after tried and hanged.