Agnes Waterhouse facts for kids
Agnes Waterhouse (born around 1503 – died July 29, 1566), also known as Mother Waterhouse, was one of the first women in England to be put to death for witchcraft.
In 1566, she was accused of witchcraft along with two other women: Elizabeth Francis and Joan Waterhouse. All three women lived in the same village, Hatfield Peverel. Agnes said she was a witch and that her special spirit helper, called a familiar, was a cat named Satan. This cat later turned into a toad. The cat had first belonged to Elizabeth Francis. Agnes was put on trial in Chelmsford, England, in 1566. She was accused of using witchcraft to make William Fynne sick, which led to his death. She was also accused of using magic to harm animals, cause sickness, and even cause her husband's death. Her eighteen-year-old daughter, Joan Waterhouse, was also accused of the same crime but was found not guilty. Joan's statements during the trial helped to convict the other two women. Agnes was hanged. She was one of the first women executed under England's Witchcraft Act of 1562. The very first was Elizabeth Lowys from Great Waltham, Essex.
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The Trial of Agnes Waterhouse
Information about Agnes Waterhouse's trial comes from a pamphlet written in 1566. Its title was "The examination and confession of certaine Wytches at Chensforde in the Countie of Essex before the Quenes Maiesties Judges the XXVI daye of July anno 1566." John Phillips wrote this pamphlet. Even though it's not complete, it shares what the three accused women said. Important people like Reverend Thomas Cole and Sir John Fortescue were there for the first questioning. For the second questioning, Sir Gilbert Gerard, the queen's attorney, and John Southcote, a judge, were present. So many important people being there showed that this case was seen as very important.
Elizabeth Francis's Story
During the trial, Elizabeth Francis was questioned first. She said she had a familiar, a white spotted cat named Satan. Elizabeth Francis got the cat from her grandmother, Mother Eve, who taught her witchcraft when she was twelve. Elizabeth Francis kept the cat for about fifteen or sixteen years. Then, she gave it to Agnes Waterhouse. Elizabeth Francis said the cat spoke to her in a strange, deep voice. It would do anything for her if she gave it a drop of her blood. She admitted to stealing sheep. She also said the cat helped her harm several people. Francis also said the cat told her what plants to use to end a pregnancy. Later, after Francis got married, she was unhappy. She said she told the cat to harm her six-month-old daughter and make her husband unable to walk. Elizabeth Francis's statements made her seem guilty of many more things. Elizabeth Francis was the first one accused. She was also the one who accused Agnes Waterhouse. Elizabeth Francis got a lighter sentence at first. However, she was hanged after being found guilty a second time thirteen years later. A later pamphlet from a 1579 trial shows that Elizabeth Francis and Agnes Waterhouse were sisters.
Agnes Waterhouse's Confession
Elizabeth Francis gave the cat, Satan, to Agnes Waterhouse for a cake. She reportedly taught Agnes how to do witchcraft, just as her grandmother had taught her. She told Agnes that "she must call him Satan and give him of her blood and milk." Agnes Waterhouse said she first had the cat harm one of her own pigs. She wanted to "see what he could do." Then, after arguments with her neighbors, she said the cat harmed their cows and geese. She kept the cat in a pot lined with wool. But she wanted to use the wool for something else. So, she supposedly turned her familiar into a toad. Other stories say the cat changed itself into a toad. Agnes said she never successfully harmed anyone with witchcraft. However, she was still found guilty.
Joan Waterhouse's Testimony
Next, Joan Waterhouse, Agnes's daughter, spoke. She said she once tried to "use" the cat when her mother was away. A neighbor's child, Agnes Brown, had not given Joan a piece of bread and cheese. So, Joan asked the toad for help. She said the toad promised to help her if she gave it her soul. She said she did this. Then, the toad supposedly bothered Agnes Brown. It appeared as a dog with horns. Joan Waterhouse did not claim to have used the cat's magic services very much. But by saying the toad existed, she helped to convict the other two women.
Agnes Brown's Evidence
The main evidence against Agnes Waterhouse came from her twelve-year-old neighbor, Agnes Brown. In her statement, Agnes Brown described the demon. She said it was a black dog with a face like an ape. It had a short tail, a chain, and a silver whistle around its neck. It also had two horns on its head. She said that when they first met, the dog asked her for some butter. She refused. So, the dog, which had a key to the milkhouse door, opened the door and got some butter. The child said the dog later came back one last time with a knife. It threatened to harm her. It said "that he would thrust his knife to my heart but he would make me to die." The most important piece of evidence was when Agnes Brown asked the dog who its "dame" (owner) was. The dog wagged its head towards Agnes Waterhouse's home.
Final Confessions and Execution
On July 29, 1566, Agnes Waterhouse was put to death. This was two days after her trial ended. At this time, she said she was sorry and asked God for forgiveness. She also said she tried to send the cat to harm her neighbor, a tailor named Wardol. However, she said this did not work because Wardol had strong faith. When asked about her church habits, Agnes Waterhouse said she prayed often. But she always prayed in Latin. She said the cat told her not to pray in English.
Legacy and Impact
The Chelmsford trial was a typical example of witchcraft cases in England. It showed how strange the accusations could be. It also showed how much importance was placed on the idea of a familiar spirit. This trial led to the first punishments and executions for witchcraft in England. It also inspired the first of many pamphlets about witchcraft and specific trials. These pamphlets are important sources for understanding beliefs about witchcraft at that time.
A drawing of "Mother Waterhouse" is in a small book called a chapbook. This book describes the trial and is kept in the Lambeth Palace Library.
Agnes Waterhouse is honored in Judy Chicago's art piece called The Dinner Party. Her name is one of the 999 names on the Heritage Floor.
