Ursula Kemp facts for kids
Ursula Kemp, also known as Ursley Kempe or Grey, was an English woman born around 1525. She worked as a cunning woman, which meant people believed she had special powers to heal sickness. She was also a midwife, helping women give birth. In 1582, she was accused of using magic to harm her neighbors and was put on trial for witchcraft. She was later executed by hanging.
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Who Was Ursula Kemp?
Ursula Kemp was born in a place called St Osyth in Essex, England. Many people in her village would ask her for help when they were sick or had other problems. They believed she could use her skills to cure illnesses. However, over time, some people started to blame her for causing sickness and even death. This led to her trial for witchcraft in Chelmsford in February 1582.
The Witchcraft Trial Begins
During her trial, several of Ursula's neighbors spoke against her. They told Justice Brian Darcy their stories. Ursula and her friend, Alice Newman, were accused of causing the deaths of Edna Stratton and two children, Joan Thurlow and Elizabeth Letherdale.
Grace Thurlow's Story
One of Ursula's neighbors, Grace Thurlow, told the court that she had once asked Ursula for help when her son, Davy, was sick. Davy seemed to get better for a while, and Grace believed Ursula had cured him. Later, Grace and Ursula had an argument about Grace's baby daughter, Joan. A few months after this argument, baby Joan fell from her cradle and died from a broken neck.
Grace also said that she became lame, meaning she couldn't walk properly. She asked Ursula for help again, and Ursula agreed to heal her for 12 pence. Grace got better but then refused to pay, saying she didn't have enough money. The two women argued again, and Ursula reportedly threatened Grace. After this, Grace became lame once more. Grace Thurlow told the court that ever since that argument, she or her son had suffered. She blamed Ursula for her son's illness, her own lameness, and the death of her baby. Grace complained to the local official, which started the investigation into Ursula.
Alice Letherdale's Accusation
Another neighbor, Alice Letherdale, testified that Ursula had asked her for some cleaning sand, but she refused, saying she knew Ursula was a "naughty beast." Alice's daughter, Elizabeth, later saw Ursula, who seemed to whisper to herself. Soon after, Elizabeth became ill and died. Alice Letherdale believed Ursula had used magic to cause her daughter's death.
Thomas Kemp's Testimony
Ursula's own son, Thomas, who was eight years old, also spoke at the trial. He said his mother kept four special animal spirits, which people at the time called "familiars." He described them:
Thomas said he had seen his mother feed these animal spirits beer and cake, and let them get nourishment from her body. He also said he was there when Alice Newman visited his mother. He claimed his mother gave Alice a pot, which he thought contained the animal spirits. A few days later, he saw Alice return and tell his mother that she had sent the spirits to harm a local man and his wife.
Ursula's Confession
Justice Brian Darcy stated that Ursula Kemp privately confessed everything to him. Ursula told him that about ten years earlier, she had suffered from a "lameness in her bones." She went to another cunning woman who told her she had been bewitched and needed to "unwitch" herself using a special ritual. Ursula performed the ritual and recovered.
After that, two women she knew asked for her help with their own lameness. She helped them in the same way she had helped herself, and they also seemed to get better. From then on, she had helped her neighbors with healing.
Ursula admitted to having the four animal spirits her son had mentioned. She said that two of them were male spirits that caused people to die, and the other two were female spirits that brought sickness to people and harmed cattle. Ursula also confessed to sending her animal spirits to make Grace Thurlow lame and to cause the deaths of Joan Thurlow, Elizabeth Letherdale, and her own sister-in-law. She also named twelve other women as witches. Six of these women, including Ursula herself, were executed in 1582. Many of the accused people confessed to witchcraft, even though they knew it meant they would face death.
Her Death and Later Discoveries
Ursula Kemp was executed by hanging in Chelmsford in 1582.
In 1921, the skeletons of two women were found in a garden in St Osyth by Charles Brooker. One of these skeletons was thought to be Ursula Kemp's. These "witches' skeletons" became a local attraction, and people would pay to see them. However, in 2007, historian Alison Rowlands said that her research showed the skeletons could belong to any of ten women who were executed for witchcraft in the 16th and 17th centuries. More recently, a scientific study of the bones suggested they are actually from the Roman era, much older than Ursula Kemp.
See also
Sources
- Semmens, Jason., "The Posthumous Adventures of Ursula Kemp," in Godwin, Kerriann. (ed.), The Museum of Witchcraft—A Magical History (Boscastle: Occult Art Company, 2011) pp. 117, 118.
