The Severall Practices of Johane Harrison and her Daughter, condemned and executed at Hartford for Witchcraft, the 4th August last, 1606; Hertfordshire Folk Lore series no. 6
Bishop's Stortford: Hertfordshire Folk Lore, 1909. First Edition Thus. Softcover. Octavo. 16pp. Original string bound in printed wrappers. A unusual booklet printed in 1909 for the Hertfordshire Folk Lore series "from the only known copy" of the original edition which is in the British Library. The original pamphlet was in two parts, and was entitled, "The most cruell and bloody murther committed by an Inkeepers wife, called Annis Dell, and her sonne George Dell, foure yeeres since : on the bodie of a childe, called Anthony James in Bishops Hatfield in the countie of Hartford, and now most miraculously revealed by the sister of the said Anthony, who at the time of the murther had her tongue cut out, and foure yeeres remayned dumme and speechlesse, and now perfectly speaketh, revealing the murther, having no tongue to be seen: with the severall witchcrafts, and most damnable practises of one Johane Harrison and her daughter upon Severall persons, men and women at Royston, who were all executed at Hartford the 4 of August last past. 1606 (William Firebrand and John Wright, London, 1606). This edition reprints only the second part of the pamphlet, that dealing with the accusations of witchcraft against Harrison, her trial, and execution. Interestingly one of the accusations was the she kept a trunk of witchcraft paraphenalia, including human bones, hair, and a parchment diagram depiciting a human heart and other anatomical features which she pricked with a pin to cause pain or death. The text is preceded by an introduction by W. B. Gerish. Covers a bit darkened, lightly creased. Still a tight, clean VG+ copy of a very scarce witchcraft booklet. Item #60755
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