A Prodigious & tragical HISTORY OF THE Arraignment, trial, Confession, and Condemnation of six Witches at Maidstone, in Kent, at the Assizes there held in July, Friday 30. this present Year. 1652.  
Before the Right honourable, Peter Warburton, one of the Justices of the Common Pleas.  
Collected from the Observations of E. G. Gent. (a learned person, present at their Conviction and Condemnation) and digested by H. F. Gent.  
To which is added a true Relation of one Mrs. Atkins a mercer's Wife in Warwick, who was strangely carried away from her House in July last, and hath not been heard of since.  
LONDON, Printed for Richard Harper, in Smithfield. 1652.   

Kent the first Christian, last conquered, and one of the most flourishing and fruitful Provinces of England, is the Scene, and the beautiful Town of Maidstone, the Stage, whereon this tragical Story was publicly acted, at Maidstone Assizes, last past.  
AMongst many others that then made their entrance, and were presented as suspected of witchcraft, before the Reverend and honourable Judge Warburton, who then sat Judge over criminal offenders: the most notorious were, Anne Ashby, alias cobbler, Anne Martin, Mary Browne, Mildred Wright, and Anne Wilson, all of Cranbrooke, a Market Town in Kent, and Mary Read of Lenham in the same County; all which were convicted of the execrable and diabolical crime of witchcraft, and for the same received sentence of death, on Friday the 30. day of July last; of whose actions and confessions I shall give you a few particulars, but those you will confess, very rare and remarkable.  
Anne Ashby alias cobbler, who was the chief actress, and who had the greatest part in this Tragedy, and Anne Martin, confessed at the time of their trial, that the devil had known them carnally, and that they had no hurt by it.  
The said Ashby alias cobbler, in view of this Observator, fell into an ecstasy before the Bench, and swelled into a monstrous and vast bigness, screeching and crying out very dolefully; and being recovered, and demanded if the devil at that time had possessed her, she replied she knew not that, but she said that the spirit Rug came out of her mouth like a Mouse.  
And further concerning this spirit Rug, it is reported, that the said Ashby alias cobbler being under Examination before a Justice of Peace, before whom she was carried by certain soldiers of colonel Humfreys Regiment; at the same time of her examination, a certain Groom that was in presence said come Rug into my mouth, which Groom, as it is reported, died within a fortnight after, near unto the City of London.  
The said Anne Ashby further confessed, that the devil had given them a piece of flesh, which whensoever they should touch, they should thereby affect their desires.  
That this flesh lay hid amongst grass, in a certain place which she named, where upon search it was found accordingly.  
This flesh was of a sinnewy substance, and scorched, and was seen and felt by this Observator, and reserved for public view, at the sign of the Swan in Maidstone.  
The said Anne Ashby, Anne Martin, and one other of their Associates, after they were cast, and upon the pronunciation of Judgement against them, pleaded that they were with child pregnant, but confessed it was not by any man, but by the devil.  
One Dock of Gresham, alias Cresham, Doctor to Anne Ashby, is committed to close imprisonment, and not permitted to speak with any person, without the presence of his Keeper.  
A Pin being thrust to the head into one of their arms, the party did not feel it, neither did it draw blood from her, which was Mary Browne, Anne Wilson, or Mildred Wright.  
Mary Read of Lenham had a visible Teat under her tongue, and did show it to many, and it was likewise seen by this Observator.  
It is likewise to be noted, that the aforesaid Anne Ashby, alias cobbler, during the time of her ecstasy, when she swelled in that prodigious manner before mentioned, uttered many speeches which did greatly amaze and astonish the Auditory, proceeding from her in that manner, of which there was no small number of Witnesses, in so great and general a confluence of people, some of which the Observator remembreth, but forbears at present to set down the particulars.  
So upon the proceedings aforesaid, and the evidences brought in against them, the said Anne Ashby, alias cobbler, Anne Martin, Mary Browne, Anne Wilson, and Mildred Wright of Cranbrook, and Mary Read of Lenham, being legally convicted, were according to the Laws of this Nation, adjudged to be hanged, at the common place of Execution.  
Some there were that wished rather they might be burnt to Ashes; alleging, that it was a received opinion amongst many, that the body of a Witch being burnt, her blood is prevented thereby from becoming hereditary to her Progeny in the same evil, which by hanging is not; but whether this opinion be erroneous, or not, I am not to dispute.  
Besides these former six condemned Witches, there were at the same time some others of Greanes Arraigned, who although sentence of death did not then pass against them, yet one whose name was Creed, was by three several Indictments found guilty by the Grand Jury, consisting of persons of good integrity, and estates. And in the aforesaid black List, were mustered one Reynolds, and one Wilson, with both their Wives.  
It is supposed that nine children, besides a man and a woman, were bewitched; 500 pounds worth of cattle lost, and much Corn at Sea wracked, by Witchcraft.  
They confessed they had bewitched a child, that had been languishing along time; this child died about the time of their trials, whose portraiture in wax was found, where they had laid it, under the Threshold of a door.  
To this discourse the bodies of three Children lately found at Chatham, may have some reference, which however it will not be much amiss to insert here; although it be doubtful, whether their deaths be to be attributed to Sorcery, or any other violent means; two of these bodies appeared but in part, the rest being consumed; the third was the entire body of a Male-child, having a navel five inches long.  
And here you may observe the hellish and infernal estate of those wretched deluded people, called Witches, whom their Grand-master the devil, at one time or other leaves in the lurch; as here you may perceive in the Story of these miserable Wretches, who deservedly received the Sentence of Condemnation, as aforesaid; for it is written, Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to live.   

A true Relation of one Mrs. Atkins, a mercer's Wife in Warwick, who was strangely carried away from her house in July last, and hath not been heard of since.  
IN Warwick Town one Mrs. Katherine Atkins, a mercer's Wife, standing at her door on Saturday night, the 24. July, 1652. A certain unknown Woman came to her and said, Mistress, pray give me twopence, she answered, twopences are not so plentiful, and that she would give her no money. Pray Mistress, said she, then give me that Pin, so she took the Pin off her sleeve and gave her, for which she was very thankful, and was going away. Mistress Atkins seeing her so thankful for a Pin, called her again, and told her if she would stay, she would fetch some Victuals for her, or give her some thread, or something out of the shop. She answered, she would have nothing else, and bid a pox of her Victuals, and swore (by God) saying, You shall be an hundred miles off within this week, when you shall want twopence as much as I, and so she went grumbling away.  
Hereupon the said Mistress Atkins was much troubled in mind, and did advise with some Friends what were best to be done in such a case, but receiving no resolution from any one what to do, she attended the Event what might befall within such a time, and upon the 29. of July, she expressed to a Kinsman Mr. Nicholas Bikar, that she was much troubled about the foresaid business, but hoped the time was so near expired, that it would come to nothing.  
But the said Thursday night betwixt the hours of 8. and 9 She going into the Shop, and returning thence in the Entry adjoining to the said Shop, she was immediately gone, by what means and whither we do not know, nor can we hear of upon enquiry made to this present.  
The desire of her Husband and Friends is of all the Inhabitants of this Nation, That if they hear of any such party in such a lost condition as is before expressed: That there may be speedy notice given thereof to her Husband in Warwick, and that all convenient provisions both of Horse and money may be made for the conveying of her to the place aforesaid, and such as shall take pains, or be at expenses herein shall be sufficiently recompensed for the same, with many thanks.  
It's likewise desired that the Ministers in London, and elsewhere, where the notice of these presents shall come, would be pleased to present her sad condition to God in their several Congregations. The truth hereof we testify, whose names are subscribed.  


John Hallford,  
Richard Vennour, Minister in Warwick.  
Hen. Butler, Minister in Warwick.  
Joseph Fisher, Minister.    
FINIS.