THE TRIAL OF SUSANNAH FOWLES Of Hammersmith: That was tried at London for Blaspheming JESUS CHRIST. And Cursing the LORDS PRAYER. And who also pretended to be possessed with a Devil.  
ON Saturnday the 7th of May 1698. Susannah Fowles of the Parish of Hammersmith in the County of Middlesex, was Indicted at the Sessions House in the Old-Baily, for uttering blasphemous Words against Jesus Christ, and Cursing and Damning the Lords Prayer. The Account of her Trial is as follows.  
The first Evidence deposed that the Prisoner's Husband came to him, and  told him that his Wife was possessed with a Devil: upon which he asked him if she had been guilty of any heinous Sin? and was answered. That upon some Discontent she wished several unlawful wishes, such as That the Devil might fetch her, cursed her self if she would live such a Life, &c. And upon her being visited she said, she saw an Apparition in the shape of a Man; and afterward seemed to be poflest with a Devil, and had seemingly dreadful Fits, and made a great noise at Prayers; and when she was out of her Fits, she  told the Spectators that she saw the Apparition sometimes in one shape, and sometimes in another; and at one time said it was one Mr. Thomas, and then making a great squeek, said, Now he is gone out of me; That she used to make a squeek at the end of every Fit, sometimes two Squeeks, and sometimes three; and of the Ministers who visited her, being jealous of her being a Cheat, said at the end of the next Fit she would make four Squeeks, which she did. It was also observed, that as soon as Prayers begun she took her Fits and pretended to be altogether senseless; at another time that she said, She faw a short Man with a long Beard, which her Handkerchief was a fool to for length: and it was taken notice of that she never altered her Countenance in the time of her Fits; which together with divers Methods which were used to make her believe they were at Prayers when they were not, increased the belief that she was a Cheat: And being questioned if she dissembled, she said if she did, it were just with God to strike her dead: and upon its being declared to her she was a Cheat: she and all her Family spoken not one word. Afterwards at another visiting she feem'd to be in a great Fit; lifting up her hands as if she would have done her self some mischief; but upon speaking the words Tie her, she let them rest. It was likewise observed, that when she was in her Fits, she never cursed nor blasphemed, as those who are possessed with the Devil do until she heard some of the Ministers take notice of it; and then she did.  
At another time the Vifiters red and prayed with her from morn to night, when she seemed to be in an Agony; and being forced on her knees at Prayer, she swore she would go with him on Friday, naming the Devil frequently; and on the Friday following she said, One of the Windows above-stairs was open, and the Devil was come to fetch her, making a great noise, and lighting a great many Candles and search being made for the open Window, it could not be found.  
On the 3d. of January last, upon one of the visitors repeating the words, Lord save us she said, I'll save you; and frequently upon repeating the Lord's Prayer to her she said, Curse it, damn it, sink it, and upon repeating the words I believe in God the Father Almighty, she said thats me; & at repeating the words, And in Jesus Christ his only Son, she said, that's my Son. At another time when the words Lord save us were again peated to her, she said I'll save you, I came to save you all, for which I  shed my Blood. And at other times, on repeating the Lords Prayer, she inverted the Expressions; and instead of the words led us not into temptation, she said; led us into temptation; and at the words Deliver us from evil, she said, bring evil unto us. And upon repeating the words, Glory be to the Father and to the Son, she said thats to me and my Son. And always at the naming the Name of Jesus, she would say, Curse him, curse him. It was observed that a little before her Marriage she wished that the Devil might fetch her away if ever she went to live at Hammersmith, which she did notwithstanding that same day.  
The evidence also deposed, that the Prisoner said, she had a Needle and a Paper in writing given her by the Devil; and that she had a Spell given her to put about her Neck by one Jordan a Papist, some of which Profession she said had sent to her several times, and  told her she would never be cured till the Men with hair Coats and bare Legs came from the Portugal ambassadors: Which some of the Ministers, who were visitors and Evidence against the Prisoner, declared, increased their belief that it was a trick of the to obtain the Credite of having done that which Protestants could not, viz to cast out the Devil. Another time one of the visitors said she could not spit in his Face; but she deceived him, and did it and another of the visitors spitting in her face, she return'd it and called him Q. in the corner. It was also observed that at repeating the Lord's Prayer; in Latin she did not fall into her Fits as usual when 'twas said in English, which was a further Confirmation of the Cheat.  
To prove which more fully, one of the Evidence deposed, that to try her he heat an Iron; and when the Minister was at Prayer, and she in her Fits as usual, even when she pretended to be insensible, he p●●t it to her Hand, which she drew away from it as soon as it touched her; and filling a Pipe of Tobacco, he blew the smoke of it into her Face, which was like to have stisted her: And afterwards disguiseing himself in an ugly dress, entered the room whe●e she was alone; upon which she immediately run out, saying it was the Devil, and was much frighted; which was a further demonstration she was a Cheat. After which Evidence threatening to knock her on the head if she ●●●ld not confess the Cheat, she did it freely, and said 'twas purely to get money, which she also owned to some others of the Evidence. And it appeared that after ●ot being taken up she pretended to have none of her fits.  
The Prisoner in her defence said that great Troubles had occasioned her to fall into a distracted condition, and that she knew not what she did; that she did verily believe she was either troubled with a Devil, or bewitched: that Jordan the Papist had given her things both inwardly and outwardly; and that what she had confessed, was only to avoid her being 〈…〉 to Prison. But all this being looked upon as frivolous and evasion, and the Evidence being very full and clear, the Jury brought her in Guilty.  
She was sentenced by the Court to pay a Fine of 100 marks, and to lye in Prison till it be paid: to stand three times on the pillory, viz. at the May-pole in the Strand at Charingeross and at Hammersmith; and to find Surety for her good behaviour for a Twelve-month.