The Old Woman and the Conjurors
The writing of “The Old Woman and the Conjurors” began as a result of a complete co-incidence. The author, whilst researching for a friend, discovered a story in an adjacent newspaper column containing familiar names and places. It described an attack on an old woman in a Devonshire village who was suspected of being a witch. This woman turned out to be the author’s ancestor, and the subsequent investigation into her story led to the uncovering of a veritable pandemic of “witch scratching” and even murder of mostly elderly women during the period studied. The figure of the village “conjuror”, a West Country term for somebody who could remove the Evil Eye, loomed large behind the scenes along with odd connections to non-conformist and millennial religious groups. The enigmatic Exeter prophetess Joanna Southcott and her followers make an appearance along with the Leeds witch, and murderess, Mary Bateman. The long-held belief that, by drawing blood from a witch, one could negate her power was also behind the famous murder of Ann Tennant, in the Warwickshire village of Long Compton in 1875, a deed that was influenced by a cunning man who was one of the “water doctors” of Northamptonshire. This book examines the lives of these curious and often eccentric characters, their families, beliefs, clients and unfortunate victims, in an effort to shed a little more light on the more recent history of belief in the supernatural.
Paperback Edition No Description
Original Price - £13.50
Standard Hardback Edition a light blue cloth case binding with black foil blocking to cover & spine, 90gsm cream paper stock, blueberry endpapers, with electric blue and tail bands.
Original Price - £19.50
Special Edition a limited edition of 150 hand-numbered examples, bound in a Royal Blue faux leather binding, with copper foil blocking to the front and spine, 90gsm cream paper stock, blueberry endpapers, with electric blue head and tail bands.
Original Price - £27.50
Size All editions are Royal format 234 x 156mm.
Pagination 144 pages extensively illustrated with drawings and photographs.
