A campaign to pardon the last three
women to be hanged for witchcraft in England has been backed by a Devon MP.
Temperance Lloyd, Susannah Edwards and Mary Trembles, known as the Witches of Bideford, were executed in Exeter on 25 August 1682.
Ben Bradshaw, Labour MP for Exeter, said their deaths were a "stain on our
history". The petition says "pardoning the women would acknowledge their innocence and
that of more than 450 others".
Christine Nash, who started the petition, said: "They were innocent. The law
no longer exists. You have to be innocent to be pardoned. Quite clearly, they were not witches. They certainly
did not do any of the things they were accused of, one of which was turning into
a magpie."
Mr Bradshaw said: "It's a terrible injustice, the last time it happened was
on our patch. I am very pleased that Christine has launched this petition." Mrs Nash said they were convicted on "hearsay evidence under the 1604 Statute
against Witchcraft devised under King James I".
1 comment:
The sad thing is that this still happens elsewhere in the world.
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