The Pendle Witch Trials

In 1612, a young woman took to the stand in the court of Lancaster Castle where she calmly and shrewdly gave testimony which would lead to the conviction and death of ten members of her local community. Setting a dangerous precedent, the proceedings of the Pendle witch trials would influence the history books in a surprising way.

In the fifth episode of our series Astonishing, we’ll explore the world of seventeenth century Lancashire; the harsh reality of living at the bottom-most rung of society; the religious extremism of the Monarchy; and the witch-hunting hysteria which so fiercely caught even the most able-minded men and women of the time.

Originally aired: October 13th 2020