There was an excellent audience in the Methodist Chapel,
including a goodly number of ‘new faces’. This is always cheering in a heritage
organisation where many of us are heading for heritage,
ourselves!
Hampton Creer told us that he had become very interested
in Manx witches because his ancestors, the Hamptons of Ballabunt, had been
defence witnesses at the trial of Joney ( Jinny) Lowney (Lewney) in 1716 who was
accused of being a witch. She had been tried, earlier, in 1715 and sentenced to
reform but her second trial, the following year in front of Bishop Wilson, took
place over four months. There were many prosecution witnesses.
Beliefs in witchcraft and the like were commonplace in
the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Much of it
was the result of people jumping to conclusions, (not the correct ones in these
cases) and for many thousands in mainland Britain, a horrible death was the
harsh punishment. Most of the accused were poor, vagrant women and not
witches.
The terrible scenes of a woman and her son burned alive
at the stake in Castletown were not repeated in Joney’s case but she was found
guilty. Her punishment was to wear a white robe and go to each parish and
publicly repent.
Witchcraft is not dead, of course. Indeed, I believe
that our present Vicar General is also Witchfinder General so do accord her
appropriate respect.
Hampton went on to describe the Manx tradition of
decorating turnips and going around singing about Jinny in our hop tu naa songs.
It is well worthwhile looking up Jinny the Witch in Google, Wikipedia. There are
several versions of the song or chant, one being rather rude!
Jinny lived in Braddan and was tried at Bishop’s Court
on both occasions. Her greatest ‘crime’ was stopping the Ballaughton Corn Mill.
She was sentenced for the first ‘offence’ to 14 days imprisonment, fined £3 and
made to stand at all the four market crosses, dressed in
sackcloth.
We have to remember that this was before universal
education and superstition was an attempt at interpreting events, seeking to
find a link between cause and effect. Accusing people of witchcraft was often a
fail-safe way of getting rid of them for your own reasons!
When children arrive at your door on the 31st
October singing one version or another of hop tu naa, you might ask them what
they know about this poor woman!
Thank you Hampton and the Methodist Church for providing
the refreshments and the warm welcome.
Our next meeting is back in the Centenary Centre on
Wednesday, 21st November at 7.30pm. Val Cottle will be ‘Desperately
Seeking Thomas’.
