Joan Flower's Death

By -

This unfortunate and tragic event occurred during the Belvoir Witch Trials (1618-1619). Mistress Flower died in 1619. Joan Flower and her daughters- Margaret and Phillipa were employed as servants in an Earl's household in Lincolnshire. Around that time, it was well known by the locals that Mistress Flower was a firm atheist with 'witchy' facial features and a boastful nature. Shortly after Margaret was dismissed from the Earl's home for theft, the whole of the family that they were serving became sick.  The eldest son- Lord Henry Ross passed away and his parents and family  naturally wanted somebody to blame. As a result Mistress Flower and her daughters were rounded up.

Whilst Margaret and Phillipa openly confessed of being 'possessed' at their trial, Mistress Flower would not. In an attempt to try and prove her innocence, Mistress Flower asked for some bread and butter. She then said that if she was guilty then she would choke yet if she was innocent, then she would not. However simple it sounds, she choked on the first mouthful! We do not know whether this actually happened or is just a legend, but later her two daughters were hanged. 

Sources:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Murder of Edward VI's Dog...

By -
Image
In 1547, Henry VIII died and his nine year old son became King Edward VI of England. As he was not yet an adult, Edward's uncle Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset (brother of the king's dead mother-  Jane Seymour ) became Lord Protector, ruling the country on behalf of Edward VI. He was Lord Protector between 1547 and 1549. Thomas Seymour (young Edward's 'favourite' uncle) had been promoted to Lord High Admiral, this gave him the power to control the royal navy. Seymour took advantage of this power and tried to lead a rebellion on the throne. Now, the officials had there eye on the scheming uncle... Jealous of his brother's high position in the country, Thomas Seymour  snuck into the palace one night in an attempt to kidnap his nephew. Whilst breaking into the palace, one of Edward's favourite pets, a spaniel began barking. Afraid that the dog would alert the guards, Seymour shot it. On 28th March 1549, Thomas Seymour was beheaded for high treason. ...
Read more

4 ways to remember Henry VIII's six wives

By -
Image
Henry VIII is probably most famous for marrying six wives:  Catherine of Aragon , Anne Boleyn , Jane Seymour , Anne of Cleves ,  Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr .  But not everyone can remember them just like that, so here's a few ways to remember it. 1. The rhyme This doesn't tell you the names of the wives however it dose tell you what happend to them. Divorced,  Beheaded,  Died,  Divorced,  Beheaded,  Survived. 2. A song  I heard this song and loved it! It is really fun and it helps you to remember the basic information about Henry VII's six wives! 3. Get to know the six wives If you want to know a little more detail about King Henry VIII's six wives, then you can take a look at this blog series by us! 1.  Catherine of Aragon 2.  Anne Boleyn 3.  Jane Seymour 4.  Anne of Cleves 5.  Catherine Howard 6.  Katherine Parr 4. A...
Read more

Were Catherine and Henry Carey the Children of Henry VIII?

By -
Image
Catherine Carey (1562) For centuries historians have been arguing whether Mary Boleyn's children- Catherine Knollys (née Carey) and Henry Carey- were illegitimate offspring of Henry VIII. If they were, then they were never acknowledged as his issue in the king's lifetime. If they were not Henry's children, then they were likely to be the other possible father- William Carey (Mary's husband)'s.  Mary Boleyn was definitely Catherine and Henry's mother, there is no doubt about it. She was the oldest child of Sir Thomas Boleyn and his wife Elizabeth Howard and was likely to have been born in 1499. Also Mary was the older sister of Henry VIII's second wife Anne Boleyn and their younger brother George Boleyn. In 1520, Mary married the king's peer Sir William Carey (a possible candidate for the children's father). For some time in their marriage, Mary was the mistress of King Henry VIII. She died after being married for nine years to Sir William S...
Read more