Cover of Lancashire Witches

Lancashire Witches

by William Harrison Ainsworth

Chapter 1 of 53 Introduction Ch. 1 - The Beacon on Pendle Hill

0:00 37:04
Read along

Running time
25 h 14 min
Language
English
Read by
Andy Minter (1934-2017)

Chapters

About this recording

The Lancashire Witches is a highly fictionalised account of the activities of the notorious witches Demdike, Chattox and Alice Nutter who, together with others terrorised the district of Lancashire around Pendle Hill and the Forest of Bowland during the early seventeenth century. The witches named in the book were real enough, if not as witches then as people. Ainsworth, in his story brings in the dissolution of Whalley Abbey and the historic families of Assheton, Braddyll and Nowell and takes us through to the final trial and execution at Lancaster Castle in 1612. (Summary by Andy Minter)