Jane Wenham, a poor 18th-century Rochdale woman, was accused of witchcraft and nearly hanged, but was miraculously pardoned at the gallows, writes GEMMA JOHNSON
Nell Racker was the subject of one of my earlier articles for Spooky Isles. Nell was unique, famed for being different and challenging the ‘norm’, coupled with her ‘wild’ appearance she was prime target for accusations of witchcraft; something that lead to her untimely demise as a medical practitioner. Upon researching Nell, I have uncovered further examples of women accused of witchcraft and also the strange solutions offered within the community to protect against the dark arts.
The story of Jane Wenham is widely known, it is a tale of adversity and triumph, of belief, faith and resilience; the last person to be condemned for witchcraft. The story of Jane Wenham essentially took place in Hertfordshire however, there are strong connections to Rochdale which makes this story an important part of our heritage.
Who was Jane Wenham?
Jane was born in the 17th Century in Rochdale. William Robertson wrote in depth about the history of Jane Wenham, and that of her husband Arthur Wenham, within his 1913 book ‘Rochdale and It’s Progress’. Jane was from an honest family, a church going family who were a regular feature within the religious institutions of Rochdale, most notably Rochdale Parish Church.
Jane had a beautiful voice, and she wasn’t afraid to showcase it; known within the valley as The Packer Street Beauty. Jane performed in many notable locations within Rochdale including The Flying Horse, a public house which is still open today. As her parents grew older, it was time for Jane to marry and the family began the process of interviewing suitors; the unlikely chosen one was Arthur Wenham who was older than Jane.
The decision was made that they would elope to Gretna Green where they would then move on to Walkerne in Hertfordshire, the family home of Arthur. A couple of packhorses were purchased to aid their journey which began in Wardle and saw them climb up through the moorlands of Rochdale, through and over Blackstone edge into the bleak, harsh conditions of the brush and bogs.
Marriage life started off blissfully, the couple soon found themselves parents, times became hard with a growing family and a very small income. Tongues began to wag at Jane’s increasingly dishevelled appearance, and this is where the troubles began.
The family found themselves in poverty, when I say poverty, I mean so in the sense that they were barely able to provide food for themselves and were living in squalor. Jane would be seen wandering through the lakes and surrounding fields searching for natural sources of food. She was severely malnourished and had an unkept dirty appearance, clothes tattered unable to repair them. Rather than see Jane as a human being, as someone who needed help, her neighbours, and general society, opted to label her as witch because that would give people an excuse to avoid her – out of sight out of mind.
Rumours began to swirl, far-fetched stories of Jane Wenham and her occult powers. The people had a genuine belief in the existence of ghosts and witchcraft along with overactive imaginations which fuelled the growing tales of depravity. Jane was believed to cause misfortune for anyone that met her, farmers blamed her for the death of cattle, she could shape shift into a fox and had an unnatural relationship with animals which people believed she used as her familiars.
When witchcraft accusations started to swirl, Mrs Wenham was deserted by her husband who didn’t want to be tarnished by her reputation. She was abandoned and alone, unable to provide for herself seeking solace in her animal friends. Amongst her animal friends were dogs, cats and robins. Perhaps she trusted animals more than people, given how badly others treated her I understand why.
Despite what others perceived, Jane was a god-fearing woman who read her bible and said her prayers every night. Tongues would wag that she didn’t attend church because she was in league with the devil, the simple reason for her church absence was that she was embarrassed about her clothes being dirty and torn. Had people looked beyond the rumours, they would have seen a desperate woman simply looking to survive.
Suspicions of Witchcraft
The only time that Jane had visitors was the evening when a warrant was issued for her arrest due to suspicions surrounding the practice of witchcraft mainly that she had caused Annie Thorn, a servant of Rev Gardner, to become unwell.
That evening there were many people who arrived at Jane’s door, a huge crowd of eager onlookers caught up in the excitement of the capture of Jane and the punishment that was likely to follow. Practically giddy with the occasion, they followed Jane as she was dragged out of her home and led to the vicarage. She was ordered to shed blood so that Annie could be cured, being stabbed by a sharp pin resulted in no blood loss further highlighting that she was in fact, of course, a witch and needed to be trialled accordingly. On 4 March 1712 she was sent to away to gaol where she would await trial.
The trial was swift with Jane being sentenced to death by hanging but this is not where Jane’s story ends. There was a growing unrest at the outcome of Jane’s trial, led by The Quakers who did not believe in witchcraft and therefore that it was impossible for a woman to be found guilty of being a witch. Petitions were started and circulated amongst the community to be presented to powers in London with a view to getting a pardon for Jane who was now in a condemned prison cell.
Jane’s faith, and demonstration of her faith, grew and was quickly noticed by visiting clergy along with the wardens of the prison. She was far from home but would not be deterred from participating in prayer. Word of Jane’s religious practice spread and served to support the growing calls to pardon her. A Vicar from Rochdale added weight to this by sending a letter in support of Jane, highlighting her regular attendance at Rochdale Parish Church as a child, he pleaded with the powers that be to reverse their decision. At the time the letter was sent, the gallows were being erected ready to take Jane to her death.
Moment of Truth
The day of Jane’s execution arrived. At 8.45am her cell door opened and in came the prison governor, a clergyman, a doctor, the executioner and warders. They prepared Jane, her hands were tied behind her back, and she was led out to the gallows and the blood thirsty crowd that awaited her. Jane was in the process of having the noose attached to her neck when a horseman arrived at the gates of the gaol holding a pardon and demanding that Jane be freed. If there ever was a perfectly timed moment, then this was it.
Jane didn’t forget her Rochdale roots, following the bereavement of a family member, Jane returned to Rochdale to visit the Vicar who had been instrumental in her pardoning. She lived to an old age and was forever thankful of the people who had championed her cause. Throughout the rest of her life, she openly forgave those that were instrumental in her witch trial, despite the trauma that she had been through. Jane Wenham, a truly incredible woman from Rochdale.
Tell us your thoughts on this story of Jane Wenham in the comments section below!
An incredibly moving story. A woman who through no fault of her own became embroiled in severe poverty and instead of receiving help and support from others was comdemed and labelled a witch, witchcraft becoming the scapegoat to salve the populations prejudices perhaps against a starving destitute young woman who but the grace of God could have been anyone of them.