Roy, Apropos Yorkshire witches, the following might be of general interest:- "From Surtees Society Vol 40 - 1861 "Another case of witchcraft in the West Riding. The girl, no doubt, was seized with catalepsy. One witness declares that Hester France had been a reputed witch for above twenty years. Another says that when he went to take her to Elizabeth Johnson's house she was very unwilling to go." (This note was added in 1861) "Jan. 23, 1651-2. Before Henry Tempest, Esq. HESTER SPIVEY of Hothersfielde, widdow, saith thatt upon Thursday last she went unto the milne, and, att her comeing home att night, Elizabeth Johnson, her servant, told her thatt Hester France had been att her howse, and, she mending the fire with a firepoite the sayde Hester sayde, itt were a good deed to seare her lips with itt, if she thought anie thing by itt; and soe went out of the howse, but came in againe and cursed the sayde Elizabeth, and prayed to God thatt she shold never bake again. And the sayde Elizabeth told her thatt she thought the sayde Hester had bewitched her; and then this informant answered, and hoped she had a better faith than to feare witch or devill. And, after they was gone to bedd, the sayde Hester made a great noise in her sleepe, insomuch thatt she affrighted this informant, and, in the morning she bidd her goe to some neighbors to see if her eare rootes were not downe, but they were not downe. Thereupon the sayde Elizabeth lay herself downe upon a bedd, and, this informant presently following her, she sawe thatt she could not speake, and taking her into her armes, she could not stand, and so continued speechles from six a clock untill betwixt eight or nine in the evening, saveing thatt she spoke once to her brother. Whereupon the sayde Hester France was sent for, and, she being come the sayde Elizabeth spooke to her, and catched att her and sayde "Thou art the woman thatt hath deard me," and soe scratched her, since which the sayde Elizabeth is somewhat better, but still continewes very ill. John Johnson, of Hothersfielde, the younger, saith thatt Robert Cliff is now very weake and sick, and hath beene sick for this halfe yeare. And this morninge the sayde Robert sent unto the constable of Hothersfielde, and desired him to send the sayde Hester France unto him; and she being come into the chamber he scratcht her very sore, and sayde, "I think thou art the woman thatt hath done me this wrong;" and then she answered and sayed thatt she never did hurt in her life." Probably most "witches" did no harm. I was interested in the reference to Hester SPIVEY. All the best, John Spivey > -----Original Message----- > From: west-riding-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:west-riding- > bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Roy Stockdill > Sent: Thursday, 1 November 2007 7:06 AM > To: eng-yks-leeds@rootsweb.com > Cc: west-riding@rootsweb.com > Subject: [WRY] John & Mary Bateman & children > > I am still pursuing my ongoing researches into the story of Mary > Bateman > (nee Harker), the infamous Yorkshire Witch who was hanged at York in > 1809 for the murder by poisoning of Rebecca Perigo (nee Stockdale). > > My current quest is to try and pin down how many children John and > Mary Bateman had and what were their names and approx DoBs. This is > not proving easy, since there were probably several John Batemans in > Leeds at the appropriate time and, unfortunately, the baptismal > registers > of Leeds Parish Church (St Peter's), where the Batemans baptised their > children, only give the fathers' names and not those of the mothers. I > have FOUR marriages of John Batemans at St Peter's, as follows..... > > John Bateman to Martha Hargrave, 24 Apr 1775. > > John Bateman to Christiana Batley, 1 Jan 1776. > > John Bateman to Elisabeth Mirfield, 29 Sep 1782 > > John Bateman to Mary Harker, 26 Feb 1793. * > > This last marriage was that of the Yorkshire Witch. I know for a > certain > fact that the couple had at least three children because..... > > 1) Mary Bateman wrote to her husband from the condemned cell and > asked for her wedding ring to be given to their daughter. > > 2) There was a son called Jack (presumably John) Bateman who was > mentioned at her trial. > > 3) It was reported that she was allowed to have her youngest child (sex > not stated) in the condemned cell with her until she was hanged. > > >From these facts I have worked out that the children most likely > referred > to were... > > MARY BATEMAN, bapt. at St. Peter's, Leeds, February 16 1794 (IGI > Batch no. K009625), dau of John. > JOHN BATEMAN, bapt. at St. Peter's, February 21 1796 (Batch no. > C009628), son of John. > JAMES BATEMAN, bapt. at St. Peter's, July 19 1807 (Batch no. > J151051), son of John. > > They may have had two others, i.e...... > > MARIA BATEMAN, bapt. at St. Peter's, December 6 1801 (Batch no. > C009629) > GEORGE BATEMAN, bapt. at St. Peter's, May 20 1804 (Batch no. > C009626) > > What I would like to know is whether anyone can trace their ancestry > back to the OTHER John Bateman marriages and therefore perhaps > permit me to eliminate other possible children from those marriages. > > John Bateman, BTW, spent some time in the militia in order to escape > from the notoriety of his wife. However, they must have spent SOME time > together in order to have at least three children! > > -- > Roy Stockdill > Editor, Journal of One-Name Studies > Guild of One-Name Studies website: www.one-name.org > Newbies' Guide to Genealogy & Family History: > www.genuki.org.uk/gs/Newbie.html > > "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, > and that is not being talked about." > OSCAR WILDE > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to WEST-RIDING- > request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in > the subject and the body of the message