Alice Nutter (witch)

Alice Nutter
statue of Alice now in Roughlee
Born 1500s
Roughlee
Died 20 August 1612
Gallows Hill, Lancaster
Cause of death Hanged
Nationality Kingdom of England
Known for accused as a "Pendle Witch"

Alice Nutter (died 1612) was an English woman accused and hanged as a result of the Pendle witch hunt. Her sacrifice is commemorated by a statue in the village of Roughlee.

Life

Unlike many accused of witchcraft, Alice was a member of a wealthy family who owned land in Pendle.[1]

She was accused of being present at a witches meeting on Good Friday in 1612 and of later causing the death of Henry Milton. Her principal accuser was a nine year old girl. Nutter protested her innocence[2] although others pleaded guilty.

Nutter was tried at Lancaster Castle where the accused were denied access to lawyers or the right of calling witnesses. She was hanged later at Gallows Hill in Lancaster on 20 August 1612. The others hanged were Anne Whittle ("Old Chattox"), Ann Redfearn, Elizabeth Device ("Squinting Lizzie"), Alison Device, James Device, Katherine Hewitt, Jane Bulcock, John Bulcock and Isobel Robey.

Legacy

In 2012 a statue of Nutter was unveiled in Roughlee by local celebrity Bobby Elliott. The statue had been commissioned a result of a campaign led by a local Councillor. Local artist David Palmer had researched local history and the fashion of the times to create the statue which is made from steel and brass.[3]

In the same year, Jeanette Winterson published her novella "The Daylight Gate" whose main character is Alice Nutter. The book is about the events but Winterson is keen to point out that her character is not the Alice Nutter of history.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Statue to Pendle Witch unveiled". BBC News. 2012-07-28. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  2. ↑ "Alice Nutter - Roughlee Village". Roughlee Village. 2017-02-26. Retrieved 2018-02-17.
  3. ↑ Jeanette Winterson (16 August 2012). The Daylight Gate. Random House. ISBN 978-1-4464-9232-1.
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