Jeremy and the Witches’ Medallion: The Witch Hunt

By Randy Gauthier

Jeremy and the Witches’ Medallion will take its readers back to the medieval England during one of the most well-known witch-hunts in history. While combining modern day narrative and medieval times, there is magic, witchcraft, talking animals and English history to take a reader on a thrilling adventure that they will never forget.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Nov 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781647501532

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Randy Gauthier (2020)

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

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Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication data

Gauthier, Randy

Jeremy and the Witches’ Medallion

ISBN 9781647501525 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781643786568 (Hardback)

ISBN 9781647501532 (ePub e-book)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020920305

www.austinmacauley.com/us

First Published (2020)

Austin Macauley Publishers LLC

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New York, NY 10005

USA

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Preface

From the medieval days to the renaissance, kings and queens ruled the land with an iron fist. These monarchies are the law of the land. In the years of religious persecution from the beginning of the Tudor period, Henry VIII’s reign to the end of King James I’s reign, there was no such thing as freedom of religion. If a person was caught practicing a different religion other than that of the king or queen in those times, a person could find him or herself, sentenced to death, by beheading, hanging, or burned at the stake. Some would have their head stuck on a pole as a deterrent to practicing some other religion than the one the ruler acknowledged.

During Henry VIII’s rule, a person would live peacefully and attend the Protestant religion—that of the Church of England—or go into hiding practicing the Catholic religion. Henry VIII, a merciless ruler in his day, struggled with the authority of Roman-led churches that were of the Catholic religion. He then started his own church, the Church of England. With this separation from the Roman Catholics, Henry VIII became Supreme Head of the Church of England.

After Henry’s death in 1547, Edward VI, his youngest child, succeeded him at the throne and continued the merciless persecution of the Catholics. While falling mortally ill, Edward VI tried to remove Queen Mary—who was the eldest of Henry VIII’s children—from the line of succession because of religious differences. On his death in 1553, their cousin Lady Jane Grey was at first proclaimed queen. Mary assembled a force and successfully disposed of Jane who was ultimately beheaded.

Queen Mary, another merciless monarch, was given the nickname bloody Mary by her opponents, for her brutal persecution of the Protestants. Queen Mary is remembered for her restoration of the Roman Catholic religion after the short-lived Protestant reign of her half-brother. During her five-year reign, there were 280 religious dissenters burned at the stake. Queen Mary’s re-establishment of the Roman Catholic Church was reversed—after her death in 1558—by younger half-sister Elizabeth I.

Queen Elizabeth succeeded Queen Mary upon her death and her first order of business was to re-establish the English Protestant Church of which she became Supreme Governor. The Elizabethan religious settlement later evolved into today’s Church of England. When Elizabeth came to the throne in 1558, Catholic priests once again went into hiding but only in remote areas as they continued to celebrate Mass in secrecy. If found out, they would be convicted of their crimes and punished.

Elizabeth I passed a law in the form of an Act; this Law was the Act against conjurations, enchantments, and witchcrafts. This demanded the death penalty, but only by causing harm; lesser offenses were punishable by a term of life imprisonment. The act stated that anyone who uses, practices, or exercises any witchcraft, enchantment, charm, or sorcery, whereby any person shall happen to be killed or destroyed, was guilty of a felony without the benefit of clergy and will be put to death. After Elizabeth’s death in 1603, King James VI of Scotland began his reign in England and continued the prosecution on religion, along with witch-hunting.

During King James I’s reign, he styled himself King of Great Britain and Ireland. King James was a scholar and wrote several books to his credit. One book, however, he wrote—while still only King James VI of Scotland—was titled ‘Daemonologie.’ In this book, he approves and supports the practice of witch-hunting. When King James became the king of all three kingdoms, he prosecuted witches throughout.

Chapter 1

The Gallows’ Pole

On this day, August 10th, 1612, his majesty King James I of England ordered every justice of the peace in Lancashire County, England, to compile a list of recusants in the area, i.e., those who refuse to attend the Church of England and take the Holy Communion shall be a criminal offense at the time. This order by King James was the background of a beginning to seeking out religious nonconformists.

Just five days later in this year, 1612, Justice of the Peace Roger Nowell investigated a complaint made by a family member of John Law who claimed to have suffered an injury by witchcraft. Many of those who subsequently found themselves implicated as the investigation progressed indeed considered themselves witches. The investigation soon was over and Justice of Peace Roger Nowell made the arrest of 12 accused of practicing witchcraft.

Of the 12 so-called witches, Elizabeth Southerns died in her cell whilst awaiting trial and Jennet Preston went to the York Assizes to await her trail as she lived in Gisburn that was located in Yorkshire County, not of Lancashire County. Alice Grey was found not guilty and the last nine were found guilty of murdering or doing bodily harm to people and animals by the use of witchcraft. The trials were decisive and quick; the sentence handed down by the king himself was death by execution.

The two-day trial ended some time ago and now a report was being published publicly with banners being posted throughout Lancashire County.

On this day, 20th of August 1612

The courts of His Majesty King James

Willfully carry out the death penalties

Of the nine accused witches.

They shall be hanged at the Gallows

Hill, in the city of Lancaster

Dutifully signed

Roger Nowell

Joiners worked hard building a scaffold and ropes already dangled from the rafters; it looked as if there is an execution about to take place. The job will not take long with a group of 15 men working steadily. Crowds gather seeing two men, a hooded man that looked to be an executioner and another—perhaps a bailiff—bearing a scroll in hand, walking up the newly built stairs to the platform. The two men walk to the front of the platform, and the hooded man points at a rope, shaking his head.

Then, he realizes that the other man is a bailiff as he comes forth, starts to open the scroll, and blurts out, By the order of King James, I hereby announce the nine accused of witchcraft that are found guilty and sentenced. The sentence shall be death by hanging. Executioner, usher these witches to the pole! The hooded man leaves from the platform. Once the bailiff announced the execution, the crowd started to grow.

As the crowd gathered overnight, most slept on a damp floor, while others stayed up all night drinking ales and discussing the event at hand. During the long night, the nine accused sat locked away deep down in the dungeons of Lancaster Castle. As the night moved on, down in the dungeons—dark and damp stone structures—the nine accused hurled profanities from their 5x9 cold, dark, damp cells toward King James after he condemned them to the gallows pole.

The next morning, all nine accused were escorted from the dungeons of Lancaster Castle to Gallows’ Hill by an elite group of the king’s guards, led by the hooded executioner. As they walked down a cobblestone avenue, the crowds continued to grow. A mob eventually formed in the crowd with pushing and shoving, trying to pass through the guards to attack the accused.

The hurling of vegetables and fruit came from a nearby market stand. An apple flew past the executioner and struck one of the accused witches, a young boy named James Device. The apple hit on the cheek of his face, and, while bound in chains, he dropped to the floor, dragging others accused with him. Blood oozed down from his cheek as a guard violently pulled him back to his feet. James stood there in agonizing pain as tears rolled down his face and stung his wound. He looks around; no one was there to help him with his injury and a guard pushes him onward. His family also in chains—waiting just like him for execution—leaves him with no one to turn to for help. He looks over to his mom, Elizabeth Device, as she ignores him.

The accused finally reached Gallows’ Hill and the guards began to rustle their way through the large crowded square where the execution was soon to take place. One of the accused saw the gallows’ pole and started spewing up her last meal. The guards usher the nine accused witches up the steps to the platform and line them up beneath the ropes that dangle from a rafter. They hear cheering and chanting from the crowd, Die, you witches, Burn in hell, and, Hang them, hang them. By this time, the crowd is so large, the king’s soldiers were ordered to quell the crowd. The soldiers are from an elite group, the Royal Guard; they begin to quell the crowd and allow the bailiff to make his way up the stairs to the platform.

King James sat watching the condemned from a balcony in Lancaster Castle after sending some of his Royal Guard to the execution to hush the crowd in order for him to hear the scrolls read aloud. There are nine condemned, and King James wants to hear all the accused speak their last words. This is his favorite pastime; he enjoys watching executions involving witches and lives for these moments.

Just a few years earlier, he personally took part in the execution of a group of plotters planning to blow up Parliament while he was to attend. The plotters had barrels of gunpowder placed in a cellar under the Parliament building in London and were ready to light the fuse the moment Parliament resumed session.

As the executioner gets the condemned prisoners in position, the bailiff reads out the demands of the court and the charges brought against the accused. He starts to bark off the charges and the guilty plea, The nine accused found guilty by Magistrate in the courts of King James are hereby sentenced to death by hanging. The charges are as read; practicing of witchcraft, murder by witchcraft, attempted murder by witchcraft, and lastly, inflicting injury by way of witchcraft.

The crowd begin chanting, Hang the witch, hang the witch. The bailiff raises his hand to quiet the crowd and silence comes over the crowd once again. The bailiff looks out to the crowd and back to the scroll; he begins to read off the names of the accused. The nine accused witches are Alice Nutter, Ann Redferne, Alizon Device, James Device, Elizabeth Device, Katherine Hewitt, Anne Whittle, John Bulcock, and Jane Bulcock; you are all to be hung for your crimes against humanity. The bailiff asked the nine accused if they have any last words. He goes to each individual, says his or her name, and reads off his or her charge, then asks for a last word.

Alice Nutter, do you have any last words before you are put to death?

I’ll see you in hell, King James! Alice yells aloud.

The bailiff cringed when he heard what she screamed, but did not look toward Lancaster Castle to see how King James reacted but continued to read the sentence of Alice Nutter.

Anne Redferne, do you have any last words before you are put to death?

I am no witch, that young tramp Alizon Device falsely accused me and King James is a buffoon for believing the tramp.

The bailiff walks to the next condemned prisoner, looks at his face that has swollen up all around his left eye and cheek, and is full of blood. The bailiff sees blood oozing down the boy’s neck, looks at the scroll, and begins to read from it, James Device, do you have any last words before being put to death?

Help me, I am dying, please help me, I can’t do this, please, cried James Device. He continued to plead for help as the blood flowed from his injury.

Once he walks away from James, the bailiff wipes blood from his hands where the young lad splattered it on him. He steps up to the next condemned prisoner and pulls out another scroll, Katherine Hewitt, do you have any last words before you are put to death?

I am no witch, but witches surround me; please, I am innocent, do not let me die with these witches. I am wrongfully accused.

The bailiff puts away Katherine Hewitt’s scroll and walks away. He moves to the next condemned and gets their scroll out to read, Elizabeth Device, do you have any last words before you are put to death?

King James, burn in hell, you killer of innocent people, she screamed. The bailiff comes to her, throws his hand over her mouth to shut her up, then walks off to the next accused.

The bailiff pulls out scroll number six and looks it over before reading from it, Anne Whittle, do you have any last words before being put to death?

She looks around with tears flowing from her eyes, I am innocent, we all are, that damn King James wrongfully accused us of being witches, please set us free! she pleaded.

The bailiff walks up to the next prisoner and thinks how could someone so young be accused of being a witch, but then he thinks it probably runs in the family. Alizon Device, do you have any last words before you are put to death?

She screams out, Yes, I am a witch, and I have injured someone; if I could kill, King James would be the first I would put to death by witchcraft.

The bailiff continues to the next accused and pulls out a scroll, John Bulcock, do you have any last words before you are put to death?

I am no witch, King James is the witch, do I look like a witch? he asked loudly.

The bailiff leaves John Bulcock and walks up to the last accused and then starts to read from the scroll, Jane Bulcock, do you have any last words before you are put to death?

King James, I hate you; die, you blasted piece of rubbish, she yelled.

Once the bailiff reads off the scrolls, he walks to the front of the platform near the executioner and tells him to get ready. The bailiff looks over to Lancaster Castle and waits for the signal from King James sitting on a balcony. The bailiff sees the signal and begins to shout out the orders to the executioner to proceed with the executions, Hood the condemned and proceed with the execution!

The crowd gets boisterous as the executioner starts to hood the condemned prisoners. Once the executioner securely fits the hoods over their heads, he then places the noose around their necks. After the condemned stand there all fitted up for the hanging, the executioner waits for the signal from the bailiff.

The bailiff looks over to the castle once again and King James gives him a wave of his hand to finish the execution. Most of the people in the crowd at Gallows’ Hill are yelling, Die, witches, while others yelled, Burn in hell, you witch. The crowd is so noisy that the bailiff can hardly hear himself. All the chants and singing from the people makes the noise travel, and the bailiff has to scream his orders to the executioner after getting the final signal to execute the witches.

The bailiff screams to the executioner, Condemn the prisoners. The executioner pulls a wooden lever on the side of the platform; a small door opens up underneath the feet of all the prisoners. The prisoners immediately drop down inside the doors of the platform. A few of them let off ear-piercing screams, then start to wriggle around, dangling from their ropes, where others just fall limp. At this point, the crowd is euphoric and their chants are deafening.

Once the last prisoner stops wiggling around, the executioner examines them to make certain they all have died. He then releases another lever and they all fall to the ground and out of sight of the crowd. Wagons parked behind the gallows’ pole are waiting to carry the dead back to Lancaster Castle where they will be stored in a room until ready for burial. Several guards load the bodies onto flatbed wagons and they are whisked away and out of sight. The wagons in the procession make their way to the back of the castle where the mortuary is located. The crowd slowly begins to disperse, feeling justice has been served.

The bodies reach the mortuary and guards begin to unload them. They carry the bodies down two flights of stairs where they are stored until the burial will take place. Once the nine bodies reach a damp and darkish room, two undertakers are waiting there ready to prepare the bodies for burial. One of the undertakers—a tall, slim fellow—was the head undertaker, and the other—a shorter fellow—his assistant. The men worked through the night preparing the bodies for their final resting place.

The next morning, the undertakers had the bodies lying on tables covered with linen sheets while they went to their quarters to get some rest. Two guards stood guard outside the door to keep any unauthorized persons from trying to enter. The bodies are ready and now we are leaving to have some much-needed rest, said the head undertaker.

Yes sir, said one guard.

While the nine bodies ready for burial lay in the darkish room, the two guards stood silently on either side of the door. The bodies lay on wooden tables while waiting for the final destination, the graveyard behind the Lancashire Castle chapel.

Hours have passed since the undertakers left to their quarters to get some rest and now have come back to the room to prepare for the burials. When the two undertakers enter the room, a bird immediately comes fluttering past them, then right past the two guards, and up the flights of stairs. How did a bird get in here? asked the head undertaker.

Good question, said the assistant.

After the two undertakers enter the room, the head undertaker notices a body missing and immediately alerts the guards, Who entered the room while we were gone?

No one entered on our watch, sir, said one guard. Both guards glanced around the room and saw only eight bodies.

You two are not the same guards here this morning, said the head undertaker.

We relieved the other guards two hours ago, sir, said the guard.

Where can I find them? asked the head undertaker.

The barracks are over on the left front of the castle, sir, said the guard. Petty Officer Millwall will escort you to the barracks while I stay here, sir.

I am Mr. Patrick, the head undertaker and the director of funeral services. I will go with Petty Officer Millwall to the barracks; Garrett, you stay here and finish up. Let’s go, Millwall!

They walk up the two flights of stairs and open the door. The moment that Millwall opened the door, a bird comes streaming past, squawking and cackling; the two men dropped to the ground, trying to dodge the wild bird. Once the bird flew off, the two dust themselves off and make their way along the east wall and to the front of the castle. Stupid magpie, sorry Mr. Patrick, said Millwall.

When the two men arrive at the barracks, they enter in the front at the lobby. Millwall has to leave Mr. Patrick in there, You must wait here, sir.

Okay, I will wait here, but you must hurry and find them, said Mr. Patrick. Millwall goes into the main area of the barracks and a brigadier approaches him, Millwall stands at attention and salutes.

At ease, soldier, said the brigadier.

Millwall starts telling the brigadier what happened. One of the bodies is missing from the mortuary and no one entered during our watch except for the undertakers when they came back on duty, sir. I have Mr. Patrick, the head undertaker, waiting in the lobby. We come looking for Petty Officers Morris and Klein, the two stationed at the mortuary before Sergeant Olsen and I were stationed there, sir.

Slow down, Millwall, you say no one entered the room during your watch, but don’t know about Morris and Klein? asked the brigadier.

Yes sir.

This can’t be happening. You find Morris and Klein and I will go pay a visit to Mr. Patrick in the lobby, said the brigadier. The brigadier goes to the barracks’ lobby where Mr. Patrick is waiting impatiently for the two guards stationed at the mortuary earlier in the day. Mr. Patrick, I am the commander of this regiment, and I can assure you that my intentions are to find who entered the mortuary unauthorized and who allowed them to enter, said the brigadier.

Where are the two guards posted to the room when I left this morning? asked Mr. Patrick.

Millwall went to their bunks to get them and we will have answers soon, said the brigadier.

Millwall and the two guards came into the barracks’ lobby and stood to attention to the brigadier and Mr. Patrick. At ease soldiers, said the brigadier. We need some answers to some questions, gentlemen. First question, who was allowed into the mortuary during your watch, Petty Officer Morris?

No person entered the room on our watch, sir. We never left our post until we were relieved of our duty, sir, said Petty Officer Morris.

You remember Garrett, my assistant, and I leaving this morning, Morris? asked Mr. Patrick.

I recall you two leaving this morning because Mr. Garrett jokingly told us not to let anyone leave the room.

If no one entered the room during either of your watches, how do you explain a body missing? asked the brigadier. Mr. Patrick, you and I need to advise the king about this news. Let us go to the mortuary and have a look around before we inform the king.

We can’t tell the king just yet, let’s try to find the body first, said Mr. Patrick.

We will go to the mortuary to investigate and hope we find the body, so we don’t have to approach the king with this troublesome news. Morris, Klein, go back to your barracks and stay there until further notice; we’ll take care of this fiasco, said the brigadier.

The three men arrive at the mortuary; they see Sergeant Olsen at the entrance and greet him. Sergeant Olsen stands at attention the moment he sees the brigadier. At ease, soldier. Sergeant Olsen, I want you to search the room and count the bodies again. Millwall, go up the stairs, search in any place someone could hide, stay watch at the main entrance, and let no one enter.

Yes, sir.

Millwall grabs a torch off the wall and slowly goes up the narrow curvy flight of stairs looking in all the shadows for the missing body. He finally makes his way to the top of the stairs, opens the door, and steps out into a misty rain. He ponders; ’How can a person or persons slip past two guards while taking an adult body up two stories on a curvy stairway?’ He thinks it’s impossible while two guards are posted at the doors and never leave. He was just two hours into his watch when Mr. Patrick discovered the body missing. Morris and Klein spent most of the day on watch at the mortuary, and now he wonders if they were telling the truth. Millwall knows the two lads very well and is certain that they would not tell the commanding officer a lie.

The mortuary door opens and startles Millwall as the brigadier came walking out. Millwall, something is not right, how can a dead body just vanish? said the brigadier. It is time the king learns about this ordeal. The brigadier leaves and disappears along the side of the castle. Both undertakers leave the mortuary while Mr. Patrick is agitated and moans about the missing body. He is on a rant about the guards not being able to do a simple task of watching a room full of dead bodies and how one could get up and leave on its own. Millwall was not impressed with the undertaker’s comments as he passed him. Millwall begins to think that Mr. Patrick is an imbecile.

As time passed, two different guards come to relieve Millwall and Sergeant Olsen. The brigadier wants you lads to meet him in the barracks, said the relief guard. The two went to the barracks and saw Morris and Klein in assembly with the brigadier. The brigadier waves the two guards to join them.

The brigadier began questioning the four guards, trying to find out what happened on their watch. The king wants answers to this mystery of the missing dead body, said the brigadier. I need to know everything that occurred during your watch at the mortuary in detail to the best of your memory. The king will be questioning me and my garrison, so I need a full report on the last 12 hours at the mortuary.

After drilling the four guards for almost an hour, the brigadier leaves the barracks’ lobby and goes through a door; he enters a large room with a lounge. This is the brigadier’s quarters and he came here to clear his head of all the confusion. The four guards look at each other, then decide to leave the barracks’ lobby and go to their rooms and discuss what happened on their watch.

The two hours of our watch before the undertakers came back from their break, no one entered the mortuary, said Sergeant Olsen. The four men detailed an account of their watch while the undertakers were away. The four guards logged their information on parchment and had a page delivered to the brigadier. The brigadier left his lodge hours later after getting the information he needed from the guards and went to present the detailed account to King James.

The brigadier enters the throne room of the castle and feels the sovereignty of King James while in there. A page enters the room to dispatch a message that the king will join him shortly. King James will be with you momentarily, please sit. The brigadier has a seat and waits while King James has still not joined him.

Voices echo through the corridor and the king enters the throne room. The brigadier stands at attention while King James walks into the room. Have a seat, Brigadier, said King James.

Thank you, Your Majesty, said the brigadier.

I am trying to wrap my head around the news of the day; please enlighten me, what happened today? asked King James.

My King, it is a puzzling situation, said the brigadier. I have statements from guards with detailed accounts during their assignment at the mortuary, Your Majesty. I have their full details, Your Majesty, the brigadier hands the page a parchment to give to King James. The page immediately hands it over to King James, and he begins to read from it.

King James frowns upon what he reads and looks at the brigadier. Explain how a dead body is missing from a mortuary after being prepared for burial while two guards are posted at the door, and no one is allowed in or out.

I can’t explain this, Your Majesty.

Of the nine, who is the missing corpse? asked King James.

That would be the body of Elizabeth Device, Your Majesty, said the brigadier.

She was the ring leader during the trials, said King James. Why would someone abduct her body? What is it about this particular witch? Have the constable investigate the mortuary, her prison cell, and the gallows platform for any clues why someone would take that particular body and none of the others. Send out your best squads and hunt down these villains and I want them brought to me. I want notices placed on every pole, tree, and fence warning that any person caught with this missing corpse will be tried as a witch and put to death. Now leave and go find this corpse.

The brigadier left the throne room and went back to the barracks. He picked several elite squads of soldiers and put them on patrol. One patrol dispatched into the Forest of Bowland, while another dispatched to the Lake District. Several others dispatched more locally to search people’s homes; these local areas consist of Morecambe, Heaton, Middleton, and other small villages surrounding Lancaster.

A letter was written by King James, then dispatched to the brigadier.

To the brigadier

Have your best patrols sent out to the village of Barley, to search the premises of the said witches, and of their families. By the order of the king, these patrols are to decimate the homes of the witches by setting them ablaze. The soldiers are to make sure their homes burn to the ground before their job comes to its conclusion.

Upon finding the perpetrators that stole the witch’s body, they shall be brought to me, and a proceeding before the Magistrate; if found guilty, the death penalty is the only sentence to be handed down.

Your Royal Majesty

King James

The search was on for the missing corpse and for whoever stole it. The soldiers started scouring the countryside finding nothing that resembled the witch’s body. Lancaster has been searched with a fine toothcomb, in and out of every dwelling, barn, stable, and pub. The soldiers ransack individuals’ homes, leaving them in ruins hoping to find what was not there; some homes were checked twice.

The patrol that embarked on the village of Barley searched every home, pub, and church in and near the village causing havoc in their wake. The patrol set the Device family home and barns ablaze to have them burn to the ground as ordered and a church-like building off in a forest set on fire, but the fire extinguished itself several times. The soldiers set it afire several times only to watch the fire extinguish on its own. The soldiers gave up after many times and left back to Lancaster Castle.

The constable’s investigation turned up no clues to help in the search for the body, but what the constable found is some black and white bird quills down on the floor and the top of the wooden table that the body of Elizabeth Device laid on during the preparation of her burial. It raised no suspicions, but the constable did wonder why a bird would be down in a dismal, dark mortuary. During the constable’s interview with the guards and undertakers, he learned there was a bird that flew past them trying to get out, and that solved his mystery of the bird feathers.

The guards stationed at the mortuary that day the body went missing appeared in front of King James. They found themselves disciplined by the king after a good chastising and placed on inactive duty for six months. King James claimed the guards were incompetent, but granted a lean punishment to all four guards.

On the next day, the remaining eight corpses in the mortuary were finally laid to rest without a mishap. No family members attended the funerals for the eight bodies, while the nine hung consisted of two different families. The search for the one missing corpse continued for weeks after the burial of the eight others and was never found. With months passing and no corpse ever found, the king ordered the search off, and with calling the search off, King James felt humiliation in this defeat.

Chapter 2

The Act of Sale

It is early morning on August 20, 1624, and the Barley Village community is waking up to the 12th anniversary of a not so fond memory. The chilling accounts of the old hag Elizabeth Device dangling from the gallows’ pole along with the other eight souls were 12 years ago today. The most chilling memory is of the one body that went missing after the execution, the body of Elizabeth Device. This day, the 20th of August marked the 12th anniversary of the trials of Lancaster that scorn the village of Barley and left distinct memories of that eerie day from the hangings.

The village folk start the day off as a usual day, but with mixed emotions. As the morning moves forward, people are gradually getting on with their daily lives. The town hall assembly convenes this morning and one particular councilman wants to banish the memory of this day by deliberating the sale of the tract of land owned by Elizabeth Device and her mother Elizabeth Southerns. After their trial and them being found guilty of their crimes 12 years earlier, the village of Barley confiscated their land.

Councilman Jones, a good, honest politician awaits the mayor of Barley to arrive at the town hall, so he can discuss this piece of legislation with him. While Councilman Jones peeks out of the window, he sees Mayor John Bradley approaching Barley Town Hall. The moment the mayor entered through the door, Councilman Jones addresses him, I would like a meeting with you right away.

Good day to you also, Councilman, give me five minutes and I will grant you a meeting.

Good day, Mayor, and thank you, replied Councilman Jones, as he goes to his office to collect a brief for this meeting with the mayor. He sits at his desk and gives the mayor five minutes, then walks over to his office. The mayor’s assistant sends Councilman Jones into the office.

The reason for this meeting is my district has a tract of land not collecting tax profits, and Mayor, you know the land I am referring too, said the councilman. I propose we sell the Device tract of land, Councilman Jones further explains to the mayor. A much-needed taxation without further delay from this land, because for the last 12 years, there has not been any profitable revenue made from it. My district has lost revenue claims and needs to get some extra revenue to replace some fencing along the Grit Stone Quarry and repair the stone bridge crossing at Baggers stream.

I agree that the land needs to be for sale or perhaps a possible lease, said the mayor.

I have here an outlined plan on the equity and a fair tax for the transaction of the property; we just need to get the approval from the other councilmen, said Councilman Jones. The councilman hands the mayor his outlined plan of the sale. The sale of this property will help Councilman Jones’ district take in more profits toward the tax monies the village needs for maintenance improvements. Councilman Jones adds to his remarks, Today when we convene Parliament, this legislation should be the first order of business for this type of subject matter, and, because of the circumstance that is involved, will need council approval. The land has been confiscated after all the relatives of this property were convicted of a crime and given the death penalty, so this circumstance needs to be looked at through all the laws of the land and the village bylaws.

Mr. Jones, I agree, but let the council set a price and tax to sell the land if yours is not negligible, the mayor answers. The mayor further acknowledges some thoughts on the sale, I do not think anyone will purchase this land knowing the ties of the hag and her family.

The councilman explains to the mayor, If some farmer is not familiar with the old hag and there is an attractive price, the tract of land could sell right away. A sheep farmer would thrive on this land with five acres of hillside for sheep to graze, five acres of forest land for hunting, and Baggers stream running through the forest stocked with an abundance of fish for some great fishing.

That is all enticing, but remember who lived there and all that had happened during and after the trial, said the mayor.

You also have ten more acres that could be for a homestead, pasture, and cropland. There are several burned-out buildings on the property that a farmer could rebuild and make into a lovely farm, the councilman adds.

And why are there burnt-out buildings? Because of the missing corpse, keep that in mind, Councilman, exclaimed the mayor.

My outline lets us implement a high tax with a low sale on this property. The tax can be as high as 24 percent on the pound and the cheap sale could begin at two pounds an acre. There are 20 acres on that tract that includes forest and hill land. This would be an advantage for some sheep farmer, so a sheepherder would be best to purchase this land, the councilman explained.

The mayor tells Councilman Jones that he needs the full backing of his plan. I support your idea of selling this property but you will have to convince the councilmen. When we convene the assembly today, you can debate all issues on this tract of land. Councilman Jones thanks the mayor and proceeds to leave the office. You forgot your brief, the mayor yells to the councilman. The councilman grabs his brief that has all his data on the 20-acre tract of land.

Mr. Jones returns to his office and sits at his desk; he then pulls out a piece of parchment and a quill. He looks at his ink jar; the ink is hard. The councilman looks through all the draws of his desk for more ink but sees none. He leaves his office and takes a walk down the corridor where there is a cupboard with a memorandum attached to it, stating that office supplies are stored in it.

Councilman Jones opens the door to the cupboard and looks in it; he sees parchment on one shelf and on another sees pens and ink. He grabs a bottle of ink from behind a small box of pens and then walks back to his office.

Councilman Jones begins to write on a piece of parchment an invite for when council convenes today with his agenda on a sale of a tract of land. He invites all council members and the mayor of Barley to participate. This would be a formal Congressional procedure based on a land sale and is open for debates followed by a vote. He writes the date and the time, as for a formal invite, it must have a valid date and time.

To: Mayor of Barley Village and My Fellow Councilmen,

I have called a Council Meeting at Barley Town Hall.

This meeting is an open debate and to be voted on.

The matter of discussion contains a land sale.

On this day: 20/8/1624

At this time: 10:00 am

After Councilman Jones writes his first invite, he gets more parchment and completes all his invites. He invited Councilman Graeme Allen, Councilman Charles Hughes, and Councilman Peter Dale along with Mayor John Bradley. Councilman Jones places the invites in waxed sealed envelopes and leaves his office to deliver them to each member of the Barley Assembly.

The councilman walks down the corridor to Councilman Graeme Allen’s office and knocks on the door. A deep voice from inside the room calls out, Please enter. Councilman Jones opens the door and enters the room. Good morning, have a seat, my dear friend, said Councilman Allen. What can I do for you today, Eddy?

Councilman Jones hands Councilman Allen a sealed envelope and tells Mr. Allen, Councilman Allen, in this envelope is a formal invite for an inquest on a tract of land during the council’s assembly today. Councilman Allen quickly opens the envelope and reads the content, then agrees to participate with Councilman Jones, I’ll gladly back you on this measure. Councilman Jones leaves Mr. Allen’s office, continues to deliver the rest of the invites, and returns to his office.

Councilman Jones goes to a cupboard against the wall in his office and opens the doors; he pulls out a bunch of maps and looks for the village of Barley. He finds several and picks out the maps of his district. Then the councilman takes the maps to his desk. He outlines the 20-acre tract of land located in his district that will be on today’s agenda during the assembly.

After the councilman finished with the