The History of the Lancashire Witches

As the anonymous author of this book noted, the English county of Lancashire is ‘famous for witches and the very strange pranks they have played’. Lancashire’s popular association with witchery stems from the famous Pendle trials of 1612, when 19 people were accused of practising witchcraft. However, the author of this text sought to portray Lancashire witches in a more positive light. The book is illustrated with simple woodcuts, including this illustration of a jolly witch mounting a broomstick. Shown here: pp. 22–23