Chapter 4

_Jacques le Mesurier_ depose qu'il y a viron deux ou trois ans qu'il rencontra _Collas Becquet_ et _Perot Massi_, quj avoyent du poisson, et d'aultant qu'ils lui debvoyent de l'argent, il voulut prendre de leur poisson à rabatre, mais ne luy en voulant bailler, eurent quelque dispute; sur quoy l'un des djts _Becquet_ ou _Massi_ le menacerent qu'il s'en repentiroit; qu'au bout de deux ou trois jours il fut saisi d'un mal que le brusloit, et quelques fois devenoit tout morfondu, sans qu'on le peust eschauffer, et sans aulcune relache; qu'il fut en ces tourments pres d'un mois. _Collas Becquet_ entendit que le deposant le chargeoit d'estre causte de son mal, et menacoit qu'il tueroit le djt deposant; mais bientost appres fut le djt deposant guery; dit de cuider et de croire les djts _Becquet_ et _Massy_, ou un d'iceux, fut cause de son mal.

DEPOSITIONS AGAINST COLLAS BECQUET.

_MAY 17, 1617._

_Susanne Le Tellier_, widow of _Pierre Rougier_, deposed that after her husband was dead she found witches' spells in his bed; and that while he was upon his said deathbed he complained of being bewitched by _Collas Becquet_, with whom he had had a quarrel, and who during the quarrel told him he would repent of it; whereupon he was taken with ...[A], whereof he was ill for twelve days; they also found forty-four witches' spells in her child's pillow, some of which were made like hedgehogs, others round like apples, and others again flat like the palm of the hand; and they were of hempen thread twisted with feathers.

[Footnote A: Illegible in the record.]

_Susanne_, wife of _Jean Le Messurier_, deposed that her husband and _Collas Becquet_ had angry words together one day; they had an infant about six weeks old, and as she was undressing it in the evening to put it to bed, there fell upon the stomach of the said infant, a black beast which melted away as soon as it fell, so that although she carefully sought for it, she could never discover what had become of it; immediately afterwards the infant was taken ill and would not suck, but was much tormented; being advised to look into the said infant's pillow, she found there several witches' spells sewn with thread; these she took out and carefully dressed all the feathers in the pillow; yet when she examined it again a week afterwards, she found there a black bean with a hole in it; of which, the said _Becquet_ hearing that he was suspected, his wife came to witness's house while the said _Becquet_ was at sea, and told her that on account of the rumour which witness had raised about her husband, he the said _Becquet_ would thrash the said _Messurier_, her husband, and herself, and would kill them; after that, witness went to their house to say they were not afraid either of him or her, or of their threats to kill her husband and her; witness had six big chickens which ran after their mother, going out of the house in the morning and returning at night; and one by one they began to jump up against the chimney and eat the soot, so that they all died one after the other, ...[B] as they jumped, until the last one which remained alive up to one hour of daybreak, when it died; after they had told this to _Mr. de Lisle_, and he had threatened the people, her infant recovered and remained well.

[Footnote B: Illegible in the record.]

_Collas Rougier_ deposed that his brother _Pierre Rougier_ when dying charged _Collas Becquet_ with causing his death.

_Collas Hugues_ reported that being at a wedding, _Collas Becquet_ arrived there, and began to toy with his daughter-in-law, who repelled his advances; the very same evening she was taken ill in such a manner that they thought she would have died from one hour to another; besides which she remained under the charm, and they found one of the witches' spells in her bed, which was shown to the Members of the Court, who were making an inspection at St. Peter's; the said girl sometimes fell to the ground quite blinded.

The wife of the said _Hugues_ deposed to exactly the same as her husband.

_Jean de Garis_, son of _William_, deposed that about two or three years ago, having lent some money on pledge to _Collas Becquet_, he asked him for the money, or else for a verification of his security; when the said _Becquet_ replied that he would let him know what his security was; the said _de Garis_ having then returned home, found his daughter sick and afflicted; they found witches' spells and other conjurations several times in their child's pillow; but the mother of the said _Becquet_ having come to the said _de Garis's_ house, he gave her a drink of water and half-a-loaf of bread, as he had been advised to do; since which time they had found nothing more in the child's pillow; however to avoid all risk of the said witches' spells they had always since then let their child sleep upon straw; he fully believed that this evil had come upon them by their means.

_Mr. Thomas de Lisle_ deposed that _Thomas Brouart_, who resided in his house, having called the son of _Collas Becquet_ a wizard, it happened that there was one day found in the said _Thomas's_ bed a great number of maggots, which the said _Sieur de Lisle_ saw, and compared to an ant-hill, so lively and thick were they, and they could hardly clear the said child of them, although they put it in different places; afterwards the said child gathered lice in such a manner that although its shirts and clothes were changed every day they could not free it; the said _Thomas Brouart_ also had a brand new vest, which was so covered with lice that it was impossible to see the cloth, and he was compelled to have it thrown among the cabbages; upon which he went and threatened _Massi's_ wife that he would beat her if she did not abstain from thus treating his child; and on returning he found the said vest among the cabbages clear of lice, which had also since then quitted the said _Brouart_.

_Jacques le Mesurier_ deposed that about two or three years ago he met _Collas Becquet_ and _Perot Massi_, who had some fish and who moreover owed him money; he wished to take some of their fish at a reduced price, but they would not agree to it, and they quarrelled; whereupon one of the two, either _Becquet_ or _Massi_, threatened him that he would repent of it; and at the end of two or three days, he was seized with a sickness in which he first burnt like fire and then was benumbed with cold so that nothing would warm him, and this without any cessation; he suffered in this way for nearly a month. _Collas Becquet_ heard that witness charged him with being the cause of his sickness, and he threatened that he would kill witness; but very soon afterwards the said witness was cured; and he affirms and believes that the said _Becquet_ and _Massy_, or one of them, was the cause of his attack.

* * * * *

NOTE ON THE GUERNSEY RECORDS.

The Records at the Guernsey _Greffe_, from which the foregoing confessions and depositions have been transcribed, and whence the following list of accusations is compiled, are of a very voluminous character. In fact there is enough matter in them, connected with Witchcraft alone, to fill at least a couple of thick octavo volumes. There is, however, so much sameness in the different cases, and such a common tradition running through the whole, that the present excerpts give a very fair idea of the features which characterise the mass. While some of these Records are tolerably complete, the greater part of them unfortunately are fragmentary and imperfect. The books in which they were originally written seem to have been formed of a few sheets of paper stitched together. Then at some later period a number of these separate sections--in a more or less tattered condition--were gathered into volumes and bound together in vellum. It is evident, however, that very little care was exercised in their arrangement in chronological order. The consequence is that one portion of a trial sometimes occurs in one part of a volume, and the rest in another part; sometimes the depositions alone seem to have been preserved; sometimes the confessions; while in many cases the sentences pronounced are all that can now be discovered. Nevertheless these old Records enshrine much that is interesting, and very well deserve a more exhaustive analysis than they have ever yet received. There are also in the margins of these volumes, scores of pen-and-ink sketches of a most primitive description, depicting the carrying out of the various rigours of the law. Rough and uncouth as these illustrations are, they nevertheless possess a good deal of graphic significance, and I hope to reproduce some of them in facsimile, in a future publication. They represent, for instance, culprits hanging on the gallows--sometimes two or three in a row--with a fire kindled underneath; others attached to stakes in the midst of the flames; others, again, racing away under the lash of the executioner, &c., &c., and thus form a most realistic comment on the judicial severities recorded in the text.

WITCHCRAFT TRIALS IN GUERNSEY,

From 1563 to 1634, a period of 71 years.

QUEEN ELIZABETH.--1558-1603.

HELIER GOSSELIN, Bailiff, 1550-1563.

_November 19th, 1563._

Gracyene Gousset, Catherine Prays, Collette Salmon, wife of Collas Dupont,

Condemned to death and the Royal pardon refused.

_December 17th, 1563._

Françoise Regnouff, Martin Tulouff,

Condemned to death and the Royal pardon refused.

_December 22nd, 1563._

Collette Gascoing.

This woman was found guilty, and the Royal pardon being refused, she was whipped, had one of her ears cut off, and was banished from the island.

THOMAS COMPTON, Bailiff, 1563-1572.

_July 30th, 1570._

Jeannette Du Mareesc,

Was banished for seven years.

_October 27th, 1570._

Michelle Tourtell,

Banished from the island.

_November 3rd, 1570._

Coliche Tourtell, James de la Rue,

Both banished from the island.

_November 10th, 1570._

Lorenche Faleze, wife of Henry Johan,

Banished from the island.

_November 17th, 1570._

Thomasse Salmon. Marie Gauvein, wife of Ozouet.

Both these women were whipped, had each an ear cut off, and were banished from the island.

GUILLAUME BEAUVOIR, Bailiff, 1572-1581.

No prosecutions for Witchcraft seem to have taken place during his tenure of office.

THOMAS WIGMORE, Bailiff, 1581-1588.

_1583._

Collas de la Rue.

The result of this trial is uncertain.

LOUIS DEVYCKE, Bailiff, 1588-1600.

No Witchcraft prosecutions during his term of office.

KING JAMES I.--1603-1625.

AMICE DE CARTERET, Bailiff, 1601-1631.

_1611._

Marie Rolland.

The result of this trial is uncertain.

_June 11th, 1613._

Oliver Omont, Cecille Vaultier, wife of Omont, Guillemine, their daughter,

Were all banished from the island.

_July 17th, 1613._

Laurence Leustace, wife of Thomas Le Compte,

Banished from the island.

_July 4th, 1617._

Collette du Mont, widow of Jean Becquet. Marie, her daughter, wife of Pierre Massy. Isabel Becquet, wife of Jean Le Moygne.

All three women, after being found guilty, confessed under torture, and were then hanged and burnt.

_August 8th, 1617._

Michelle Jervaise, widow Salmon. Jeanne Guignon, wife of J. de Callais, and two of her children.

These four persons were hanged and burnt, after being put to the question.

_October 17th, 1617._

Marie de Callais. Philipine le Parmentier, widow of Nicolle, of Sark.

These two women were hanged and burnt, after being previously put to the question.

_November 25th, 1617._

Thomasse de Calais, wife of Isaac le Patourel,

Banished from the island.

_November 25th, 1617._

Christine Hamon, wife of Etienne Gobetell.

This woman was banished from the island, but returned on May 6th, 1626, when she was again arrested and sentenced to death. She was hanged July 21st, 1626.

_August 1st, 1618._

Jean de Callais, together with his son, and servants.

All these were charged with practicing Witchcraft, and were sent out of the island.

_December, 1618._

Jean Nicolle, of Sark,

Being found guilty, was whipped, had an ear cut off, and was banished from the island.

_May 1st, 1619._

Pierre Massi,

Condemned to be hanged. He, however, contrived to get out of prison and drowned himself.

_August 7th, 1619._

Jeanne Behot,

Banished from the island.

_April 22nd, 1620._

Girete Parmentier, Jeanne Le Cornu, widow of Collas le Vallois.

These two women were banished.

_May 8th, 1622._

Collette de l'Estac, wife of Thomas Tourgis. Collette Robin. Catherine Hallouris, widow Heaulme.

These three women were hanged and burnt, after being put to the question.

_October 17th, 1622._

Thomas Tourgis, of the Forest. Jeanne Tourgis, his daughter. Michelle Chivret, wife of Pierre Omont.

All three were burnt alive.

_October 19th, 1622._

Jean Le Moigne. Guillemine la Bousse.

This man and woman were set at liberty.

_November 30th, 1622._

Perine Marest, wife of Pierre Gauvin,

Banished, together with her husband and children.

_October 3rd, 1623._

Etienne Le Compte,

Hanged and burnt.

_May 28th, 1624._

Marguerite Tardif, wife of P. Ozanne,

Set at liberty.

_June 4th, 1624._

Ester Henry, wife of Jean de France.

This woman was burnt alive. The sentence states that her flesh and bones are to be reduced to ashes and scattered by the winds, as being unworthy of any sepulture.

_July 16th, 1624._

Collette la Gelée.

This woman was hanged and burnt.

_October 22nd, 1624._

Jean Quaripel,

Hanged and burnt.

KING CHARLES I.--1625-1649.

_July 23rd, 1625._

Elizabeth, wife of Pierre Duquemin,

Banished for 7 years.

_August 11th, 1626._

Jeanne de Bertran, wife of Jean Thomas,

Hanged and burnt.

_August 12th, 1626._

Marie Sohier, wife of J. de Garis,

Hanged and burnt.

_November 10th, 1626._

Judith Alexander, of Jersey, wife of Pierre Jehan,

Hanged and burnt.

_August 25th, 1627._

Job Nicolle, of Sark,

Condemned to perpetual banishment.

_January 16th, 1629._

Anne Blampied, wife of Thomas Heaulme, of the Forest. Thomas Heaulme, of the Forest.

Both banished for seven years.

_May 1st, 1629._

Marguerite Picot (l'Aubaine),

Hanged and burnt.

_August 7th, 1629._

Susanne Prudhome, wife of Guilbert, of the Castel,

Put to the question, hanged, and burnt.

JEAN DE QUETTEVILLE, Bailiff, 1631-1644.

_July 1st, 1631._

Jehan Nicolle, of Sark,

Set at liberty.

_July 15th, 1631._

Marie Mabile, wife of Pierre de Vauriouf. Thomas Civret.

Both were put to the question, hanged, and burnt.

_July 23rd, 1631._

Susanne Rouane, wife of Etienne Le Compte, Judith Le Compte, } Bertrane " } four daughters of the above. Ester " } Rachel " }

The mother was condemned to perpetual banishment from the island, and the daughters were banished for fifteen years.

_October 1st, 1631._

Marie Mortimer, wife of François Chirret. Also her son.

Both were set at liberty.

_October 1st, 1631._

Vincente Canu, wife of André Odouère. Marie de Callais.

Both were set at liberty.

_December 10th, 1631._

Jehan Canivet. Renette de Garis, wife of Martin Maugeur. Elizabeth le Hardy, wife of Collas Deslandes. Simeone Mollett. Marie Clouet, wife of Pierre Beneste.

All the above were condemned to perpetual banishment.

_January 28th, 1634._

Jacob Gaudion, of Alderney,

Condemned to perpetual banishment.

_May 16th, 1634._

Marie Guillemotte, wife of Samuel Roland, known as Dugorne. Marie Rolland, her daughter.

The mother was hanged and burnt, and the daughter was condemned to perpetual banishment.

THE STORY IN BRIEF

OF THE

GUILLE-ALLÈS LIBRARY,

GUERNSEY.

BY J. LINWOOD PITTS.

In concluding the editorial duties connected with the issue of this fourth volume of the "Guille-Allès Library Series," it seems to me that the time is an opportune one for adding some short account of the origin and foundation of the noble Institution from which the "Series" takes its name. The Guille-Allès Library is proving such an immense boon to our little insular community, that very naturally, many inquiries are from time to time made--especially by strangers--as to how its existence came about.

In order to answer these questions we must go as far back as the year 1834. At that time Mr. Guille--who is a Guernseyman by birth--was but a boy of sixteen, and had been two years in America. He was serving his apprenticeship with a well-known firm in New York, and he enjoyed the privilege of access to a very extensive library in that city, founded by a wealthy corporation known as _The General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen_. The pleasure and profit which he derived from this source were so great, and made such a deep impression upon his mind that, young as he was, he formed the resolution that if his future life proved prosperous, and his position enabled him to do so, he would one day found a similar institution in his own little native island of Guernsey. Throughout the whole of his future career this intention was present with him; and commencing at once,--in spite of his then very limited means--to purchase books which should form a nucleus for the anticipated collection, he began to lay the foundation of the literary treasures which crowd the shelves of the Guille-Allès Library to-day. At the age of twenty, when out of his apprenticeship, he found himself the possessor of several hundreds of volumes of standard works, many of which are now in the Library, and upon which he must naturally look with peculiar and very legitimate pleasure, as being the corner stones of the subsequent splendid superstructure.

Business affairs prospered with Mr. Guille. As time rolled on he was taken into partnership with the firm, as was also his friend and fellow-countryman, Mr. F.M. Allès, and his increasing prosperity enabled him to put his cherished project into more tangible shape. While on a visit to Guernsey in 1851, he wrote a few articles in the _Gazette Officielle_, with the view of drawing public attention to the importance of forming district or parish libraries. These articles attracted the notice of _The Farmers' Club_, an association of intelligent country gentlemen who met at the Castel. Their secretary, the late Mr. Nicholas Le Beir, wrote to Mr. Guille at the request of the members, informing him of their appreciation of his views, and of his having been elected an honorary member of their association, in token of their esteem. They had previously elected in a similar way the famous French poet Béranger, and also Guernsey's national bard, the late Mr. George Métivier. Mr. Guille accepted the honour, and the correspondence which ensued resulted in his offering his collection of books--supplemented by a considerable sum of money--towards forming the commencement of such libraries as he had been advocating. Nothing, however, really definite was done until Mr. Guille's next visit to Guernsey in 1855-6, when after consultation with that devoted friend of education, the late Mr. Peter Roussel, a meeting of a few friends--including Mr. Roussel and his venerable mother, Mr. Guille, Judge Clucas, Mr. Le Beir, and Mr. Henry E. Marquand--who were known to be favourable to the project was held, several handsome subscriptions were promised, Mr. Guille renewed his offer previously made to _The Farmers' Club_, and a workable scheme was matured.

THE GUILLE LIBRARY,

for so the Committee decided to name the undertaking, consequently commenced its useful career in 1856. The collection of books was divided into five sections, which were placed in separate cases, and located at convenient distances about the island--where they were taken charge of by friends--the largest being reserved for the town. The intention was to exchange these cases in rotation, and so establish a circulating library in the most comprehensive sense of the term. But this was, in reality, never carried out, for after the volumes had been read in their respective stations, they were returned to their places, and left to slumber unused, until Mr. Guille once more came to the island in 1867, with the intention of remaining permanently, and he then had them all brought to town and arranged in one central _depôt_.

Mr. Guille also opened a branch Reading-room and Library at St. Martin's, in the hope of being able thereby to draw the young men of the parish from the degrading attractions of the public house. For three years he kept this comfortable room open, while in winter and summer neither rain nor storm prevented him from being present there every evening to personally superintend the undertaking. Ultimately, however, he found the strain too much for his health, and he discontinued the branch so as to concentrate more attention upon the central establishment in town.

For five-and-twenty years, from 1856 to 1881, Mr. Guille worked steadily and unostentatiously at the benevolent enterprise which he had inaugurated. Death removed several of his early coadjutors, and for many years he bore all the financial burdens and toiled on single-handed and alone. What was still more discouraging was that he unfortunately had to encounter for a very long time an almost incredible amount of mental supineness on the part of those whom he was so disinterestedly seeking to benefit. It was not as though any desire for knowledge existed among the mass of the Guernsey people, and he only had to assume the pleasant duty of satisfying that desire. Such a desire did not exist. Many of the people not only never had read any books but they flatly declined to begin. Mr. Guille felt that this deplorable attitude ought to be combatted, and he therefore persevered in the thankless and difficult task of trying in the first place to create the want, and in the second place to satisfy it. A quarter-of-a-century's earnest effort in a good cause, however, cannot fail to produce some fruit, and within the last three or four years much brighter days have dawned. Mr. Guille's lifelong friend and former business partner, Mr. F.M. Allès,--who had often previously substantially assisted him,--has latterly thoroughly associated himself with the work, and the result is that the rudimentary scheme of 1856 has at length culminated in the splendid

GUILLE-ALLÈS LIBRARY,

which was thrown open to the public in the old Assembly Rooms, on the 2nd of January, 1882, and bears on its portal the appropriate motto: _Ingredere ut proficias_--"Enter that thou mayst profit." How admirably this fine Institution is fulfilling its mission is well-known to all who frequent it. It already contains a collection of over 35,000 volumes--to which constant additions are being made--of valuable and standard works in all branches of science, literature and art, both in the French and English languages, besides numerous works in German, Italian, Greek, Latin, &c. It has a commodious Reading-room, well supplied with journals and periodical publications; while a Society of Natural Science has also been inaugurated and meets in connection with it. The Guernsey Mechanics' Institution--after an existence of just half-a-century--was absorbed into it at the close of 1881; and the Library of the _Société Guernesiaise_--founded in 1867--now finds a home on its shelves. The subscription for membership is merely nominal, and Messrs. Guille and Allès have made arrangements to endow the Institution with such ample funds as shall secure in perpetuity the many benefits which it is conferring upon the island.

THE FUTURE OF THE INSTITUTION