Ellen HAYWARD 1839 - 1912 Herbalist (General)

by slowhands , proud of his ancient Dean Forest roots, Monday, March 12, 2007, 11:59 (6467 days ago) @ forest filly

"In 1906 the 1753 Witchcraft Act was used to bring a prosecution against Ellen Hayward. Ellen lived in the Forest of Dean and was brought before magistrates in Littledean on a charge of pretended witchcraft.
Widely known as Old Ellen, she was a phrenologist and wise woman who charged no fees for the help and advice that she offered but simply accepted what her customers offered her. In 1905 Ellen was visited by John Markey of May Hill who was worried that £50 had disappeared from a drawer in his house. Ellen advised him to go home and rest as she felt that he was unwell. Within a week of this visit, three members of the Markey family had become violently insane. A daughter and granddaughter had to be taken to an asylum and his wife disappeared. After days of searching, she simply reappeared holding a hazel stick which, she claimed, was to protect against witches. Her son George, who had been involved in the search for his mother, then became violent and managed to impale his eye with a spike. After this he ran away and had to be detained by the police. He was later certified as insane.

In the villages of May Hill and Huntley people started carrying hazel sticks around as tales of what had happened to the Markey's spread. The newspapers got hold of the story which then spread nationally. Questions were even asked in Parliament as to what action the authorities were going to take to suppress witchcraft. In the midst of all this furore a letter was published in the Dean Forest Mercury in which Ellen denied pretending to be a witch but accepted that she was well known as a phrenologist. This letter, written either by Ellen herself or, more likely, on her behalf went on to explain that this "cruel attack" by the papers had left her unable to make a living and asked readers to send donations!

However, Ellen must still have had some customers as in September 1905 she was visited by James Davis of Pauntley near Ledbury who believed that his pig had been charmed by a woman called Amos. Ellen simply advised him to wait until the moon changed. This he did and the pig did indeed get better. Davis, however, became ill. Ellen told him that he had the flu and should stay indoors until February. By February Davis had convinced himself that the Amos woman had paid Ellen to put a spell on him. Davis confronted Ellen who must have been worried that this was going the same way as the Markey family. He demanded that she lift the curse or he would inform the authorities. He then offered Ellen 2/6d to curse the entire Amos family. Ellen naturally refused.

In May 1906 Davis made good on his threat and Ellen found herself in court charged with using pretended witchcraft to deceive and impose upon James Davis. Ellen pleaded not guilty and defended herself. Part of her defence was that, since the Markey affair, she had been very cautious as to what advice she offered people. In court Ellen was supported by a large number of people who gave examples of her good works. The magistrate threw the charges out.
Ellen Hayward died of a stroke in 1912. At the time of her death she was described as a "widow and herbalist". In death she was not forgotten as her grave bears the inscription "erected by her friends in loving memory."