I’ve just learnt a little more about witches. Last night Claire and I attended a talk by a local historian and author Tony McAleavy. He presented an excellent talk on John Aubrey, who was born in our parish. Aubrey wrote Brief Lives, which is probably his most well known work. He also carried out excellent archaeological work on Stonehenge and Avebury. Aubrey was a founder member of the Royal Society, and a friend of the great scientist, Robert Boyle, and the philosopher, Henry More. He was certainly an intelligent man, an Oxford man, and local, but hero turned out to be a stretch.
Tony told us how he compounded the debts of his late father and mortgaged his estate up to the hilt. Aubrey tried to extricate himself by proposing marriage to a local heiress. They signed a contract in which she would inherit his estate in the event of his death. When his bride to be discovered that his estate was mortgaged, she realised he was only after her for her money, and broke off the engagement. Aubrey sued her for breech of promise. Fortunately justice was done and he lost his case, putting himself even deeper in debt.
Tony then went on to reveal that Aubrey, Boyle, and More, all believed in witchcraft. Together they provided the academic and scientific basis for the last lethal witch craze in Britain and America. In the research for Called to Account, the fourth book in the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures, I discovered some interesting facts about witch trials in the early 17th century, that chimed with Tony’s account of the role of scientists. I bought a copy of his book, The Last Witch Craze, which he signed for me. It’s the first signed book I possess. I’ve signed many of my own for others, but now I have another author’s. I’m looking forward to reading it.