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    • III. THE EYE OF YORK >
      • a. York Crown Court
      • b. Clifford's Tower
      • c. Debtors' Prison
      • d. Yorkshire Witches
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York Crime Walk
  • Home
  • The Walk
    • i. Walmgate Bar
    • ii. St George's Churchyard
    • III. THE EYE OF YORK >
      • a. York Crown Court
      • b. Clifford's Tower
      • c. Debtors' Prison
      • d. Yorkshire Witches
    • iv. York Magistrates Court
    • v. Ouse Bridge
    • VI. North Street (Sex Work)
    • VII. North Street (JOHN SNOW)
    • viii. St Leonard's Hospital
    • ix. St Michael Le Belfrey
    • X. York Minster
  • The Map
  • About the Project
  • Walking Methods in Criminology
  • People
  • Partners
  • Gallery
  • Contact
  • Leave Us Some Feedback
York Crime Walk

III. D. YORKSHIRE WITCHES

Across Europe up to half a million people, believed to be witches, were killed, between 1500-1650 with approximately 85% of them being women. Female witches were presented as a challenge to the traditional view of caring, nurturing womanhood by causing harm, often to children. The clear majority of women killed within York for supposed witchcraft were healers, producing home-remedies and poultices for illnesses, as well as assisting women in childbirth. Of all the witch trials in York, Isabella Billington in 1648 was the only state-sanctioned witch burning in Yorkshire. However just outside of York, in Pocklington, Old Wife Green was turned over to a mob and burnt at the stake, rather than being hanged for her crimes of witchcraft, as charged.
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​Department of Sociology
Wentworth College
University of York
Heslington, YO10 5DD
Picture
The designers of the walk and the University of York © 2017-2019