The Wizard of Sark.

About the end of the eighteenth century there lived in Sark a very notorious wizard called Pierre de Carteret. An old Sark woman called Betsy Hamon, now Mrs. de Garis, has given Miss Le Pelley, whose servant she is, the following particulars concerning him:—

Pierre de Carteret, called “le vieux diable,” lived in Sark. He always worked at night, and when the fishermen passed by his house at night they heard him talking to the little devils who worked for him. They could not understand, for it was the devil’s language they talked. He built a boat in a barn in one morning, and the Sark people were amazed to see it launched in the Creux harbour. This was Black Art, for the boat was too large to go out of the door, and also his house was not quite close to the sea.

He was very rich, partly owing to his having no expenses, as he had no workmen to pay, everything being done for him by these little devils, and partly from his first wife, whom he courted in France. Pierre went over to France alone, in a small open boat. The girl he married, who was herself a lady, thought he was of gentle blood. After he married her he was most cruel, and spoilt all her furniture. For instance, her parlour was mirrored from ceiling to floor, and he brought her horses up into the room, and the poor things became excited when they saw other horses, and kicked the looking-glasses and broke all the other furniture. This wife died of a broken heart, and for his second wife Pierre married a Sark girl, little more than a child.

If Pierre wanted his hedges repaired he simply gave the order to his little helpers, and the next morning they were done. Pierre’s daughter—“la petite Betsy”—used to feed the cow at night in the churchyard, and she was seen returning home at daybreak with the cow, looking thoroughly well fed. Consequently nobody would buy butter or milk from him.

When Pierre had nothing else to give his workers to do they used to forge money, and their hammers could be heard by the passers by.[360]

Old Mrs. Le Messurier, in Sark, also confirmed a great many of these details in 1896. She said he, Pierre de Carteret, was well known to be a famous sorcerer. He had pictures of the Devil on his walls, and little images of Satan were found in his house after his death, and promptly burnt by the incomers. He could build a boat, alter a loft, or build a wall in a single night, because he had “des esprits malins” to help him. He was an excessively bad man and used to smuggle ball and ammunition to France, to help the French against the English in the war. The English found him out and came over with bayonets to take him, but he hid down his well, and could not be found.

Out at St. Pierre-du-Bois they still tell the tale of a Frenchman, who was a “sorcier,” and in league with the Devil.

One day he entered a farm kitchen, where he found all the young people playing a game, in which they used a number of doubles, placed in a jam pot, for counters.

He said “I can turn all those doubles into mice.”

They did not believe him, so he took the pot, shook it, and turned it upside down on the table. Then he turned to one of the girls standing by and said “Now, take up that pot.” She did so, and numbers of mice ran out of it, all over the table, with their tails cocked up!

Of the same man another story is told. One morning he wanted some of his neighbours to play cards with him, but they said they could not spare the time, for they must weed their parsnips.

He replied—“If you will come, your parsnips shall be weeded by dinner time.”

So they played, but one man looked up, and saw through the window numbers and numbers of little demons weeding very quickly, and by mid-day the work was done.[361]

Mr. J. Linwood Pitts has also collected two stories bearing on the subject of the transformation of witches, both of which were related to him in perfect good faith by reliable witnesses.

Many years ago a Guernsey gentleman went over to Sark. While sitting on the cliffs above the Havre Gosselin he noticed a flock of birds, principally wild duck, circling round and round. He fired off his musket, but did not succeed in hitting any of them, or even, much to his astonishment, in frightening them away.

He thought there must be something mysterious about them, as wild duck are generally such shy birds, so he consulted a noted wizard, who told him that if he loaded his musket with a piece of silver having a cross on it it would take effect on any transformed witch. So he went over to Sark again with this silver bullet, and on returning to the Havre Gosselin again saw the birds. He picked out one, which seemed the finest of the flock, and apparently their leader. On firing at it he succeeded in winging it, though it disappeared, and he thought it had escaped.

That evening, on the return boat to Guernsey, a girl on board, who used to pay almost daily visits to Sark, and about whom there were many mysterious reports, appeared with a bad wound in her hand, about which she would vouchsafe no explanation, but looking very white and frightened. The man identified her in his own mind as the mysterious bird, but did not speak about the affair till long after.

The Witch of Alderney.

A very respectable Alderney man used to tell old Mr. Barbenson, Wesleyan minister, about a noted Alderney witch.

He declared that one night, passing by her cottage, he looked in, and saw a blue flame blazing up, and the witch dancing in the middle of it, surrounded by little devils, also dancing.

“But how do you know that they were devils?” Mr. Barbenson asked:—“Because they were just like the pictures of Apollyon in my old Pilgrim’s Progress” was the reply. Another day, he said that, coming home from milking, he saw two large black birds revolving over his head. They both sank, almost at his feet, behind a small furze bush. Suddenly this woman rose up from behind the same bush, and ran away. He said the bush was made too small to hide the woman, and that it was quite impossible that she could have been concealed there. The man vouched for the truth of these stories.

Mr. Pitts has also kindly allowed me to include the following extract from an old MS. which was communicated to him by Mr. E. P. Le Feuvre, a gentleman of Jersey extraction, residing in London, and connected with some of our Guernsey families.

He also gave me the details of a remarkable local witch story, which he had found in a curious old MS. in the library of Dr. Witham, of Gordon Square, London. This MS., which is in two volumes folio, is entitled ‘Icones Sacræ Gallicanæ et Anglicanæ,’ and contains seventy biographies of ministers and clergymen. Among them is a sketch of the life of the Rev. Daniel Fautrat, of Guernsey, who was minister of the Câtel parish; then of Torteval; and who afterwards, in 1633 (in the reign of Charles I.), succeeded Mr. de la Marche, at St. Peter-Port. This MS. is by a John Quick (born 1636—died 1706). There were two Fautrats, Helier and Daniel, father and son, and the biographer somewhat confuses them.[362] This story of the witch—who was burnt alive in the Bordage during Daniel Fautrat’s ministry at the Town Church—is a very curious one, and is a decided acquisition to the witch-lore of the island. It is as follows:—

The Witch and the Raven.

“After Monsieur [Daniel] Ffautrat had spent some years at Torteval and St. Andrew’s [Guernsey] he was, upon the death of Monsr. de la Marche, called to succeed him in ye Pastorall charge of St. Peters Port, [in 1634, in the reign of Charles I.] which is ye Towne of this Island, a fair Markett Towne and priviledged with ye Sessions of ye whole Island, where all caisses Civill and Criminall are finally tryed and determined in ye Playderoye,[363] by ye Bayliffe and Jurates.

“During his ministry in this Towne, and about ye year 1640 [Charles I.] there happened a most remarkable event. Divines do say that it is a very rare thing for witches under Gospell Light to repent; and some have given this reason of their assertion—because they have committed that unpardonable sin against ye Holy Ghost. I cannot tell, but that this following story seems to confirm it.

“There was a certain woman of this Island, above four-score years of age, who had been imprisoned, indicted and found guilty upon full evidence, of that abominable sin of witchcraft, and for it was condemned to death. She gave out confidently that she should not dye. However, she is carried from prison to ye appointed place of Execution to be burnt alive.

“All the way, as she was going thither, a great Black Raven was seen hovering, and heard croaking after a dolefull manner over her head, till she came to ye stake. And now, while they be fastening ye chain, she begs of one of the Bystanders to give her a clew of thread, which having received, she fastens one end of it to her girdle, and taking ye other end, she flings it with her hand up into ye aire. The Raven, stooping down, catcheth at it with his Beak, and, mounting, carrys with him ye old witch from ye bottom of ye vale up into ye air. A young man of that Island, seeing her flying, being on ye top of ye hill, flings his Halbard so exactly betwixt her and ye raven, that it cuts ye thread asunder, and ye old witch is taken by him, but with many fearfull imprecations upon him, she vomityng out whole cartloads of curses against him.

“However, she is once again carryed down to ye stake, and there accordingly executed, being burnt to ashes. But this poor officious wardour, whose name was Gosslin—ye holy wise providence of God so permitting it—felt a short time after, ye bitter consequences of her rage and dying curses; for he grew sick of an incurable disease, lying under most exquisite torments, of which he could never be relieved by any means or medicines, till having languished some years he was at last released from his sufferings by death.”

“A girl was very ill, and the doctor did not know what was the matter with her, and, though he tried many remedies, none succeeded. One day a friend from the Vale, their native parish, called, and told the girl’s mother privately that the girl was bewitched, and that it was Mrs. —— who had done it, but that he could, with certain herbs, boiled in a particular manner, cause the witch to die, and then the girl would be well. The herbs were boiled, and a few days afterwards the witch died. During the funeral the girl jumped joyfully out of bed, quite well. This occurred within the last twenty years.”

“One day, two boys, well on in their teens were chaffing an old witch, when suddenly she got very angry, threw dust in the air, and gabbled some words very quickly. The boys went home and found they were covered with vermin. They were near neighbours. One of the boys was so angry that he took his gun and went to the old witch and said, “Now, take away the vermin, or I shoot you,” and he levelled his gun at her. They parleyed a little, but the boy was so determined that the witch suddenly took fright, threw dust in the air, repeated some words, and the vermin disappeared. The other boy was covered for three days.”[364]

The following story illustrating the widespread belief in these special powers of witches and wizards was told me by Mrs. Le Patourel, of St. Martin’s, who was told the story by the heroine, and who vouched for its authenticity.

Mrs. Le Patourel’s mother-in-law was a Miss Mauger, of Saints, very handsome and very well-to-do. In fact, she and her sister went to school in England, which was considered very grand in those days. On her return from school she, her sister, and a friend, all went together to one of the country dances then frequently held in the various parishes. They all “held their heads very high,” dressed very well, and would only dance with those whom they considered the “best” partners. They were dressed on this occasion in silk dresses with large white lace collars and ruffles. At the beginning of the dance, as they were all sitting in a row together, some man came up and asked each of them in turn to dance, but they all considered him unworthy of the honour, and each refused to dance with him. As the last refused he turned on his heel muttering that they would repent their rudeness. A minute or two later one of the girls leaned forward and cried to her sister, “Oh, Marie, what have you got there?” and pointed to an insect crawling on her lace. Covered with confusion the girl killed it, only to see swarms more crawling after it. The other two girls then discovered to their horror that they were likewise covered with swarms of vermin, and covered with shame and confusion they all had hurriedly to leave the dance. For three days they all remained in this condition, and then the vermin disappeared as suddenly as they came.

“The shame of it I can never forget,” Mrs. Le Patourel says was the way her informant always ended the story. “But,” said Mrs. Le Patourel, “that is nothing to what people can do who use the bad books.”[365]

She thinks it is the French people who have brought these evil arts to Guernsey, and in proof of her theory told me this story which happened to one of her own friends, “who has told it to me many a time.”

A Guernsey farmer living in St. Saviour’s parish had a French manservant, who slept on the premises. Suspicion being aroused by his haggard looks he was watched, and seen to leave the house every night and not come back till the morning. When asked where he had been and what he had been doing he returned evasive answers. So one night his master determined to follow him. He tracked him across some fields till he reached the Catioroc, and there he saw him lie down in the middle of a field, and then, in a few moments, a clear, bluish flame, like the flame of a candle, was seen issuing out of his mouth, and wandering off like a will-o’-the-wisp across the fields. When the astonished farmer went up to the body he found it lying rigid and lifeless, and no amount of shaking or calling could make any impression on it. After some time the flame was seen returning, and settled on the man’s mouth, and there disappeared, and shortly after the man sat up, looking dazed and tired, and absolutely declined to answer any of the questions with which his master greeted him.

On pp. 305 to 351 (ante) are given various trials for witchcraft, which took place in Guernsey during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, but Sir Edgar MacCulloch has not included the following, which I have found cited in an old MS. book compiled by Eleazar Le Marchant and Pierre Careye between the years 1728 and 1743.

“Le 26me Juillet 1594, pardevant Louis de Vick, baillif, et Messrs. Nicholas Martin, sen., Guillaume de Beauvoir, André Henry, Jean Andros, Jean de Sausmarez, Pierre de Beauvoir, Pierre Careye, William le Marchant, Nicholas Martin, jun., and François Allez, jurez.

“Marie Martin, alias Salmon, fille Osmond, deubment atteinte et convaincue d’avoir usé d’Art de Sorcelerie, dont elle a empoisonné, tourmenté et fait mourir jouxte sa propre et volontaire confession, Anne Careye[366], fem͠e de John de Vick, la fem͠e de Pierre Vodin, l’enfant de son oncle, Thomas Breton, l’enfant de John Briart, et deux enfants à Collas Nouell, et plusieurs bestes et autres maux, par elle commis par le dit art de Sorcelerie, comme apparoist par les procédures et enquestes sur ce passées. Est ajugée d’être aujourd’huy brulée tant que son corps soit reduit en cendres, et ses biens, meubles, et héritages confisquées à la Majesté de la Royne, et est com͠andé aux officiers de sa Majesté de voir la ditte execution être faitte, ainsi qu’ils en voudront répondre: et est après avoir en sur ceu l’advis et opinion de Henri de Beauvoir et John Effart, jurez.”

There are many other instances, which, did space permit, I could mention, of belief in witches and wizards, extending even down to the present day. Animals dying from no visible cause, bread turned sour and uneatable, wounds mysteriously inflicted and incurable by physicians, but at once healed by crossing running water, a woman sent mad by smelling a harmless-looking bouquet of flowers, and so on. Many involving the names of persons still living. For underneath the veneer of civilisation and education found in the island are the same old beliefs and superstitions, as deeply cherished and ingrained as they were in the days of Queen Elizabeth—“Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.”

In conclusion, I will give a few extracts respecting witchcraft from Elie Brevint’s note book. Elie Brevint was born in 1586, became minister of Sark in 1612, and died in 1674.

“Quelques uns tesmoignent avoir veu une nuée se lever d’Erm, et de là s’en aller sur le dongeon du Chasteau Cornet, où un certain Maugier depuis bruslé pour sortiléges estoit lors prisonnier, et ladite nuée s’estre dissipée et esvanouie sur le dit Chasteau, et que les bateaux pescheurs sur lesquels elle avoit passé avoyent cuide renversés.…”

“Histoire d’un juge, qui ne croyoit point qu’il y eust de sorciers; il advint qu’il luy mourut soudain plusieurs vaches et brebis. Pourtant depuis cette perte, laquelle il imputoit à belles personnes, il fist rigoureuse justice de sorciers.…”

“On dit que quelqu’un va à la graine de Feugère[367] quand par un livre de magie, ou par quelque autre voye il a communication avec le Diable, qui luy baille des poudres pour attenter et commettre diverses meschancetés, comme ouvrir serrures, violer femme et fille, &c., et faut bailler à ce m͠re pour ces drogues une beste vive, comme chien ou chat, autrement il poursuit N. pour le faire mourir.”

---

APPENDIX C. Charms and Spells.

Referred to on page 421.

A very old lady remembers, when a child, seeing some small bits of stick, shaped like slate-pencils, which old women wore sewn up in their stays as charms against witchcraft, on the homœopathic principle, for they called them “Des Bouais de Helier Mouton,” Helier Mouton being himself a noted sorcerer.

When I mentioned this to Sir Edgar he told me that a hundred years ago a man named Colin Haussin was put in the stocks for witchcraft and using “des petits bouais.”

The following charms, etc., were collected for me in 1896-7, as still current in the parish of St. Pierre-du-Bois, by Miss E. Le Pelley.

St. Thomas’ Day.

If a girl wishes to know whom she will marry, on the eve of St. Thomas’ Day she puts her shoes in the form of a T under her bed, and says, in getting in:—

Midsummer Eve.

A girl makes a dumb cake and puts it on a gridiron over the fire, and watches it in silence between twelve and one o’clock at night, during which time the girl’s future husband arrives and turns the cake. The narrator tried this, and when the cake was cooked on one side she heard someone walking clumsily upstairs. She was so frightened that she threw the cake away and got into her mother’s bed and held tight on to her! Years afterwards she married and often recognised her husband’s step as the one she heard that Midsummer Eve. She very much repented having done it, for she said it gives the poor man so much suffering being under the charm.

Another charm for Midsummer Eve is this:—If a girl wishes to know the profession of her future husband she must melt some lead in an iron spoon between twelve and one o’clock at night, and pour it in a tumbler of cold water, and then watch the shapes it takes, such as a sword would denote that he would be a soldier, an anchor a sailor, etc., etc. Should she wish to know whether she is to be married or not, she must kill two pigeons, take out their hearts and roast them on skewers, also between twelve and one o’clock. If she is to be married she will see her intended, if she is not to be, some men will bring in a coffin. There must be perfect silence the whole time. It once happened that, as a girl was doing it, a coffin appeared. She screamed aloud, and the men came up to her and began to put her in the coffin. But fortunately for her she fainted, and was quiet, and the men with the coffin could go away as they came.

Another charm against witchcraft is “vif argent” or quicksilver, but camphor, white salt, or heather, are all good. The charm must be put in a small cotton or linen bag, two inches long by one and a half inch wide, and attached by a ribbon round the neck, so that the charm rests above the heart. Red salt is used by witches in their incantations.

The following written charm was lent me to copy by Mr. Guille, one of the founders of the Guille-Allès Library. It is in the form of a letter, and he told me, when he was a boy, a copy existed in almost all the old Guernsey farm houses.[368] I have transcribed it verbatim, with all its faults of spelling, punctuation, etc.

L’Ettre Miraculeuse.

“Trouvé depuis peut par un Etudians au pied d’un Crusifix Miraculeux de la Ville d’Arrase Ecritte en Lettres d’Or de la propre main de notre Sauveur et Redempteur Jesus Christ.

Jesus—Marie.

Les Dimanches vous ne ferez aucune œuvre n’y travail sur peine d’être maudits de Moy. Vous yrez à l’Eglise et priez Dieu qu’il vous fasse Misericorde et qu’il vous pardonne vos pêchés. Je vous ai donné six jours de la semaine pour travaille, et au septième me servir et vous Reposer ayant entendu le Service divin. Vous ferez la charité et vous donnerez de vos biens aux pauvres et vos champs seront fertille et vous serez remplis de Benediction. Au contraire si vous ne croyez à la presente l’Ettre Malediction viendra sur vous et sur vos Enfants, et vos Bestiaux seront maudits, je vous envoierez Guerre, Peste, et Famine et Douleur, et l’Angoisse de Cœur, et pour Marque de ma juste colère et dure Vengeance vous voirez signes prodigieux dans les Astres et Elements avec grands tremblements de Terre. Vous jeunerez cinq Vendredis en l’honneur des Cinq Plaies qui iai souffert pour vous sauver sur l’Arbre de la Croix. Vous donnerez cette l’Ettre sans aucun interêt que celuy de ma Gloire. Ceux qui murmuront sur cette L’Ettre seront aussy maudits et confis; qui la tiendra dans la maison sans la publier sera aussy maudits au Jour Terrible Epouvantable du Jugement. Mais s’y vous gardez mes comandements et pareillement ceux de ma Sainte Eglise faisant une veritable penitence vous aurez la Vie Eternelle. Celuy qui la lira ou publiera ycelle est écrite de Ma Sacré Main et dictes de Ma Sacrée Bouche. S’il a com͠is autant de Pêchés qu’il y a de Jours en l’an ils luy seront Pardonnés étant veritablement constrit, se confaisant, et satisfaisant au prochain. Sy on luy a fait tort. Sy vous ne croyez Pieusement en Ycelle Lettre je vous envoirez des Bestes Monstreuses qui dèvoreront vous et votres Enfants. Bienheureux sera celuy qui prendra une copie de cette L’Ettre, qui la portera sur Soi, qui la lira, ou fera lire ou la gardera en sa Maison. Jamais aucun Feu Malin, on autre feu ni foudre ne la touchera. Et toutes Feme enceinte qui sur Elle qui la lira ou fera lire en Bonne intention etant en Travail d’Enfans sera incontinent heureusement délivré. Gardez mes comandements et ceux de Ma Sainte Église Catolique, et vous serez bien heureux.

Avec Aprobation et Permission de Superieur de la Ville d’Arrase.

Nous Vicaire Generale certifions avoir lut la presente Copie et nous n’avons rien vus qu’il ne soit Utile et Capable de faire réussir le Pêcheur dans la Voie du Salut.”

“À Nicholas Guille.”

I will conclude by giving an instance of “Folk Medicine” which was sent me the other day by one of the most prominent of our local physicians.

“As you are interested in Guernsey Folk-Lore I send you the following:—

A patient of mine at St. Pierre-du-Bois suffered from an affection of the brain which has led to total loss of sight. It was supposed by the wise people around her that she was suffering from “Mal Volant,” so a black fowl was waved three times round her head on three successive days, to the accompaniment of a prayer (? incantation). On the ninth day the fowl ought to have died and the woman recovered.—As this did not happen they concluded that their diagnosis was wrong!

E. Laurie Robinson

Melrose, Guernsey, December 11th, 1902.”