Wenham, Jane (d. 1730)

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Wenham, Jane (d. 1730)

Last woman convicted of witchcraft in England . Name variations: Witch of Walkern. Died in 1730.

Jane Wenham, who lived in Walkern, Hertfordshire, was the last woman tried for and convicted of witchcraft in England. In 1713, she was tried and found guilty by jury, but the jury's decision to condemn Wenham to death was contrary to the judge's leading. In fact, in response to one of the charges brought against her, the judge declared that there was no law against flying. Wenham was pardoned and her case was debated in legal pamphlets of the day. She died in 1730.

Amy Cooper , MA, MSI, Ann Arbor, Michigan

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