The coastal village of Bideford in North Devon is a beautiful idyllic location, full of historic markets, cobbled streets to explore, the Tarka the Otter Statue and multiple beaches just a short distance away. However, there is a particularly brutal episode in the pretty village's history, back in 1682 it became one of the last places in England to execute women on charges of witchcraft. At the time, Bideford was a key location in the transatlantic trade route, and its economy rivalled that of London, and other big cities.
Because of this success, the town grew overcrowded and disease ran rampant, potentially leading to superstitious beliefs resurfacing. READ MORE: The unspoilt UK beach with golden sand and waters so blue ‘you could be in Minorca’ Witch hunting was largely in decline in the late 1600s, with those that did go to trial often ending in acquittal. Sadly, this was not the case for three of the Bideford women accused of witchcraft in 1682.
During the trial, five women were accused of witchcraft, three of whom were known to be beggars, while the other two were from families in the area. In a rather shocking display of the classism of the time the two women with families were acquitted on all charges, while the other three were hanged. The three hanged women were Susanna Edwards, Welsh migrant Temperance Lloyd and Irish migrant Mary Trembles.
Temperance was accused of witchcraft by a local shopkeeper Thomas Eastchurch after his sister-in-law Grace Thomas fell ill.
