Amy Denny and Rose Cullender

ACHIEVEMENTS: A reminder of the injustices of their time

During the first half 17th century the denizens of the  ancient coastal town of Lowestoft in Suffolk, England, witnessed many upheavals their lives.  Plague, fire, civil strife, a rapid decline in the local fishing industry and an expensive law-suit with the neighbouring town of Great Yarmouth all left their mark on this small community of under 2,000 souls.

Then, in the year 1660 another "menace"  appeared in their midst  when, in the minds of some, the ugly spectre of  "witchcraft" reared its head.  Two elderly widows, Rose Cullender and Amy Denny, were suspected of being "witches" - and after some months they were arrested, accused and tried at the Lent Assizes held at Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk on March 13th 1662.  Both were found guilty and hanged.

The details of their trial and the accusations against them were recorded at the time and twenty years later published in a small booklet entitled "A Tryal of Witches".

This trial is important in the annals of English witchcraft accusations CREDIT: Ivan Bunn http://www.lowestoftwitches.com