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MAGUS

64 door was at last burst open and the poor man was found lying on the floor nearly dead from suffocation! When brought to the air he fainted and it was not without considerable trouble that animation was restored. It was some days before he fully recovered from the effects of his superstitious enterprize. At a distance, it may be supposed that in this narrative we have been drawing upon our “invention”. We have been doing no such thing – we have stated simple facts which have been authenticated to us by most respectable authority and our object in giving them publicity is that they may illustrate a portion of the spirit of the age and may serve as a warning to witch-finders in general, if there be any other lurking remnants of such characters in “that there County” of Down.’ O/S Memoirs, Parishes of Londonderry XIII, vol. 34, Parish of Clandermot, J. Stokes, 1835. (p. 32) ‘The superstitious of the parish are not, however, confined to legends. If [a] business fails, recourse is had to some preternatural observances. The first step is to search about the hob for crickets to which, if found, the evil is attributed. The harmless insects are then usually scalded to death, after which the hob and fire are removed to the other end of the room at whatever expense or inconvenience. Should this prove insufficient, one of the room doors is altered. Application to a cunning woman is the last resort. When the marriage bed seems likely to prove unfruitful, application is similarly made to a cunning woman, without consideration of the expense or the distance of her abode. The first preliminary is a tender of gold or silver, this being indispensable for eliciting the magic spell. After some further formalities the applicants are gravely advised to removed their bed to another part of the house, to repeat so many prayers, to use meagre diet, to avoid groomsmen and bridesmaids etc. These imposters are well rewarded.’ O/S Memoirs, Parishes of County Londonderry V, vol. 18, Parish of Tamlaght O’Crilly. Thomas Fagan. 28 July 1836. (p. 48) ‘2 persons, the one a Presbyterian and the other a Covenanter and near relations, the accused was a woman, a Covenanter, the accuser a Presbyterian. Both parties were brought before the Covenanting minister, the Rev. Mr. Smith in the meeting house at Knockcloghrim for the purpose of examining them. The woman was found guilty and expelled [from] the congregation. The woman was pursued from the cows of the Presbyterian into her own house almost breathless, and on further examination a large chest was opened in which was deposited a crocks of milk in a boiling state, as if occasioned by a very hot fire. Across the

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