Agnes Waterhouse

Who was Agnes Waterhouse?

Agnes Waterhouse, also known as Mother Waterhouse, was the first woman executed for witchcraft in England.

In 1566, she was accused of witchcraft along with two other women: Elizabeth Francis and Joan Waterhouse. All three women were from the same town, Hatfield Perveril. She confessed to having been a witch and that her familiar was a cat by the name of Satan, sometimes spelled Sathan, which originally belonged to Elizabeth Francis. Agnes was put on trial in Chelmsford, Essex, England, in 1566 for using witchcraft to cause illness upon of William Fynne, who died on 1 November 1565. She was also charged with using sorcery to kill livestock, cause illness, as well as bring about the death of her husband. Her eighteen-year-old daughter Joan Waterhouse was also accused of the same crime. Joan Waterhouse's testimony ultimately helped to convict the two other women. Agnes was hanged, and was the first woman executed for witchcraft in England.