The Witch Trails began in a cold winter of 1582. Europe had been experiencing a mini ice-age with temperatures in England 2 degrees cooler. Crops and livestock suffered and increasing rainfall ruined harvests. St. Osyth was a harsh marsh land to scrape a living. The accusations made during the witch trials show the depth of the poverty the community was experiencing with people accusing others over crimes for which the punishment was death over small things like some cheese or a cup of yeast. Although the village was poor the Priory was thriving. A huge aristocratic stately home, it was one of the largest in the country and hosted Royal visits from Queen Elizabeth I twice. When she visited in 1579 it is said that she called together the local magistrates and Justice’s of the Peace and berated them for not trying anyone under her Witchcraft Act passed in 1562. In the winter of 1581 the owner of the Priory, Lord John Darcy, passed away and his young son Thomas inherited the estate. The community would have felt this loss deeply and were perhaps anxious to have someone so inexperienced as Lord of the manor.
Many in the local community worked for the Darcy family in the big house or as tenant farmers. It was one of his members of staff who made the first accusations that started a spiral of events leading to 13 women and 1 man being tried for Witchcraft. Grace Thurlow had a son Davy wo was stricken with a very unusual illness and wasn’t getting better. She called in her friend Ursula Kemp to see if she could help. Ursula used traditional methods to remove the curse from Davy that was causing him to be so unwell. It worked and Ursula hoped to be able to get more work from the family as Grace was pregnant with her next child and would need a woman helper and wet nurse so she could return to work after the birth. Unfortunately she did not choose Ursula for this role which must have been a huge blow for this woman who was already living in poverty with the 8 year old son and caused the two women to fall out. Tragically, a few months later, Grace’s baby fell from her crib and died. In her grief, looking for someone to blame, she accused Ursula of causing the death through witchcraft. As Grace worked for the Darcy’s, and as local Lord, Thomas Darcy likely felt obligated to investigate. However, as he was young and inexperienced, he passed the case over to his cousin, Brian Darcy. Brian lived at St. Clere’s Hall, an intimidating, moated property just a stones throw from the Priory. He had land across Essex but was not aristocratic like his cousins at the Priory. He took on the case with enthusiasm, perhaps hoping to make a name for himself in the area.
