I have written a biography of Sir Ranulphe Crewe of Crewe Hall, as part of a longer work which is based on some family history notes dictated by a great-grandfather, decended from Sir Ranulphe down a minor branch of the Crewe family, and typed up by his eldest daughter. My research highlighted some stories which have a broader appeal, which are listed in the links below:
The Bewitching of John Smith, A Child 1616
Whilst researching Sir Ranulphe Crewe, I discovered that he had been one of the Assize Court judges in the trial of the ‘witches’ of Husbands Bosworth in 1616, also known as “The Leicester Boy” trial. I subsequently obtained a copy of the original 24 pages of documents from Lincoln Archives, and made my own transcript based upon the partial one supplied, and wrote up a new version of the events that took place as the Prologue to the biography. One of the differences is that in the original contemporary account six named women are identified as being hanged, whereas most later reports state nine women, based on a letter from someone who I believe was hearing the news second-hand.
A Judgement of Sir Ranulphe Crewe
Impressed by his seemingly illustrious career, but alarmed by his error of judgement in the witch trial, I investigated Sir Ranulphe Crewe’s life, seeking to understand his character and motivations, and discovered that the truth was far more complex than a few biographical lines in history books would suggest.