Harsnet, his chaplain, when Somers, Catherine Wright, and Mary
Cooper confessed that they had been instructed in their simulations
by Darrel.
Cooper confessed that they had been instructed in their simulations
by Darrel.
Ben Jonson - The Devil's Association
6 little Darrels tricks.
= John Darrel (fl.
1562-1602) was
born, it is believed, at Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, about 1562.
He graduated at Cambridge, studied law, and then became a preacher
at Mansfield. He began to figure as an exorcist in 1586, when he
pretended to cast out an evil spirit from Catherine Wright of Ridgway
Lane, Derbyshire. In 1596 he exorcised Thomas Darling, a boy of
fourteen, of Burton-on-Trent, for bewitching whom Alice Goodrich was
tried and convicted at Derby. A history of the case was written by
Jesse Bee of Burton (Harsnet, _Discovery_, p. 2). The boy Darling
went to Merton College, and in 1603 was sentenced by the Star-chamber
to be whipped, and to lose his ears for libelling the vice-chancellor
of Oxford. In March, 1596-7, Darrel was sent for to Clayworth Hall,
Shakerly, in Leigh parish, Lancashire, where he exorcised seven
persons of the household of Mr. Nicholas Starkie, who accused one
Edmund Hartley of bewitching them, and succeeded in getting the
latter condemned and executed in 1597. In November, 1597, Darrel was
invited to Nottingham to dispossess William Somers, an apprentice,
and shortly after his arrival was appointed preacher of St. Mary's
in that town, and his fame drew crowded congregations to listen
to his tales of devils and possession. Darrel's operations having
been reported to the Archbishop of York, a commission of inquiry
was issued (March 1597-8), and he was prohibited from preaching.
Subsequently the case was investigated by Bancroft, bishop of London,
and S.
Harsnet, his chaplain, when Somers, Catherine Wright, and Mary
Cooper confessed that they had been instructed in their simulations
by Darrel. He was brought before the commissioners and examined at
Lambeth on 26 May 1599, was pronounced an impostor, degraded from the
ministry and committed to the Gatehouse. He remained in prison for
at least a year, but it is not known what became of him.
(Abridged from _DNB. _)
Jonson refers to Darrel again in _U. _ 67, _Wks. _ 8. 422:
This age will lend no faith to Darrel's deed.
=5. 3. 27 That could, pitty her selfe. = See variants.
=5. 3. 28 in Potentia. = Jonson uses the phrase again in the
_Alchemist_, _Wks.
born, it is believed, at Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, about 1562.
He graduated at Cambridge, studied law, and then became a preacher
at Mansfield. He began to figure as an exorcist in 1586, when he
pretended to cast out an evil spirit from Catherine Wright of Ridgway
Lane, Derbyshire. In 1596 he exorcised Thomas Darling, a boy of
fourteen, of Burton-on-Trent, for bewitching whom Alice Goodrich was
tried and convicted at Derby. A history of the case was written by
Jesse Bee of Burton (Harsnet, _Discovery_, p. 2). The boy Darling
went to Merton College, and in 1603 was sentenced by the Star-chamber
to be whipped, and to lose his ears for libelling the vice-chancellor
of Oxford. In March, 1596-7, Darrel was sent for to Clayworth Hall,
Shakerly, in Leigh parish, Lancashire, where he exorcised seven
persons of the household of Mr. Nicholas Starkie, who accused one
Edmund Hartley of bewitching them, and succeeded in getting the
latter condemned and executed in 1597. In November, 1597, Darrel was
invited to Nottingham to dispossess William Somers, an apprentice,
and shortly after his arrival was appointed preacher of St. Mary's
in that town, and his fame drew crowded congregations to listen
to his tales of devils and possession. Darrel's operations having
been reported to the Archbishop of York, a commission of inquiry
was issued (March 1597-8), and he was prohibited from preaching.
Subsequently the case was investigated by Bancroft, bishop of London,
and S.
Harsnet, his chaplain, when Somers, Catherine Wright, and Mary
Cooper confessed that they had been instructed in their simulations
by Darrel. He was brought before the commissioners and examined at
Lambeth on 26 May 1599, was pronounced an impostor, degraded from the
ministry and committed to the Gatehouse. He remained in prison for
at least a year, but it is not known what became of him.
(Abridged from _DNB. _)
Jonson refers to Darrel again in _U. _ 67, _Wks. _ 8. 422:
This age will lend no faith to Darrel's deed.
=5. 3. 27 That could, pitty her selfe. = See variants.
=5. 3. 28 in Potentia. = Jonson uses the phrase again in the
_Alchemist_, _Wks.
