Alice

On the night of August 18th 1612, twelve women and girls were taken from their homes and thrown into Lancaster Gaol. Two days later, ten of them were executed by hanging.

Their crime? Witchcraft.

They had been reported to the authorities as having had a gathering that evening. Their accuser, only a girl herself, called it a coven. All nonsense of course, but these were febrile times where political allegiance, sex and religion were all causes for suspicion and punishment.

One of these twelve women was called Alice. She was educated, a gentlewoman. She farmed her late husband's land, supported her community, lived a good life. She was also a recusant Catholic, meaning that she observed her religion in secret.

Alice is now a Catholic Martyr in some countries. Although she would have had the education to defend herself and the money to hire a lawyer, she chose to remain silent through the trial.

It's believed that she had been at Mass that evening, and her silence was to protect her fellow worshippers. So Alice went to the gallows, mute in defence of her religion, her community, her principles. She and the nine others were the last women to be executed for witchcraft in England.

Alice is my ancestor.

Alice is one of the reasons I do what matters, I don't compromise my values, and I try to make the right choice, not the easy choice. If you've got people like that in your lineage, you honour them.