Literature

Image: Sophie Davidson

A.K. BLAKEMORE

The Manningtree Witches

Penelope Hester, Sherborne Literary Society

‘It is much safer to be feared than loved because … love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails.’ Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince

England, 1643. The English Civil War rages. With it comes hunger and suspicion. The Machiavelli quote sums up the atmosphere ravaging the country but A.K. Blakemore’s The Witches of Manningtree brings the mood to life. The fear of the unknown, the fear of God and authority. Power and powerlessness. Of love broken by fear.

The basis of the story is true. There were women in Manningtree accused and tried as witches. Rebecca West’s story covers the lead-up to and the aftermath of the Essex witch trials of 1647. A dry account with all the horror those women (and some men) were put through, it is not. It is a real, raw, and sometimes amusing portrayal of the poor and marginalised women of Manningtree, Essex.

Blakemore is a poet. This is her first novel. Her masterful use of language in description is very much at play. Sometimes the lines are so achingly beautiful you want to lift them out and yet each line sits perfectly where it is placed. ‘…The bed drapes are of purple damask. The sleep of the rich comes so beautifully wrapped.’

Central to the story is the historical character of Rebecca West and the bare bones of the Essex witch

trials of 1647 (which have been transcribed and are available on the internet). Blakemore fills out the life of Rebecca and the actions of her nemesis, The Witchfinder General, the self-appointed – in the name of God - Matthew Hopkins. He is dark and brooding - cast a young Nick Cave - tall, wealthy, reputedly Cambridge educated and assumes authority in his social position. He begins his ‘Witchfinding’ ambitions in Manningtree.

He is pompous and pious. Within his first sentence he refers to joy at being ‘among such… God-fearing people.’ Rebecca is not convinced he genuinely thinks they are. She notes: ‘There is something about him slant and insubstantial.’ Blakemore has cleverly teased us of demons to come.

The story opens in 1643 with a rebellious young Rebecca describing her mother and their fractious relationship in almost contemporary language. ‘Her Christian name is Anne, but she is called the Beldam West. It suits her, because it sounds wide and wicked.’ Beldam means a loathsome old woman and this plays out in the relationship between the two. Keep reading: there is a lot more to Anne West. She is a risky and colourful character.

So, the hints are set. Blakemore blends the bygone language with the modern, making Rebecca’s comments very relatable and then moving into the 1600’s vernacular slightly more with her mother. It works brilliantly, giving us just enough to be thrust back into the time and a socially divided Essex village, without being bogged down in the heavy lifting of discerning the meanings of the words. Words are the flavour Blakemore uses, and she does so with ease.

Like any community, in any time, there are tragedies. In the past, as in the present, someone somewhere wants to apportion blame. Cows die. So do children. A woman miscarries, and a ship is grounded, taking all the lives on board with it and people see things. ‘Recollections vary.’ It is easy to distrust. In Manningtree fingers, under the guidance of Hopkins, will start to point. Menacingly.

Rebecca lives her teenage life sharing secrets of love and her crush on John Edes, with her best friend, Judith. They indulge in some harmless, but not guiltfree divination. There is always the threat of being accused of witchcraft. Rebecca must draw a face while blindfolded, from the contours of a cabbage to reveal her lover’s face. We gather there is an inkling of fear she may be a witch, and yet her pragmatism takes over. ‘It’s not supernatural, it’s only a cabbage!’

After Hopkin’s arrival, the mouthy Beldam West sets off the events that follow. While gossiping with her social set she reprimands a Master Briggs over his manners. Days later the boy develops a malaise of tremors, fits and sweats. Hopkins is called. He asks if the boy’s body was inspected for marks. Witch’s marks? The power of suggestion. An insinuation of suspicion? An explanation? Result! The Beldam and others must be to blame. It’s that simple.

The women accused are now subjected to tortures devised by the sexually repressed Hopkins and sent for trial. These passages are shocking and visceral, not sensationalised, but abhorrent.

The real Rebecca West survived the witch trials and then slipped from the record. Blakemore did give her fictitious Rebecca an ending (perhaps a new beginning?) in the novel; no spoilers here. However, this reader found it a little too neat. Perhaps Blakemore may just have another story of Rebecca West, yet to tell. This historical story highlights a power imbalance against women based purely on hearsay. Are there parallels today? We may no longer burn, drown or hang our presumed ‘witches’. Male or female. We just do it in other ways. It is worth a thought.

Blakemore’s book deserves time to read and absorb. It is not a summer skim read. The prose alone is sublime.

"Blakemore is a poet. Sometimes her lines are so achingly beautiful you want to lift them out"

sherborneliterarysociety.com

__________________________ Wednesday 14th September 7pm-8.30pm A.K. Blakemore – The Manningtree Witches Old School Room, Sherborne School, Church Lane Tickets £9-£10 from sherborneliterarysociety.com/events