A ‘Tryal of Witches’ Book for Moyse’s Hall

The Bury Society have just provided key funding for an important acquisition at our local museum

The team at Moyse’s Hall Museum have wanted a copy of this text for a while due to its importance to the town and local area. This one was spotted for sale from a trusted collector. The whole curatorial team was involved and moved swiftly to make it happen.

The Bury Society offered to pay 50% of the £3000 asking price, seeing the importance of the item. The Friends of Moyse’s Hall Museum kindly matched that. Moyse’s Hall Museum provided new display equipment and environmental monitoring.

Dan Clarke from Moyse’s Hall Museum (West Suffolk Council) said “We’re incredibly grateful to both charities for the support and trust in taking on the care of this artefact. “

“At all points we found keenness and kindness. The book seller took the book off sale despite knowing it might take a few weeks for us to achieve the monies, preferring it went to a museum for the thousands of yearly visitors to see, enjoy, and study. “

“That seller, Clare Marshall of Marshall Rare Books, is a second-generation book dealer specialising in books on Demonology and Witchcraft, Travel and Exploration, and the Natural History. She will be giving a talk about the book and other volumes at Moyse’s Hall, Friday 14th March. Along with a one-off chance to see other rare pieces.”

“This opens the study of witchcraft up to a study of the trials as, before this purchase, the majority of our infamous pieces were linked to superstition, curses, and counter-curses.”

The erroneously dated trial actually accounts for a 1662 proceeding and was based on the commentary of an anonymous man there for his ‘own satisfaction’. In the years after the initial publication, it was noted by Clergyman, John Hale, that the Salem judges consulted and referenced these accounts of Sir Matthew Hale’s Suffolk trials. The controversial trials at Salem would be challenged publicly by Boston resident, Robert Calif, who was born and raised in Stanstead, Suffolk; a mid-17th Century witness to the trials and concerns in our local area.

For Moyse’s Hall, the purchase will help mark the beginning of a two-year project to research, seek academic partnership, and present, an exhibition in winter 2026/2027, studying the practice of witchcraft and what that means, the rise and fall of the craze, and of course the trials themselves. It would go on display for the Superstition exhibition in February 2025 and would forever be labelled with thanks to co-funders.