Fairy Tales, Now First Collected/Tale 12
TALE XII.
THE CORNISH FAIRIES.
Ann Jefferies (for that was her maiden name) of whom the following strange things are related, was born in the parish of St. Teath, in the county of Cornwall, in December 1626, and she is still living, 1696, being now in the 70th year of her age. She is married to one William Warren, formerly hind to the late eminent physician dr. Richard Lower deceased, and now lives as hind to Sir Andrew Slanning of Devon, bart.
It is the custom in the county of Cornwall for the most substantial people of each parish, to take apprentices the poors children, and to breed them up till they attain to twenty-one years of age, and, for their service, to give them meat, drink, and clothes. This Ann Jefferies, being a poor mans child of the parish, by providence fell into our family,[1] where she lived several years; being a girl of a bold, daring spirit, she would venture at those difficulties and dangers that no boy would attempt.
In the year 1645 (she then being nineteen years old), she being, one day, knitting in an arbour in our garden, there came over the gardenhedge to her (as she affirmed) six persons, of a small stature, all clothed in green, which she called fairies; upon which she was so frighted, that she fell into a kind of convulsion-fit. But, when we found her in this condition, we brought her into the house; and put her to bed, and took great care of her. As soon as she recovered out of her fit, she cries out, "They are just gone out of the window; they are just gone out of the window; do you not see them?" And thus, in the height of her sickness, she would often cry out, and that with eagerness; which expressions were attributed to her distemper, supposing her light-headed.
[On her recovery she becomes very religious, goes constantly to church, and takes mighty delight in devotion, although she could not herself read. She even begins to work miracles, and, by the blessing of god, cures her old mistress's leg, which had been hurt by a fall, as she was coming from the mill, with continued stroking of the part affected: when our author thus proceeds:]
On this, my mother demanded of her, how she came to the knowledge of her fall? She [who had been walking at the time in the gardens and orchard till the old woman came from the mill] made answer, That half a dozen persons told her of it. That, replied my mother, could not be, for there was none came by at that time but my neighbour, who brought me home. Ann answers again, That that was truth, and it was true that half a dozen persons told her so: For, said she, you know I went out of the house into the gardens and orchard, very unwillingly, and now I will tell you the truth of all matters and things which have befallen me.
"You know, that this my sickness and fits came very suddenly upon me, which brought me very low and weak, and have made me very simple. Now the cause of my sickness was this: I was, one day, knitting of stockings in the arbour in the garden, and there came over the garden-hedge, of a sudden, six small people, all in green clothes, which put me into such a fright, that was the cause of my great sickness and they continue their appearance to me, never less than two at a time, nor never more than eight: they always appear in even numbers, two, four, six, eight. When I said, often, in my sickness, They were just gone out of the window; it was really so, although you thought me light-headed. At this time, when I came out into the garden, they came to me, and asked me, If you had put me out of the house against my will? I told them, I was unwilling to come out of the house. Upon this, they said,—You should not fare the better for it; and thereupon, in that place, and at that time, in a fair path-way, you fell, and hurt your leg, I would not have you send for a surgeon, nor trouble yourself, for I will cure your leg:" the which she did, in a little time.
The cure of my mothers leg, and the stories she told of these fairies, made such a noise over all the county of Cornwall, as that people of all distempers came not only so far off as the Landsend, but also from London, and were cured by her. She took no monies of them, nor any reward, that ever I knew or heard of; yet had she monies, at all times, sufficient to supply her wants. She neither made, nor bought any medicines, or salves, that ever I saw or heard of, yet wanted them not, as she had occasion. She forsook eating our victuals, and was fed by these fairies from that harvest-time to the next Christmas-day; upon which day she came to our table, and said, Because it was that day, she would eat some roast beef with us: the which she did, I myself being then at table.
One time (I remember it perfectly well) I had a mind to speak with her, and not knowing better where to find her than in her chamber, I went thither, and fell a knocking very earnestly, at her chamber-door, with my foot, and calling to her earnestly, Ann, Ann, open the door, and let me in. She answered me, Have a little patience, and I will let you in immediately. Upon which, I looked through the key-hole of the door, and I saw her eating; and when she had done eating, she stood still by her bed-side, as long as thanks to god might be given, and then she made a courtesy (or bow), and opened the chamber-door, and gave me a piece of her bread, which I did eat; and, I think, it was the most delicious bread that ever I did eat, either before, or since.
[She could, also, render herself invisible, of which he relates an instance; and then proceeds:]
One day, these fairies gave my sister Mary (the now wife of Mr. Humphry Martyn) then about four years of age, a silver cup, which held about a quart, bidding her give it my mother, and she did bring it my mother; but my mother would not accept of it, but bid her carry it to them again, which she did. I presume this was the time my sister owns she saw the fairies.....
I have seen Ann, in the orchard, dancing among the trees; and she told me she was then dancing with the fairies.
The great noise of the many strange cures Ann did, and also her living without eating our victuals (she being fed, as she said, by these fairies) caused both the neighbouring magistrates and ministers to resort to my fathers house, and talk with her, and strictly examine her, about the matters here related; and she gave them very rational answers to all those questions they then asked her (for by this time she was well recovered out of her sickness and fits, and her natural parts; and understanding much improved); my father, and all his family, affirming the truth of all we saw. The ministers endeavoured to persuade her, they were evil spirits which resorted to her, and that it was the delusion of the devil, and advised her not to go to them, when they called her. Upon these admonitions of the ministers and magistrates, our Ann was not a little troubled. However, that night, my father, with his family, sitting at a great fire in his hall, Ann being also present, she spake to my father, and said, Now they call (meaning the fairies): we all of us urged her not to go. In less than half a quarter of an hour, she said, Now they call a second time. We encouraged her again, not to go to them. By-and-by she said, Now they call a third time: upon which, away to her chamber she went to them (of all these three calls of the fairies none heard them but Ann). After she had been in her chamber some time, she came to us again with a bible in her hand, and tells us, that, when she came to the fairies, they said to her, What! has there been some magistrates and ministers with you, and dissuaded you from coming any more to us, saying, we are evil spirits, and that it was all the delusion of the devil? Pray desire them to read that place of scripture in the 1st epistle of St. John, chap. 4, ver. 1. "Dearly beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they be of god, &c." This place of scripture was turned down to in the said bible.
After this, one John Tregeagle esq. (who was steward to the late John earl of Radnor) being then a justice of peace in Cornwall, sent his warrant for Ann, and sent her to Bodmin jail, and there kept her a long time. That day the constable came to execute his warrant, Ann milking the cows, the fairies appeared to her, and told her, That a constable would come that day, with a warrant, for to carry her before a justice of peace, and she would be sent to jail. She asked them, if she should hide herself? They answered her, No she should fear nothing, but go with the constable. So she went with the constable to the justice, and he sent her to Bodmin jail, and ordered the prison-keeper that she should be kept without victuals; and she was so kept, and yet she lived, and that without complaining.... But poor Ann lay in jail for a considerable time after; and also justice Tregeagle, who was her great persecutor, kept her in his house some time, as a prisoner, and that without victuals: and, at last, when Ann was discharged out of prison, the justices made an order, that Ann should not live any more with my father. Whereupon, my fathers only sister, Mrs. Frances Tom, a widow, near Padstow, took Ann into her family, and there she lived a considerable time, and did many great eures: and from thence she went to live with her own brother; and, in process of time, married, as aforesaid.[2]
Here ends this singular narrative, which atheists and infidels will, doubtless, be inclined to ridicule, and accuse of falsehood and imposture; the facts, however, are so fairly represented, and so authentically proved, that no pious Christian, who sincerely believes the gospel, can hesitate, for a moment, to admit its veracity.
- ↑ The authors name is Moses Pitt, who communicates these particulars to the right reverend father in god Edward Fowler lord bishop of Gloucester, printed in 1696.
- ↑ Morgans Phenix Britannicus: London, 1732, 4to. p. 545.