The Bury St Edmunds Witch Trial That Influenced the Salem Witch Trials

Rose Cullender, born Rose Hicks, married William Cullender on April 18, 1625. Together, they had nine children, but tragically, five died before the age of ten due to a plague outbreak. Following William’s death, Rose, unable to inherit property as a woman, saw her home placed in trust for her eldest son, Thomas, then just 14. In her 60s, while living in this home, she was accused of witchcraft.

Amy Denny, mistakenly referred to as "Amy Duny" in trial records, remains more elusive. The only known official record of her is the 1651 baptism of her son, Samuel, listing her husband as John Denny. According to historian Ivan Bunn, there is some evidence suggesting Amy and John may have originated from Beccles, where parish records show John Denny married Emma Heckleton (with Amy possibly being short for Emmy). They had three children baptised there.

Notably, John Denny appears frequently in the Manor Court Books as a defendant. Ivan speculates that his frequent legal troubles may have contributed to Amy becoming a target of the witch trials after his death in 1657.

By 1662, belief in witches was waning but still strong enough to fuel accusations. To bring someone to trial, a formal process was required: an accuser had to present evidence before a magistrate to obtain an arrest warrant.

Samuel Pacy, a wealthy fish merchant and one of Lowestoft’s most influential figures, sought and obtained warrants from magistrate Sir Edmund Bacon for Rose and Amy’s arrest. His Samuel’s young daughters, Deborah and Elizabeth, played key roles as witnesses. Ironically, just two years after Rose and Amy’s execution, Samuel himself was accused of holding illegal religious meetings and stood trial in Bury St Edmund, but the outcome is not known. His brother, Nicholas Pacy, had immigrated to Salem, Massachusetts, in 1638, where he was granted land—linking the Pacy family to the infamous Salem Witch Trials three decades later.

Samuel's accusations against Amy Denny began when she attempted to buy herrings from him. For reasons unknown, he refused to sell to her. After being turned away a second time, Amy returned once more but was again refused. As she left, she mumbled something under her breath. Around the same time, Samuel’s daughter Deborah, aged seven—who had been unwell but recovering—suddenly suffered violent fits and stomach pains. She cried out at Amy, leading Samuel to suspect her of witchcraft. Two weeks later another of his daughters, eleven years old Elizabeth, was similarly stricken.

Similar accusations followed from other townspeople. Edmund Durrant, for example, refused to sell herrings to Rose Cullender, only for his daughter Ann to fall ill with stomach pains. Witnesses repeatedly described symptoms "like the pricking of pins."

A Grand Jury ultimately decided that Amy and Rose should stand trial.

Held at the Assize Court in the Shirehall at Bury St Edmunds over four days (March 10-13, 1662), the trial, on March 13th was presided over by Sir Matthew Hale, Lord Chief a Justice of the King’s Bench and Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer – the 2^nd most senior judge in England.

Rose and Amy were transported to Bury Gaol before being brought to the Shirehall. They were charged with bewitching seven eight children, ranging in age from a few months to 18 years old. One child had died, allegedly due to witchcraft. They were also accused of bewitching Robert Sherington’s four horses. In total, 14 charges were filed against them, to which they both pleaded not guilty.

There was no legal defence for the accused, nor were they permitted to testify on their own behalf.

After Judge Hale’s instructions, the jury found them guilty within half an hour on 13 counts, though they were acquitted of bewitching Sherington’s horses.

After the verdict, Rose and Amy were allowed to speak, but their words were not recorded. The booklet simply states that they said “nothing material to anything that was proved against them.”

They were hanged on Monday, March 17, 1662, likely at Thingoe Hill or on Shirehouse Heath outside the North Gate of Bury St Edmunds. To this day, their final resting place remains unknown.

The trial of Amy Denny and Rose Cullender set a legal precedent that directly influenced the infamous Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts in 1692.

Ivan Bunn, in A Return to Haunted Lowestoft, notes that the Salem trials "might not have taken place had it not been for the trial of the Lowestoft Witches." The 1682 booklet A Tryal of Witches was consulted by Salem magistrates when determining what types of evidence were admissible.

The case is significant because it remains one of the most detailed records of an English witch trial. Presided over by Sir Matthew Hale—who later became Lord Chief Justice of England—the trial is a chilling example of how deeply ingrained superstitions and by modern reckoning, flawed legal practices led to wrongful executions. Despite being a respected legal figure, Hale ignored evidence of fraud, accepted hearsay testimony from young children, and allowed “spectral evidence” from single witnesses.

In December 2024, Lowestoft Town Council unveiled a memorial stone in honour of Amy and Rose, ensuring their story would not be forgotten.

Historian Ivan Bunn, co-author of A Trial of Witches – A Seventeenth-century Witchcraft Prosecution (hailed as a seminal work), has been instrumental in preserving their memory. The memorial can be found near the so-called “Witches Stones” area in Belle Vue Park, Lowestoft.

Reflecting on the case, Ivan Bunn remarked:

“It is incredible to realise that Amy Denny and Rose Cullender were tried by the full ‘majesty’ of the English legal system, and that their case was heard by some of the most learned intellectuals in Law, Medicine, Science, and Philosophy of the time. It is a lesson for us all when studying this trial.”