In 1638, the Churchwardens of SS Peter and Paul, Chatteris, sent in their regular report to the new Bishop of Ely, Matthew Wren in response to his survey (visitation) of their parish and the behaviour of its inhabitants. It was a sorry tale (watch out for more posts!) Among those they ‘named and shamed’ was Thomasine Beaton, whose husband ‘is run away from her’. Thomasine’s husband is not named, suggesting that she was the problem. And if she was the Thomasine ‘Beacon’ reported at Christmas 1639 ‘upon fame of having two husbands’. Her story was generated by local gossip, and once written down it was hard to forget. We begin to get a sense that she was not well-liked by her neighbours. In the febrile 1630s and 1640s, this alone could lead to disastrous consequences as the witch craze revived in this area. See my post ‘The Chatteris Witch’.
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