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Hi everybody, is there anyone in the Gisburn Lancs area who would know of a Grave stone in St Mary's for Jenet Preston ?(one of the Pendle Witches) If there is would it be stretching the friendships to ask for a Photo? Please,please please...... Kind regards to you all. Vivian (in Australia)

If no one can help you perhaps someone on this site could. Germaine x http://www*ribblevalley.gov.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=839&pageNumber=3

Some more sites you might find interesting http://www*geocities*com/nihall/witches*html http://www*gutenberg*org/etext/18253 Germaine x

Thank you Germaine, that was a big help. Vivian.

Hi Viviene I've been and seen her grave -don't think I took a photo though. If you have no luck getting one I go through there half a dozen times a year and am willing to take one next time I'm through. You can try this website - all about Gisburn. http://www.gisburn.org.uk/frameset.htm The village itself is nothing to look at - one wonders, driving through it, if it's a village at all. My lot came from there in the 1700/1800's and moved over the hill to Clapham/Ingleton. PM me if you need to.

Hi Viviene, I work in Gisburn and will happily search for you, just PM me, Joan x

Hi Everyone, I have just been to the church of St Mary in Gisburn and cannot find the grave. On leaving I met the vicar from his service and asked him. After following him to the vicarage next to the church and searching the record, a burial reference could not be found. However on the internet various sites have said there is a grave stone with a cauldron on it. Has anyone any idea where it is ? Joan (trying to help Viv)

This web site says Jenet Preston was hanged at York : http://www.advantagewebservices*co*uk/Witch/text.html. Would witches have been buried in the churchyard? Would have thought they would have been buried in unhallowed ground.

Weren't witches normally buried at a crossroads? However, didnt someone say they had seen the gravestone? Be very surprised if it has a cauldron on it - the Vicar wouldnt have allowed that, if the grave is in a churchyard. OC

Hi OC. That was my thought too. Don't know if you know Gisburn but between the front of the church and the main road there is quite a large clear grassed area. According to the vicar this is where many headstones (the older ones) were, before they were repositioned around the perimiter wall of the now, graveyard, to the sides and back of the church. I looked at all these and some belonged to Preston people and Nutter. Mystery, Will go back if some-one can come up with a location, BFN Joan

Gisburn St Mary burials are on line (google, first hit) - I just had a look and there is no J****** Preston listed. Do you have a date of death/burial? Burials are listed from 1720. OC

I agree OC but there doesn't seem to be anything to her. I wandered and wandered and my jeans soaked up so much wet that I had to fold them up to drive home. I looked like Compo. What a site.

Of course, she may not have been buried in the churchyard, but a family member erected a stone there in memory. I have been caught like that before! (Assuming that a headstone means the person is buried underneath it) OC

According to the Pendle witch trials the time scale is early 1600's.

Right, found it. 'A memorial in the (church) grounds featuring a cauldron is ALLEGEDLY in memory of Jennet Preston who was hanged at York for witchcraft' So not a gravestone, but a memorial stone erected at a later date. Fancy the Vicar not knowing that! Its on the official Church website lol. OC

Hi OC, Thanks for that I am not going mad then. But I couldn't find one and the church grounds are not big. I will phone a friend in Gisburn and see if she knows or has seen it. Joan

Hanged in 1612 and buried in 1607 ? I will let you all know my findings when I do. Joan

I don't know how much notice to take of this: Jennet Preston, hanged as a witch in 1612, was buried at Gisburn on Feb 8th, 1607. Something wrong there with the dates! And it doesnt actually say she was buried in Gisburn churchyard... OC