Wednesday, 21 January 2026, 7:30 PM
Location: St Luke’s Hall, St Luke’s Place, Cheltenham, GL53 7HP
In 1564 baby William Bayntun was allegedly murdered by witchcraft. In the following three legal cases, three women were implicated in the murder plot — a local widow, the child’s aunt and his mother, a cousin to Queen Elizabeth I.
The three women were implicated by a fourth, a witchfinder. The cases led to the imprisonment and possible torture of the witchfinder, the ruining of the child’s aunt, and the trial and execution of the widow at Salisbury, the first person in England known to have been executed for the crime of witchcraft. Despite the charge of witchcraft, the events were probably motivated by toxic familial relationships and influenced by the Bishop of Salisbury.
Dr Louise Ryland-Epton is a public historian and a contributing editor for the Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire Victoria County History Trusts. In 2026, she is co-curating a major exhibition to mark the 400th anniversary of the polymath John Aubrey and editing a book of his scientific work, which includes his insights into Wiltshire witchcraft. This story, however, arose from research undertaken for a VCH-supported public history project in Bremhill, Wiltshire. It was featured on BBC News and will be highlighted this year in a local history festival created to mark the publication of the Wiltshire VCH volume 20 on Chippenham and the surrounding area.