Bredevoort, 1675
One of the last known witch trials in Bredevoort, and perhaps even in the Netherlands, was the trial of Marry Hoernemans in 1675. She successfully passed the water ordeal, after which she walked home with her head held high, her innocence proven once and for all.
In the seventeenth century, it was believed that witches were women who had made a pact with the devil. They were said to have received supernatural powers in exchange for renouncing God and His saints. It was believed that witches could, for example, churn butter from a ditch, make people infertile, or cause crops to fail.
Women who fell outside social norms – for instance, unmarried women without children – ran an increased risk of being accused of witchcraft. In the event of unexplained occurrences, such as illness or fire, they were often singled out as the culprits. It was then up to the accused to prove her innocence, often through a witch trial.
A certain Marry, the second wife of Hendrik Hoernemans, lived in Bredevoort in 1675. From his first marriage, Hendrik had a son named Jan. As often happens, the stepson did not get along well with his stepmother, and they frequently quarrelled. Jan repeatedly told others that his stepmother was a witch.
Marry was furious about this accusation and went to court. She presented the problem but added that she did not want the judge to punish her stepson. However, she requested to undergo a so-called water ordeal to prove she was not a witch. The judge deemed it unnecessary: “Surely everyone knows you are not a witch,” he said. “Your son surely didn’t mean it that way and made those remarks in his anger.” Marry, however, was not to be swayed. She was determined to pass the test.
At her insistence, the judge agreed, and on 26 July 1675, the water ordeal was carried out. As was customary in witch trials, Marry was completely stripped. Her hands and feet were bound together, and the executioner, along with his assistant, threw her into the water three times.
Marry sank like a stone every time, and if she hadn’t been pulled up repeatedly, she would certainly have drowned. According to folk belief, a real witch would float because she was supported by the devil. Marry sank – and was therefore not a witch. Afterwards, Marry dressed and went home satisfied without saying another word. It was now proven that she was not a witch and that her stepson was a liar.