John of Nottingham
Encyclopedia
John of Nottingham was a famous 14th century magician, said to have plotted to kill Edward II of England
and Hugh Despenser the Younger in 1324 through witchcraft.
was ruling England with his royal favourite Hugh Despenser the Younger in an increasingly despotic manner. Although Edward had defeated his Lancastrian opponents in 1322, many of his enemies had escaped to France from where they still conspired against Despenser and him. Already during 1324 there had been an attempt to murder the pair, although the conspiracy had been foiled.
had become particularly discontented with the Prior
of Coventry, who had been extracting considerable taxes from the city with the backing of the Despensers. In 1324 they had approached John of Nottingham, a famous magician based in Coventry, to request his assistance in killing the King, Hugh Despenser and his father, along with the prior, using magic. John had set about doing this using necromantic
ceremonies involving wax
effigies of his targets. Using seven pounds of wax and two yards of cloth, John allegedly made effigies of the four main targets, the prior's unpopular caterer and his steward, along with one of Richard de Lowe, a local man on whom the magic was to be first tested. John was said to have worked with his assistant Robert Marshall in a deserted house just outside Coventry on the magical effigies, which he ultimately tested in 1325 by driving a lead pin first into the head, and then the heart of de Lowe's effigy; de Lowe apparently died as a result.
Unfortunately for John, his assistant Marshall then turned him into the authorities, potentially as the result of a grievance against his master, before any further attacks could be made. The case against John and his sponsors came up before the King's Bench later in the year, in which the group were tried for the murder of de Lowe. They were found innocent by the jury.
asking for his assistance in protecting him against magical attack. The Pope, who was not favourably inclined towards the Despensers, curtly advised him to "turn to God with his whole heart and make a good confession and such satisfaction as shall be enjoined. No other remedies are necessary beyond this general indulgence which the Pope grants him." The case added to the febrile atmosphere that led to the overthrow of Edward II and the Despensers the following year.
Edward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
and Hugh Despenser the Younger in 1324 through witchcraft.
Background
By 1324, Edward IIEdward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
was ruling England with his royal favourite Hugh Despenser the Younger in an increasingly despotic manner. Although Edward had defeated his Lancastrian opponents in 1322, many of his enemies had escaped to France from where they still conspired against Despenser and him. Already during 1324 there had been an attempt to murder the pair, although the conspiracy had been foiled.
The conspiracy
According to the case brought by the prosecution, twenty eight citizens of CoventryCoventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
had become particularly discontented with the Prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
of Coventry, who had been extracting considerable taxes from the city with the backing of the Despensers. In 1324 they had approached John of Nottingham, a famous magician based in Coventry, to request his assistance in killing the King, Hugh Despenser and his father, along with the prior, using magic. John had set about doing this using necromantic
Necromancy
Necromancy is a claimed form of magic that involves communication with the deceased, either by summoning their spirit in the form of an apparition or raising them bodily, for the purpose of divination, imparting the ability to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge...
ceremonies involving wax
Wax
thumb|right|[[Cetyl palmitate]], a typical wax ester.Wax refers to a class of chemical compounds that are plastic near ambient temperatures. Characteristically, they melt above 45 °C to give a low viscosity liquid. Waxes are insoluble in water but soluble in organic, nonpolar solvents...
effigies of his targets. Using seven pounds of wax and two yards of cloth, John allegedly made effigies of the four main targets, the prior's unpopular caterer and his steward, along with one of Richard de Lowe, a local man on whom the magic was to be first tested. John was said to have worked with his assistant Robert Marshall in a deserted house just outside Coventry on the magical effigies, which he ultimately tested in 1325 by driving a lead pin first into the head, and then the heart of de Lowe's effigy; de Lowe apparently died as a result.
Unfortunately for John, his assistant Marshall then turned him into the authorities, potentially as the result of a grievance against his master, before any further attacks could be made. The case against John and his sponsors came up before the King's Bench later in the year, in which the group were tried for the murder of de Lowe. They were found innocent by the jury.
Consequences
Hugh Despenser became extremely concerned for his personal safety after this case. He wrote to Pope John XXIIPope John XXII
Pope John XXII , born Jacques Duèze , was pope from 1316 to 1334. He was the second Pope of the Avignon Papacy , elected by a conclave in Lyon assembled by Philip V of France...
asking for his assistance in protecting him against magical attack. The Pope, who was not favourably inclined towards the Despensers, curtly advised him to "turn to God with his whole heart and make a good confession and such satisfaction as shall be enjoined. No other remedies are necessary beyond this general indulgence which the Pope grants him." The case added to the febrile atmosphere that led to the overthrow of Edward II and the Despensers the following year.