Sibella Cottle
Encyclopedia
Sibella Cottle was the mistress of Sir Henry Lynch-Blosse, 7th Baronet
(popularly known as Sir Harry) of Balla
, County Mayo
, Ireland. His family conformed to Protestantism in the mid-18th century. Sibella had seven children by him each of whom was left a generous legacy in their father's will of 1788.
Sibella was portrayed by Matthew Archdeacon as uneducated and a ‘professed woman of pleasure.’ T. H. Nally maintained she was not a peasant but joined Sir Harry as a governess from a local Big House.
Sir Harry was urged to dump Sibella and marry a woman of his own class and religion. Sibella responded by commissioning a powerful love charm, the spancel of death (an buarach bháis). The spancel was ‘an unbroken hoop of skin cut with incantations from a corpse across the entire body from shoulder to footsole and wrapped in silk of the colours of the rainbow and used as a spancel to tie the legs of a person to produce certain effects of witchcraft.’ The spancel was made by Judy Holian, an bean feasa (a woman of knowledge and wisdom), reputedly a local witch. It was guaranteed to spellbind Sir Harry for life.
Whether the spancel was ever used is not known. What we do know is that Sir Harry, who died young in 1788, remained faithful to Sibella and their seven children. Her fate and that of her children is explored in a work of historical fiction in preparation by Paul McNulty of Ireland. The novel is provisionally entitled Spellbound: The Story of Sir Harry and Sibella.
Sir Henry Lynch-Blosse, 7th Baronet
Henry Lynch-Blosse was an Irish Baronet and kept Sibella Cottle as a mistress.-Biography:He was born in London on 14 October 1749, the first child of Robert Lynch and Elizabeth Barker.. Elizabeth was the daughter and heir of Francis Barker, and niece and heir of Tobias Blosse...
(popularly known as Sir Harry) of Balla
Balla
Balla is a village in County Mayo, Ireland on the N60 National secondary road, the main road between Castlebar and Claremorris. The economy of the village survives mainly on passing trade, from the busy N60 which carries over 7,000 vehicles through the village every day. The village is to be...
, County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
, Ireland. His family conformed to Protestantism in the mid-18th century. Sibella had seven children by him each of whom was left a generous legacy in their father's will of 1788.
Sibella was portrayed by Matthew Archdeacon as uneducated and a ‘professed woman of pleasure.’ T. H. Nally maintained she was not a peasant but joined Sir Harry as a governess from a local Big House.
Sir Harry was urged to dump Sibella and marry a woman of his own class and religion. Sibella responded by commissioning a powerful love charm, the spancel of death (an buarach bháis). The spancel was ‘an unbroken hoop of skin cut with incantations from a corpse across the entire body from shoulder to footsole and wrapped in silk of the colours of the rainbow and used as a spancel to tie the legs of a person to produce certain effects of witchcraft.’ The spancel was made by Judy Holian, an bean feasa (a woman of knowledge and wisdom), reputedly a local witch. It was guaranteed to spellbind Sir Harry for life.
Whether the spancel was ever used is not known. What we do know is that Sir Harry, who died young in 1788, remained faithful to Sibella and their seven children. Her fate and that of her children is explored in a work of historical fiction in preparation by Paul McNulty of Ireland. The novel is provisionally entitled Spellbound: The Story of Sir Harry and Sibella.