and the Oscar goes to.....

1597 - Mansfield born witchfinder and self-proclaimed exorcist, John Darrell, was paid by the vicar of St Mary's Church, Nottingham to exorcise a boy, William Somers, whom he considered had been possessed by an evil spirit due to his newly acquired violent fits. Somers had told the vicar that he had met an old woman who had cast a spell on him. On arriving at the church that day, Darrell ordered that all the citizens of Nottingham must fast and that all the men refrain from carnal knowledge of their wives as sex brought the devil to town. Huge crowds gathered at the church to witness a demonstration of Darrell's powers. When the boy was brought forward, Darrell performed the 14 signs of the devil then dramatically cast out the possessing spirit and declared Somers cured. For 18 days the boy was free from fitting but the next day he relapsed. The boy claimed he knew of witches in Nottingham and began naming them causing panic and fear to spread through the city. His sister began fitting while also accusing old women of practising witchcraft, however, she made the mistake of naming the cousin of a prominent Nottingham man whom persistently questioned their condition until eventually obtaining their confession. They had both been coerced and coached by John Darrell, the witchfinder, who was quickly arrested and imprisoned where he later died.

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Beggar off!

1680 2nd March - Joshua Longman of Pleasley was ordered to be flogged after being caught begging in the town.

1681 24th March - Robert Sharbrook was sentenced to be flogged by Mansfield Churchwardens for 'wandering as a rogue'.

1681 24th May - Mother of two, Elizabeth Longman was flogged in Mansfield for begging.

1689 3rd January - Mary Thornton was flogged in public at Mansfield Woodhouse for begging.

1694 29th September - Mary Kingsley was flogged in Mansfield's market square for vagrancy and begging.

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Stand and deliver!

1685 15th March - John Nevison a.k.a. Swift Nick was hung in Nottingham. Charles II gave him the nickname because he evaded capture for 4 years whilst terrorising Nottinghamshire's highways with his gang of six men.

1737 6th March - James Gibbins, a Nottingham stonemason was hung after being found guilty of highway robbery on the Nottingham Road.

1820 13th January - Thomas Wilcox was hung after being found guilty of highway robbery while brutally beating, robbing and leaving for dead, Thomas Pearson, on the Nottingham Road.

1823 19th March - Three men appeared in court at Nottingham accused of highway robbery but all denied the charges. However, the youngest man, William Brookes age 19 was freed for confessing and implicating Thomas Roe and Benjamin Miller both 21 who were duly hung.

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