The examination of Master George Taylor of Rye in the county of Sussex gentleman taken the 16th day of October anno domini 1607 annoque regni domini nostri Jacobi dei gratia regis nunc anglie etc. quinto before Thomas Higgons Mayor of Rye aforesaid and the jurats of the same town upon certain articles or interrogatories as followeth.
1 I To the first interrogatory he sayeth that about midsummer last past, and divers and sundry times sithence, he this examinate standing in his chamber right opposite against the parlour of Master Alexander Fowkes, and looking out of his window upon the glass window of the said Master Fowkes, being his parlour window; he did see in the said window, to his judgment, a grave man in show sitting in magisterial sort in a chair, having a book before him; and at his right hand, to his seeming, one sitting, and at the left hand one man and one woman. The man woman to his judgment was apparelled in black, with a hat upon her head and and a ruff about her neck; the other in a shayish colour. At the back of the man and woman, a death’s head appearing like a skull newly taken out of the ground, with divers persons standing round about the skull as th if they were desirous to hear something.
Behind these in another pane of glass there appeared unto him very glorious shows. A person in apparel in very rich attire, bedecked to his seeming in with sundry jewels. Underneath these death’s head in a casement, there appeared one in show, to his thinking, holding before him or her a very goodly child.
And he sayeth that the wife of Roger Swapper did tell this examinate that
Those apparitions and visions were sent of purpose to the intent to m for this examinate to behold, to the intent to make him believe that those things which she the said Swappers wife had teld unto this examinate’s wife, and likewise unto himself, was true, concerning the apparition of certain spirits that did appear unto her the said Swapper’s wife.
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[RYE 13/6 examination]
