Fairies 13

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A few years later, in 1588, Alison Pearson of Byrehill was charged with invoking the spirits of the Devil.
She also was said to have a fairy familiar: her cousin, William Sympson, a physician who had been kidnapped by a Gypsy and had died.
One day while Pearson was traveling, she felt ill and lay down.
A green man (Sympson) appeared and said he would do her good if she would be faithful to him.
The green man vanished and reappeared with a band of fairies, who cajoled Pearson into accompanying them and taking part in their drinking and merrymaking.

Pearson gradually became comfortable with her fairy friends.
If she talked about their activities, however, she was tormented with blows that left insensitive spots on her skin.
Sympson advised her of when the fairies were coming to her and of the fact that they usually arrived in a whirlwind.
Sympson also taught her how to use herbal remedies and told her that every year, the Devil took onetenth of the fairies away to hell as a tithe.

Like Dunlop, Pearson’s confession only worsened her case. She also was convicted and burned.

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