On the wall of Rougemont Castle in Exeter is a granite plaque on which are listed four names of women, all of whom are recorded as being the last women in Britain to be executed for being witches. The last of these, Alice Molland, was said to be the very last, having been hung in 1685 towards the end of the then King, James II, national campaign to eliminate such demons. Dark days indeed.
However now there is a twist, as historian Professor Mark Stoyle of the University of Southampton thinks she did not die at all. He has looked into all the local records for Exeter and found only the name of Avis Molland in court files. He says that Molland was such an unusual name it is doubtful there were two women with names as similar as Alice and Avis, and that perhaps the court clerk recorded it incorrectly. But there is more.
He has found written evidence that Avis Molland was still alive in 1693, eight years after the hanging. This would change the history of witches in Britain quite significantly, and whilst in the realm of important things to be concerned about it is not at the top, it does raise one important public information fact that Old Street News brings to you.
If Avis Molland survived the recorded hanging and lived on, that would be quite an occurrence. However, please take our advice. If you are visiting Exeter and meet Avis Molland, beware. The woman would have survived execution and now be 360 years old. In this writer’s opinion, that may prove she is indeed actually a witch. So be kind to her.