april english farm lived worked village eastern english county essex widely considered man folk reportedly employed magical means offer locate lost property alleged threatened place people born rural working class family grew baptised church_of_england working farm married kent couple moved essex settled children wife died later life attracted limited press attention claim oldest men england claims appeared later shown incorrect brought wider public attention early 1960s research beliefs folk magic nineteenth century essex maple interviewed number residents collected stories reputation man according accounts attracted visitors essex seeking magical help charge attributed power control animals command bidding power lived claimed able assistance beer local residents threatening place curse belongings suggested local people claims maple based older tales essex man subsequent research historian confirmed aspects original accounts 1970s bill began claims secretive hereditary witch families informed simply rural man major figure nineteenth century community according account failed receive scholarly support member hereditary witch cult leading forming southern england claimed reformed established english witch cult introducing new concepts french danish classical sources created structure emerged 1950s prominent expressed criticism claims rejected scholars pagan studies magical history biography life family son woman went couple married september known birth record according parish records baptised church year birth question differing claims different census claimed meaning birth occurred circa census claimed placed birth time census claiming moving birth suggested appear older ease process collecting parish assistance church life use variety different surname official records including apparent census data lived parents 1830s stated living time census recorded lodging household essex describing farm profession married george church anglican church kent record described residing declared working profession listed born essex daughter wife married life identified appeared burial record june couple daughter born essex moved essex recorded year census described agricultural year son born following year wife caught stealing potatoes subsequently fined shillings second daughter named born couple point coming years family moved son george born couple children recorded census listed working agricultural census couple recorded living children george identifying august homeless man named stole jacket pair leather gloves taylor arrested brought trial august october pleaded guilty theft jacket items sentenced months imprisonment hard labour september wife died age death attributed disease liver doctor buried september according census employed agricultural living married daughter granddaughter records living rented cottage adjacent garden july owner sold property auction listed living parish relief sons living time increasingly age eventually claiming years old attracted attention areas including london september journalist visited arrived automobile seen allowed old man ride journalist subsequently wrote article alleged claimed possible gave false able look parish records discover real age maple described tall man solitary long finger nails kept money purse noted worked farm sons magical activities printed account described man appeared years death provided making systematic study nineteenth century traditions magic south eastern essex examined case winter begun meeting number elderly local residents home gained variety tales pertaining magical practices village initial findings published scholarly journal folklore produced subsequently produced popular history dark world repeated claims work erroneously described south eastern essex english beliefs ignored scholarly conventions relating information resulting critical reception book popular sold maple noted unusually given role man charge services receive money visitors recorded roles included restoring lost property minor common practices british folk according account cured woman transferring father maple wrote known use magic occasion contrasted activities contemporary folk studied harvest time maple recorded known field threatening farm machinery farmers offering beer leave recorded local people obtain water village pump threatening set white mice local folklore associated tale maple recorded associated white mice according visitor travelled man cottage find lying bed mice known purported ability control animals horses believed struck stick game animals run caught killed eaten rumoured things faster ordinary human beings hour job minutes believing got familiar spirits job maple noted people visited cottage reported seeing ornaments furniture dancing room accord believed story originated dutch tradition imported essex dutch migrants settled seventeenth century according maple sufficiently known essex accomplished man people came visit outside search magical aid great distances including men essex village sought advice wage dispute maple noted developed reputation magic end nineteenth century thought witch country avoided feared having vehicles possibly relative isolation neighbouring settlements surrounded nature community maple recorded period elderly women living magic harm believed whilst known owed allegiance singular wizard master local community figure claimed master simply whistle order stand doors reveal identities alternately dance local churchyard subsequent researchers travelled meet maple confirm account april visited village met elderly resident maple found informant maple encountered old man named living retirement home taylor claimed young man knew power horse magical ability command horses bidding found account local people spoke entirely consistent provided maple followed initiate met garner eighty seven years old occasion recalled photographed car arrive village gave howard original copy photograph possession added information given mother talked leading local received visitors long way away sought magical knowledge different account provided american author witness use sources unclear asserted body relative people survivor old witch family held church yard visited black europe according finally killed confronted sign cross later described fantasies served support view claims man involved folk magic local historian expressed view howard tales magical practices invented locals impress maple supporting position highlighted evidence suggest man prior maple publications similarly argued contemporary interviews conducted shown evidence magical activities expected ward suggested stories magical activities adapted genuine essex man responded critically ward claims highlighting investigations local folklore interview taylor express view little doubt man questions sort time accepted possibility legends associated come associated stated incapable solid proof counter response ward accepting associated apparent supernatural control knowledge horses taylor claimed automatically man remained contemporary historical evidence death according maple account weeks life ill local people moved declared funeral demonstration magical powers locals interpreted coming true carrying coffin drew churchyard horses stepped harness shafts body subsequently buried church graveyard whilst abandoned house gradually dilapidated falling according death certificate died april age cause death decay cardiac failure buried april stated age recorded vicar added note asserting erroneous reality born year death attracted national press attention claimed times believed oldest man england publications recorded age story picked new_zealand newspaper star described oldest man england according maple left legacy myth alien general run witch traditions stories told subtle horror finds hard possibly arises fact tales actually knew man experienced quiet terror passed village street claims writer began sending articles pagan newsletter edited alternative account life relation british movement identifying later began pseudonym named irish mythological figure ceased sending articles instead began publishing rival british magazine edited claimed switched outlets dominated perspectives later revealed bill describing englishman born essex added circa moved later relocating australia wrote articles letter noted born surname instead adopted later life claiming cousin paternal great great grandfather asserted initiated family hereditary form subsequently initiated traditions partner heavily involved development tradition early 1960s having present founder initiated tradition collected published articles pamphlets old articles republished single volume papers edited howard claims self contradictory explained stating information contained articles passed separate sources decided use claims members hereditary tradition pagan second practitioners similar separate tradition pagan alleged greatly influenced nineteenth century source cited experiences gained born family subsequently initiated aforementioned traditions separate lodge claimed information publishing came elders older members involved traditions accuracy going far state doubted noting elders different opinions stated elders ceased providing new information early 1980s stated elders chosen information involved hereditary based new_zealand making hard trace identities despite claiming material putting forward came sources historian noted presented single voice indication different pieces information came asserted changing claims entirely consistent single individual making stories changing went account according initial claims eleventh century family priests pagan religion devoted worship god claims fitted historical framework witch cult hypothesis propagated works later added medieval witch cult influenced iron age particular knowledge lines marked stone circles erected conflicting ideas personally informed witch cult derive ancient pre christian religion instead founded fifteenth century france emerging union christian cult founded intent christianity claimed family links travelling population spent early years claimed faced persecution result set locals retaliation according trained magic later life famous gypsy england claimed despised christianity wanted overthrown end collaborated included elements ritual practices horrified members east witch cult according england feared stressed considered practised sex magic asserted spent time france initiated local form witch cult according account return invited lead local operating mid fifteenth century seven continued lead group disbanding years prior death added proceeded introduce new innovations english witch cult applying concepts borrowed danish french witch idea led woman asserted established england spread essex norfolk sussex hampshire added based norfolk survived 1970s according reformed female oriented form oncoming age receptive form spirituality account travelled widely joined variety gaining access libraries according 1850s onward began operating group considered wanted prove siblings witch cult pupils aided producing manifesto formation according involvement led foundation asserted influenced founded early nineteenth century group cambridge_university academics led rituals based largely classical sources claimed prominent initiated young man according account introduced magical mentor asserted subsequently ejected evidence claims stated grandfather present occasions bennett met seen photograph figures asked present photograph public scrutiny claimed available independently asked asserted stolen interested parties stated group founder claimed initiated later state certain true asserted later joined based received second rite hereditary craft stressed group separate furthermore claimed received rite east degree system initiation influencing result stated structure rituals based devised observer fail formed nucleus rites believed hereditary despised represented spiritual heir similarly reformed propagated contemporary purposes pagan response claims received mixed response british community score championed private letters declaring proved tradition historical origins successor editor intrigued claims investigated original records pertaining life 1980s concluded claims book tomorrow high 1950s stated east source essex claimed correct particular informant championed claims initiate time book rebirth claims noting supporting evidence sadly lacking high asserted sure existed place belonged tradition distinct privately initiate founder rejected claims biography stated material generally regarded hoax history best prank worst asserted sustained champion claims noting defended ideas limited measured manner pagan studies scholar white noted history movement howard remains cautious accepting claims outright howard maintained keeps open mind claims noting evidence brought forward similarly believe real evidence brought forth support story came founder claimed known acquaintances unreliable source known repeatedly claims past events figure known colonel lawrence supported story asserting great grandmother studied introduced lawrence claims unreliable particularly claim great grandmother studied american supporting claims following publication material publicly declared 1950s 1960s initiated located sussex following publication claims number appeared united_states australia claiming practitioners tradition originating critical groups expressing regret material published led formation academic response claims far critical reception scholars magic british history dismissed claims believed tales fabricated book dark world basis maple informed historian believed people connected claims baker disagreed commenting honest commentators subject contemporary result unlikely involved baker described account extravagant hoax claims claims added corresponded length detail course come like noting responded forceful criticisms patience good humour highlighted independent witnesses emerged support existence alleged supporting documentation appeared claims deemed particularly unusual claims accurate documentary evidence expected exist focusing claim initiated 1890s noted mention published work personal diaries similarly mention diaries bennett magical tutor 1890s assessment shared historian study english folk described stories seductive entirely instead maintained simple rural man small world village affairs crossed middle class received christian burial idea pagan priest probably turn grave agreeing maple assessment practising folk country maple noted unlike major regional figure profession american pagan studies scholar similarly rejected claims kelly highlighted claimed adopted concept female leader french scandinavian witch historical evidence clearly showed developed concept led high late 1950s noted claim wrote book shadows possibly true died book written kelly believed elders purposely created history order hide fact invented entirety early 1950s similarly article argued claims stand scrutiny simply attempt promote claims existence pre tradition specifically denied charges deliberately claims appear older pedigree
George Pickingill