december known english man professional folk spent life town eastern english county essex capacity reportedly employed magical means aid healing humans animals spirits restoring lost stolen property owner born essex grew area moving london married seventeen children wife family later moved essex settling gained work point began working man gaining fame work field sides thames estuary describing devil master cultivated air mystery experimenting creation iron witch bottles number occasions magical activities gained attention local press residents valued services viewed good individual activities proved controversial divisive educated figures criticised saw role encouraging local population death certificate recorded profession doctor fame greatly increased death subject albeit highly form novel morrison produced objective study man published strand magazine 1950s conducted research finding local folklore surrounding area including allegation ability fly transport vast distances continued attract attention historians studying english folk magic referenced works scholars like life family likely born essex baptised october mary virgin church essex parents named née according investigations journalist seventh son seventh son completing school entered surveyor operated town brother edward moved evidence subsequently moved london worked chemist shop 1800s early august married button essex having baptised december burial records couple having seventeen children survive infancy december returned essex attend wedding sister hannah new husband proceeded nearby visiting regular basis early 1840s daughters moved childless daniel hannah died april aged cause death cited chest body buried april james church national census documented living children edward eleanor june wedding documentation listed october marriage documentation listed doctor national census specified profession recorded living children edward eleanor grandson images survive accounts describe short man walked hands went noted wearing hard hat tale coat iron carrying umbrella basket placed herbs collected appearance reportedly scared local children fond career south east essex known devil master title self description cultivated air mystery keeping largely apart wider community life speaking seldom traveling largely night house locally known place avoid visiting reportedly waited time outside courage enter cottage drying herbs hanging ceiling devices reported include crystal mirror bowl water items magical practices copper charm allegedly distinguish individual lying trick supposedly enabled brick walls device examined acquaintance deemed home arrangement bits looking glass bought toy shop possessed library books including works astronomy medical texts wrote number personal containing information topics survived 1950s claimed spirits destroy restore lost stolen property owner providing services animal charged shillings breaking witch spell reputed cure sick animals passing hands affected area prayer hanging neck requested use powers farms northern kent lifetime known sides apparently receive postal correspondence range places including essex girls working london witch bottles magical practices 1950s encountered claims able summon wished including individuals gone overseas experimented use witch bottle constructed iron devices created local smith plug mouth bottle placed fire anti spell idea bottle explode heat reused occasions according folklore collected maple smith attempts initially unsuccessful succeeded recited charm according maple research accounts activities continued told community death held able predict death man day hour predicted time death minute claimed occasion asked provide newborn child refused stating child long child soon died old lady asked predict future refused years ahead dying eighth morrison found locals spoke remembered decades found man white wizard powers darkness added sin employ arts man like conversely maple noted research indicated attitudes varied local community individuals particularly poor viewed valuable member community particularly strata society deemed dangerous nonsense maple found woman described bad man things wouldn allowed today mean people sold soul devil wouldn away conversely maple noted james described man good man regular according folklore obtained maple debates christian theology local reverend professor pastoral theology birmingham expressed view knows bible better good man bad mind documented cases accounts activities preserved reported regional press passed oral tradition example focused spread nearby claimed prominent local women individuals wife reverend vicar widow took control acre hall following death husband separate occasions labourers convicted stealing died accidentally property locals concerned women approached vicar beliefs dismissed subsequently turned asking aid exposing women according claims 1950s year old local man villagers believed force assemble dance churchyard vicar intervened locals believing protect wife vicar died march april reported case village near girl afflicted fits family believed witch blame called free perceived commissioned local create iron witch bottle placed toe nail locks hair belonging victim bottle placed heated exploded supposedly defeating witch february reported silver stolen keeper fort police unable identify culprit turned asserted place spell thief result return money shortly soldier discovered stolen money returned attributed september family accused wife lived essex daughter livestock hoping removed consulted local man known lived nearby unable help proceeded consult inviting come east remove curse planned visit generated anticipation community local rector attempting calm situation requesting parish relieving officer allegedly girl union house examined parish surgeon officer poor refused comply asserting arrival correct problem rector applied local magistrate ensure police village day arrival ensure crowd controlled day crowd gathered proceeded house intention carrying folk justice concerned illegal behaviour rector stood outside door forbade crowd entry prior police arriving mob november bury recorded earlier month silk gold stolen lived stanford hope butcher gone asking use skills locate retrieve stolen property failed butcher turned police culprit accounts passed local folk accounts maple interviewed eighty year old stated mother lost told stolen sister law wouldn tell promised tell old place days later death local records indicate died december death certificate profession listed doctor cause death attributed natural causes december body eastern churchyard james church near deceased children buried marked son later told morrison man informed daughter exact time date die prior actually happening story reports took death bed aware oncoming demise informing daughter turn away devil master den bother time sic conversely maple recorded story final hours visited local frustrated attempts administer religious eventually scared shouting devil master alternate story spread killed witch bottle placed fire local man believed caused death archaeologist concluded tale probably entirely story given son edward nicknamed taken man final witch bottle placing bottle household fire bottle exploded destroyed wall cottage left son edward later claimed landlord soon buried wooden chest old man papers garden cottage deeming associations magic dangerous edward claimed subsequently dug chest personal effects treated treated retained magical supernatural associations years death trick sold son half guinea allegedly found dead shortly half guinea lodged throat resulting claims brought bad luck possessed maple commented umbrella owned local undertaker fairly recently noted carved chest possession woman lived sea legacy maple ultimately described greatest certainly influential men essex termed great men noting death great heritage english witch mythology having studied man legacy late 1950s maple believed succeeded old fear like local community preserved old traditions generation normal span respect debt historian characterised celebrated man nineteenth century southern england local folklore continued remain subject local discussion death maple believed legacy created communities combination fact myth man supplanted myth vast wealth lore maple noted attributes associated british folklore came associated man instance highlighted existence local stories credited ability fly observed flying story held talking group old men suddenly village miles away young boy reported having observed ghost collecting herbs point death passed story daughter told maple ghost lore traditions surrounding figures known white lady black man prince woman allegedly invite join ruins article published british magazine suggested folk stories surrounding later local figure come regarded man local folklore 1950s noted particular ability command reveal trait previously attributed accepted possibility lamented claim incapable solid proof local resident suggested community way naming local street statue centre town investigations decades death late 19th century morrison visited holiday expressing view area eighteenth century regards aspect costume habits mode thought learned decided write story believing find hard believe man practicing arts wielding influence lived recently short distance london landlord local pub showed morrison house lived journalist able meet smith witch bottles morrison found living small house outskirts revealed bottles left possession morrison subsequently met son edward short old fellow head loose white hair living morrison subsequently authored fictitious account life objective account strand magazine morrison novel turned national figure inflated old essex wizard craft turn century 19th 20th reverend king antiquarian worked vicar began examine life believing significance completed research papers contained wooden chest owned son examined morrison course research texts survived point burned believe importance books lost data survived late 1950s collection local man possessed iron pipe maple published paper journal folklore based earlier sources oral traditions obtained elderly residents district included descendants sea troubled mixed reception expressed view good man commented power control mechanical objects remained family natural mechanics
James Murrell