Calls for government to pardon witches killed for 'misogyny, not magic' between 16th and 18th centuries

Stuart Jeffery, leader of Maidstone Borough Council, has written to the government asking for legislation to be introduced that would grant a general pardon to women persecuted under the Witchcraft Act (1562).

The council shared a post on social media that said: "Their persecution was rooted in misogyny, not magic. These women were poor, single, widowed, or healers, not criminals.

"They weren’t witches. They were women who had no one to speak for them."

Mr Jeffrey has drawn a comparison to the 2013 Turing's Law, named after World War 2 code-breaker Alan Turing, which granted a pardon to those convicted of same-sex relationships.

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In his letter to the Home Secretary, he writes: "These historic acts of murder cannot be undone, but those women could be granted a general pardon by a similar route."

Maidstone Borough Council says that it is seeking the pardon as a way to build a "more inclusive community" by "acknowledging past injustices" and "working to prevent future ones".

It follows a petition submitted to the authority by a local group that called for a permanent memorial to be erected in Maidstone to honour several women executed in the town.

The petition said that "the vindication of these women is as relevant today as ever, as we seek to redress social injustice against a continuing backdrop of religious division, fear and misinformation."

Mr Jeffrey states: "Anne Ashby, Mary Brown, Anne Martyn, Mildred Wright, Susan Pickenden, Anne Wilson (all of Cranbrook), and Mary Read, were convicted not for acts of maleficia, but for being poor, single, widowed, or healers."

Councillor Tony Harwood added: "Now, when the powerless and voiceless in our society are once again being demonised and scapegoated by unscrupulous populists, it is vital that we remember and learn from our history.

"This is why a general pardon for all those poor souls judicially murdered on charges of witchcraft is long overdue. The pursuit of justice and humanity must be timeless, and if the dark past of Penenden Heath becomes a catalyst for such a profound change to English Law there can result a kind of closure and catharsis."

Maidstone Borough Council is working with local heritage groups to commemorate the women.

This includes working with Maidstone Museum to produce a new exhibition that explores the history of superstition and persecution in Kent.

It features artefacts such as witch bottles and plague-related items.

Councillor Claire Kehily said: "They weren’t witches, they were women who had no one to speak for them. They were executed for being different."