Mary Pannal (died 1603) was an English herbalist and

cunning woman Cunning folk, also known as folk healers or wise folk, were practitioners of folk medicine, helpful folk magic and divination in Europe from the Middle Ages until the 20th century. Their practices were known as the cunning craft. Their services ...

who was accused of, and executed for, witchcraft in 1603.

Biography

Mary lived in

Ledston Ledston (historically also spelt Ledstone) is a village in the Leeds metropolitan borough, in the county of West Yorkshire, England. It is north of Castleford and east of Leeds. The parish had a population of 400 in 2001, which decreased sl ...

, West Yorkshire where she had a reputation as a cunning woman or witch. She was accused of witchcraft following the death of a young child named William Witham in 1593 to whom she had administered a herbal mixture. The spelling of her married name was possibly Pannell and she may have been born Marye Tailer. In the Kippax Parish Registers an entry for the year 1558 shows 'John Pannell & Marye Tailer thof Julie (July) married.' Subsequently, in 1568 Raphe Pannell who may have been their son is shown as having been born but died the same year, with an Elizabeth Pannell being born in 1569. Then in 1570, there is a record of a baptism of 'John Pannell the

5th Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five. Fifth or The Fifth may refer to: * Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth" * Fifth Avenue * Fifth column, a political term * Fifth disease, a cont ...

of June...' In 1575 there is another record of baptism 'Agnes Pannell the 9thof Sept...'. The location and method of her execution are unclear; she was either hanged in York after her trial or burnt at the stake near Castleford.

Legacy

Footpath from Kippax to Mary Panel - geograph

The ghost of Mary Pannal is said to haunt the woods near Pannal Hill, near Castleford. The suggestion is that if someone sees her ghost, which will be leading a horse, then someone close to them will die. A play inspired by her biography, ''Maleficium! The Life, Trial, and Death of Mary Pannal'', was written by Chris Gibson. In an episode of the 2021 British sitcom

Ladhood ''Ladhood'' is a British coming of age comedy series that premiered on BBC iPlayer on 24 November 2019. Written by, and starring, Liam Williams, the series details the experiences of his adolescence, and serves as a television adaptation of hi ...

, characters spend the night in an area said to be haunted by Pannal. A novel based on the true story of Mary Pannal, written by Melissa Manners, was published in 2022, ''The Pannell Witch''. The prequel, ''Becoming The Pannell Witch,'' was published in the same year.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pannal, Mary Executed English women English people executed for witchcraft Cunning folk 1603 deaths Year of birth uncertain Executed people from West Yorkshire People from Ledston