Witches of N.Wales ... and a woman's campaign to keep their memory alive

THE witch trials of North Wales have received little attention compared with notorious cases elsewhere in Britain. History lecturer Morgan Ditchburn is aiming to change that through a series of public lectures.

- By CATRIN WILLIAMS

Coleg Llandrillo lecturer Morgan Ditchburn on the Conwy suspension bridge in front of Conwy Castle. Inset: Gemma Campbell

Morgan, who teaches at Coleg Llan-drillo, began hosting public lectures about the witches of North Wales in March 2024. Her talks quickly became popular and have drawn in many people eager to learn more about this often-overlooked part of Welsh history.

“Places like Salem take up a lot of the limelight, even Scotland to an extent and England,” Morgan said. “There's a lot of focus on other areas and Wales just seems to have been ignored and I think Wales’ history with witches is just as interesting”

Between 1484 and 1750, more than 200,000 women were tortured, burned or hanged across Western Europe after being accused of witchcraft. England's Witchfinder General Matthew Hopkins is thought to have executed some 300 alleged witches in East Anglia.

In contrast, Wales, and particularly North Wales, saw far fewer executions. Only five women are recorded as having been executed for witchcraft in the region.