MARGARET LLOYD
Margaret Wyn was a woman who was accused of using witchcraft in order to force another woman called Margaret Lloyd to love a man called John ap Gruffydd. According to the accusations, in September 1578, a young woman called Margaret Lloyd met a gentleman called John ap Gruffydd, from Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, in Llanfyllin market. Margaret Lloyd and John ap Gruffydd went to a pub, where both met a third older woman called Margaret Wyn. Margaret Wyn tried to persuade Margaret Lloyd to go away with John ap Gruffydd, but Margaret Lloyd refused.
Some weeks later, Margaret Wyn attempted to invite Margaret Lloyd to her house, as John ap Gruffydd wanted to speak to her. Margaret Lloyd refused, so Margaret Wyn sent her daughter Lowri, who was friends with Margaret Lloyd, over to persuade her. Once Margaret Lloyd arrived at the house, Margaret Wyn once again tried to persuade her to run away with John ap Gruffydd, but Margaret Lloyd refused once more. Margaret Wyn gave Margaret Lloyd an apple, and as soon as Margaret Lloyd began to eat the apple she started to feel light-headed, and she started to develop a tooth-ache on the right side of her mouth. She complained that she was beginning to feel ill. Margaret Wyn gave Margaret Lloyd some powder to make her feel better. Margaret Lloyd took the powder, although it tasted bitter, and she felt her throat get hot as she swallowed it. Margaret Lloyd started to sweat, and felt like someone had hit her. John and Gruffydd offered to take her to a man called Dafydd ap William Vaughan’s house in Penybont near Llangollen.
While they were on their way to Llangollen, John ap Gruffydd and Margaret Lloyd both met people who were worried about Margaret Lloyd as John ap Gruffydd was a suspicious character, and was married with children. John gave people money so that they wouldn’t repeat that they had seen him with Margaret Lloyd.
Margaret Lloyd and John ap Gruffydd stayed in Dafydd ap William’s house from Thursday until Monday morning, although the owner of the house was away and hadn’t given them permission to stay there. In the court case, Margaret Lloyd said that her teeth had started to fall out since she ate the apple and the powder, and she’d started to feel herself maddening as the moon changed. Margaret Lloyd was convinced that Margaret Wyn had cursed her to love John ap Gruffydd by eating the apple and the powder.
Margaret Wyn denied the accusation, and denied using witchcraft and cursing Margaret Lloyd. Margaret Wyn stated that the powder was burnt alum, and she had learnt how to use it to cure toothache from a doctor called William Gilbert. She had also given this powder to several other people to treat toothache in the past. Although the court couldn’t punish her for cursing the young woman, it is likely that she was punished for what had happened to Margaret Lloyd.
Further Reading :
Gwrachod Cymru – Eirlys Gruffydd (p.32-4)