George Pickingill of Canewdon, Essex, England - a Hereditary Witch and/or a Cunning Man
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2nd Generation
George Pickingill ( 1816 – 1909 )
~ 1816
2. GEORGE PICKINGILL was born in Hockley, Essex and was baptized May 26, 1816 at the church in Hockley.
Father: Charles Pickingill (No.1)
Mother: Hannah Cudmore (also known as Susannah)
According to one of the newspaper accounts covering his death as "Frederick Pickingale", he was born April 2nd.
From the baptism entry in the Hockley parish register:
Baptisms 1816 Page No. 12. No. 92.
When Baptized. – Child’s Christian Name. – Parents Names, Christian & Surname – Abode. – Profession. – By whom the ceremony was performed.
1816 May 26th / George Son of / Charles & Hannah / Pickingill / Hockley / Labouer / J. Smith Curate
Concerning George Pickingill’s age and the spelling of his last name, it varies widely as you can see from the censuses below and the last one from his burial record
1851 – age 26 – born ca. 1825 George Pickengill
1861 – age 46 – born ca. 1815 George Pickengale
1871 – age 55 – born ca. 1816 George Pitengale
1881 – age 60 – born ca. 1821 George Pickingale
1891 – age 80 – born ca. 1811 George Pickingill
1901 – age 95 – born ca. 1806 George Pickengal
1909 - age 103 - born ca. 1806 George Pettingale
One theory of why the age inflated in later years was to make it easier to collect parish assistance from the church in his old age.
Since most of the articles concerning George uses his name with the spelling of PICKINGILL. We will use that spelling except when we discuss the actual records below. In the records, it appears that the spelling of Pickingale is used many times.
~ 1816 to 1830's
George Pickingill lived with his parents in Hockley from the time of his birth in 1816 until the 1830’s.
~ 1841
It is not known where George Pickingill was at the time of the 1841 census.
~ 1851
In 1851, George Pickengill was a Lodger in in the household of David Clemens in Little Wakering, Essex. George was a Farm Laborer.
From the 1851 Census of Little Wakering:
Name - Relationship – Married or Single – Age – Sex – Profession – Birthplace
New England Island Farm House
David Clemens Head Mar 57 M Farmers Baliff Esx Tolesbury
Judah Ditto Wife Mar 58 F Baliffs Wife Esx Sutton
James Liliy Lodger U 49 M Farm Labr Do Engrave
Robert Ward Do U 46 M Do Do Gt. Stainbridge
William Page Do U 38 M Do Do Prittlewell
William Curley Do U 26 M Do Do Barling
William Truss Do U 22 M Do Do Barling
George Pickengill Do U 26 M Do Do Hockley
Jerimiah Harrington Do U 20 M Do Do St Plasnbridge
William Wood Do U 13 M Farmers Boy Do N Shoebury
~ 1856
George Pickingill married SARAH ANN BATEMAN on May 19, 1856 at Saint George, Gravesend, Kent, England.
From the marriage certificate:
Registration District: Gravesend and Milton
1856. Marriage solemnized at the Parish Church in the Parish of Gravesend in the County of Kent
No. 473
When Married.: 19th May 1856
Name and Surname: George Pickingill Sarah Ann Bateman
Age: Full Full
Condition: Bachelor Spinster
Rank or Profession: Labourer
Residence at the time of Marriage.: Gravesend Gravesend
Father’s Name and Surname.: Charles Pickingill Joseph Bateman
Rank or Profession of Father.: Blacksmith Labourer
Married in the Parish Church according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Established Church after Banns by me, Robt. Joynes Rector
This Marriage was solemnized between us,
The X of George Pickingill The X of Sarah Ann Bateman
In the Presence of us,
Catharine Cocks Martha Smith
Catherine Cocks and Martha Smith who were present at the marriage, were George Pickingill’s sisters. Catherine who married George Cocks and Martha who married William Smith.
According to the marriage certificate, George Pickingill and Sarah Ann Bateman were living in Gravesend, Kent.
Sarah Ann Bateman was born ca. 1831 in Tillingham, Essex and was a daughter of Joseph Bateman and his wife Mary Ann Aggus. (See the Bateman family )
Throughout her married life, Sarah Ann Pickingill is recorded as “Mary Ann Pickingill” and then in her burial record in Canewdon, she was “Sarah Ann Pittengale”.
~ 1858
In 1858, George and Mary Ann Pickingill were living in Hawkwell, Essex where their daughter, Martha Ann, was born on June 22, 1858.
~ between 1858 and 1861
The Pickingill family moved from Hawkwell to Eastwood, Essex somewhere between 1858 and 1861.
~ 1861
In 1861, George and Mary Pickengale were living in Eastwood, Essex. George was an Agricultural Laborer.
From the 1861 Census of Eastwood:
Name - Relationship – Married or Single – Age – Sex – Profession – Birthplace
Tinkers Lane
George Pickengale Head Mar 46 M Ag Lab Essex Hockley
Mary A do Wife Mar 33 F do Wife do Tillingham
Martha A do Daur 2 F do Hawkwell
~ also in 1861
George and Mary Ann Pickingill's son, Charles Frederick, was born in 1861 in Eastwood, Essex.
~ 1862
Mary Ann, the wife of George Pittingale of Eastwood, Essex, got caught stealing two pecks of potatoes from the property of James Tabor who was one of the members sitting at the Sessions. But he excused himself from this case.
She was fined and they paid.
From the newspaper, Chelmsford Chronicle, Friday November 7, 1862:
Rochford, October 30.
Before the Rev. T. S. Scratton, James Tabor and A. Tawke, Esqrs.
Mary Ann, wife of George Pittingale, of Eastwood, was charged with stealing two pecks of potatoes growing in a field, the property James Tabor, Esq. The case was proved by Superintendent Ackers. - Fined 10s., value of potatoes 1s., and costs 8s.; in default 14 days' imprisonment. Paid. - [Mr. Tabor retired from the bench during the hearing of this case.]
~ 1863
George and Mary Ann Pickingill's daughter, Mary Ann, was born in 1863 in Eastwood, Essex.
~ between 1863 and 1867
Base on the birth locations of George and Mary Pickingill’s children, the family moved from Eastwood to Canewdon, Essex between 1863 and 1867.
~ 1867
George and Mary Ann Pickingill's son, George, was born in 1867 in Canewdon, Essex.
~ 1871
In 1871, George and Mary Ann Pitengale were living in Canewdon, Essex. George was an Agricultural Laborer.
From the 1871 Census of Canewdon:
Name - Relationship – Married or Single – Age – Sex – Profession – Birthplace
George Pitengale Head Mar 55 M Ag. Lab Essex Hockley
Mary Ann do Wife Mar 44 F Essex Tillingham
Martha do Daur 12 F Scholar Essex Hatfield
Charles F. do Son 9 M Scholar Essex Eastwood
Mary A. do Daur 7 F Scholar Essex Eastwood
George do Son 3 M Essex Canewdon
~ 1881
In 1881, George and Mary Pickingale were living in Canewdon, Essex. George was a Laborer.
From the 1881 Census of Canewdon:
Name - Relationship – Married or Single – Age – Sex – Profession – Birthplace
Cottage
George Pickingale Head Mar 60 M Laborer Hockley Essex
Mary A Pickingale Wife Mar 50 F Tillingham Do
Mary A Pickingale Daut 17 F Eastwood Do
George Pickingale Son 13 M Scholar Canewdon Do
~ August 1887
James Taylor was charged with stealing a jacket and a pair of leather gloves, valued at 4 shillings from a field at Canewdon Hall. It happened on August 17, 1887 and the items belonged to George Pittingale.
The prisoner was committed for trial in the Petty Session that was held at Rochford, Essex on August 24, 1887.
From the newspaper, Chelmsford Chronicle, Friday, August 26, 1887:
ROCHFORD.
Petty Session, August 24.
Magistrates present - C. A. Tabor, Esq., in the chair; E. E. Phillips and G. D. Deeping, Esqrs.
CANEWDON. - James Taylor, no home, was charged with stealing a jacket and a pair of leather gloves, valued at 4s., from a field at Canewdon Hall, the property of George Pittingale, on the 17th inst. - The prisoner was committed for trial.
~ September 1887
Sarah Ann Pittingale died at the age of 63 years on September 13, 1887 in Canewdon, Essex.
From the death certificate:
Registration District: Rochford
1887 Death in the Sub-district of Rochford in the County of Essex
No. 276
When and where died: Thirteenth September 1887 Canewdon R. S. D.
Name and surname: Sarah Ann Pittingale
Sex: Female
Age: 63 Years
Occupation: wife of George Pittingale Farm Laborer
Cause of death: Disease of Liver Dropsy Certified by Thos.. King M.D.
Signature, description and residence of informant:
M. A. Pittingale Daughter Present at the Death Canewdon
When registered: Thirteenth September 1887
Signature of registrar: Thomas King Registrar
The informant was her daughter Mary Ann Pittingale. Which could suggest that George Pickingill may have not been home at the time of her death.
Then Sarah Ann Pittengale was buried September 17, 1887 at the church at Canewdon, Essex.
From the burial entry from the Canewdon parish register:
Burials 1887 - Page 39 No. 309
Name. – Abode. – When Buried. – Age. – By whom the ceremony was performed.
Sarah Ann Pittengale / Canewdon / Sep 17 / 63 / T. A. Maning
According to the register, she was 63 years old.
~ October 1887
James Taylor pleaded guilty to only stealing the jacket from George Pettingale. He was sentenced to six months of imprisonment with hard labor.
From the newspaper, Chelmsford Chronicle, Friday, October 21, 1887:
CANEWDON: PLEADED GUILTY.
James Taylor, 63, labourer, was indicted for stealing a jacket and a pair of gloves, of George Pettingale, at Canewdon, on the 17th August.
He pleaded guilty to stealing the jacket only.
He was sentenced to six months' imprisonment with hard labour.
~ 1891
In 1891, George Pickingill, a widower, was living in Canewdon, Essex and his married daughter, Mary Ann Wood, and granddaughter, Emily Wood, were with him. George was an employed Agricultural Labourer.
From the 1891 Census of Canewdon:
Name - Relationship – Married or Single – Age – Sex – Profession – Birthplace
Canewdon 4 - Number of rooms occupied if less than 5
George Pickingill Head Widower 80 M Agricultural Labourer Employed Essex Hockly
Mary ann Wood Dau M 27 F Essex Eastwood
Emily Wood Grandaughter 1 F Essex Canewdon
~ 1899
In 1899 there was some sale of properties in Canewdon in which George Pittingale was one of the tenants.
From the advertisements:
“Valuable Freehold cottage Properties situate at Canewdon…. Which will be sold by Auction by Mr. T. W. Offin at the “Old Ship” Hotel Rochford, on Thursday, July 27th, 1899, precisely at 4 o’clock.
Particulars.
Lot 1. A Timber Built and Tiled Range of Six Freehold Cottages. Abutting on the High Street, Canewdon, having back Gardens, and in the occupation of
Rent Per Annum.
Edward Lockwood A monthly Tenant 3-18-0
George Pittingale ditto 3-5-0
Mrs. Jobson Weekly ditto 2-12-0
Robert Warner Quarterly ditto 3-5-0
Thomas Bines ditto 3-18-0
Mrs. Cottee Weekly ditto 2-12-0
Lot 2. A Plot of Freehold Building Land
Adjoining Lot One and having a frontage of about 37 feet to the High Street, Canewdon, with a back boundary of about 58 feet by a depth of about 70 feet, now used as a Garden by George Pittingale, a tenant on sufferance. Possession will be given on completion of the purchase. There are Five Elm Trees on this Lot, which will be included in the purchase.”
“The Title to the several Lots shall commence as to Lots 1 and 2, with an Indenture of Conveyance on Sale dated the 31st day of May, 1878, made between Jeremiah Bingham Kersteman and Freeland Burrard Kersteman of the one part and Henry Prior of the other part, which said deed contains a recital of the seisin of the said J. B. Kersteman and F. B. Kersteman free from incumbrances.”
~ 1901
In the beginning of the 20th century, we find in 1901, George Pickengal, a widower, living in Canewdon, Essex. His two sons, Frederick and George, are back living with their aged father. George is listed as on Parish Relief.
From the 1901 Census of Canewdon:
Name - Relationship – Married or Single – Age – Sex – Profession – Birthplace
3 High St. 4 - Number of Rooms occupied
George Pickengal Head Widr 95 M Parish relief Z Essex Hockley
Frederick do Son S 40 M Labourer on farm Worker do Eastwood
George do Son S 28 M do do Worker do Canewdon
~ 1908
As we saw with the census records his age inflated as time went by and because George Pickingill was living a long time, then the inflated age reach over 100 and then to 105 years of age. And soon the word about his "longevity" spread to other areas and London.
A newspaper representative visited George Pickingill in September 1908 and he arrived at Canewdon in an automobile. It was the first automobile that George Pickingill seen in his life. He was pleased to have a ride on it.
In the newspaper, George Pickingale, was mentioned as "Frederick Pickingale". It could be a cover-up act by George Pickingill to prevent people from finding his baptism at Hockley and therefore figure out his correct age.
From the newspaper, Essex Newsman, Saturday, September 19, 1908:
A CANEWDON CENTENARIAN.
Mr. Frederick Pickingale, of Canewdon, has passed the age of 105, and is said to be England's oldest man. When a Pressman called upon him the other day, he was busy, brush in hand, tidying up his front room.
He still gets his own meals ready, and fills in odd moments by pottering about in the garden. "Yes, I'm a hundred and five," he said, "and feel good for another 20 years. I was born in Hockley, and I've been in these parts, working on farms, all my life. I only stopped working at 90."
The aged man has never seen a railway train. A Press representative took the "old boy" for a ride round in a motor car, much to his delight. "I'd like to go to London on it," he said. "I've never been to London." When asked how to live to be 105, he laughed and said, "You just go on living - that's all."
He still likes his pipe of tobacco and mug of ale.
~ 1909
George Pettingale died on April 10, 1909 in Canewdon, Essex.
From the death certificate:
Registration District: Rochford
1909 Death in the Sub-district of Rochford in the County of Essex
No. 332
When and where died: Tenth April 1909 Village Canewdon R. D.
Name and surname: George Pettingale
Sex: Male
Age: 103 Years
Occupation: Farm Laborer
Cause of death: Senile Decay Cardiac failure Certified by Allan Dixon M. R. C. J.
Signature, description and residence of informant:
X The mark of Frederick Pettingale Son present at the Death Village Canewdon
When registered: Tenth April 1909
Signature of registrar: Henry P. Topsfield Registrar
The informant was the son Charles Frederick Pettingale.
Then George Pickingill was buried on April 14, 1909 at the church at Canewdon, Essex.
From the burial entry from the Canewdon parish register:
Burials 1909 - Page 61 No. 484
Name. – Abode. – When Buried. – Age. – By whom the ceremony was performed.
George Pettingale / Canewdon / April 14 1909 / 103 yrs / C R W Hardy Vicar
Then on the left side margin of the page next to the entry was a note saying “see below”
Then on the bottom margin of the page it says “[symbol]. No. 484 born at Hockley 1816 was only in his 93rd year”.
In the burial entry, George Pickingill’s age was at first mentioned as 103 years old. But then later the vicar added notations at the side of the entry and then at the bottom of the page stating that George Pickingill was born at Hockley in 1816 and that he was only 93 years old.
~ 1909 - from the newspaper obituaries
It is interesting how the news of George Pickingill's "longevity" and death spread to the other side of the world.
From the newspaper, The Times, April 12, 1909:
DEATH OF THREE CENTENARIANS. - George Pettingale, believed to be the oldest man in England, died on Saturday. He was within a few days of his 106th birthday and had lived most of his life at Canewdon, a village near Southend. Up to a few years ago he continued his work as a farm labourer, and retained all his faculties to the last. ….
From the newspaper, Essex Newsman, Saturday, April 17, 1909:
OLDEST MAN IN ENGLAND.
Frederick Pickingale, believed to be the oldest man in England, died on Saturday at Canewdon. He was in his 107th year, having celebrated his 106th birthday on April 2. Up to a few years ago he continued his work as a farm labourer, and to the last he retained all his faculties.
Mr. Pickingale was born at Hockley, and spent all his life as an agricultural labourer in that corner of Essex. His memory of the events of his boyhood was very distinct. He remembered the news of Waterloo coming to the village, and the rejoicings over the victory. He was not a teetotaler, and he smoked. He worked hard all his life, and never had a holiday until he was 90.
From the newspaper, The Star, June 26, 1909, a New Zealand newspaper:
The oldest man in England, Frederick Pickingale, an agricultural labourer, died on April 10 at Canewdon, in Essex. Pickingale was in his 107th year.
He spent all his life in the corner of Essex in which he was born, and as Canewdon is remote from all railway communication the old man had never travelled in a train. It was only last September that he saw a motor-car for the first time, and was given a ride in one, to his great delight.
From the newspaper, The Star, July 1, 1909, a New Zealand newspaper:
106 YEARS OLD.
OLDEST MAN IN ENGLAND.
The oldest man in England, Mr Frederick Pickingale, died on Saturday at Canewdon, Essex (said "Lloyd's Weekly News" on April 18). Mr Pickingale was in his 107th year, having reached his 106th birthday on April 2 last. Last September the old man told a representative of "Lloyd's News" that he felt "good for another twenty years"; and he looked it. Mr Pickingale was quite well and hearty until within a few days of his death. To the last he retained all his faculties and was able to work a little in his garden.
Mr Pickingale was born at Hockley, a village near Canewdon, and spent all his life as an agricultural labourer in that corner of Essex in which these villages are situated. Canewdon is away from railway communications and the old man never travelled in a train. The first motor-car he saw was that which conveyed "Lloyd's" representative to the village last September. He had a ride in the car, and was delighted with his experience.
The centenarian did not cease working until he was ninety. Then he went to live with his son. But his natural activity would not let him rest, for he used to do some of the housework and potter about in the garden. His memory of the events of his boyhood was very distinct. He remembered the news of Waterloo coming to the village, and the rejoicings over the victory. He lived near the sea, and as a boy recalled the coming of the press gangs and the hiding of the seamen and fishermen in the inland villages.
Mr Pickingale had no advice to give as to how to live to be a centenarian. "You just go on living, that's all," he said to our representative. He was not a teetotaler, he smoked, and he ate anything that came his way, although as an agricultural labourer he did not get anything beyond the plainest food. But he worked hard all his life, and never had a holiday until he reached the age of fourscore years and ten.
And yet towards the close of his long life he was able to look back upon the past with pleasure. He did not care to hear the old days run down. There were privations, but there were happy memories of kind friendships. But at the last all the friends of manhood had gone, and he was left in what he called a new world.
Comments about George Pickingill from the magazines, books and the internet:
From the book - Modern Wicca: a History from Gerald Gardner to the Present - By Michael Howard, 2010
Page 47 - in the chapter of “The Pickingill Connection”
“Eric Maple had first visited the Essex witch village of Canewdon in 1959 while staying in the area to recover from an illness. Having an interest in the local folklore he heard tales from the older villagers about the witches who lived there fifty or sixty years before.”
“When Eric Maple investigated the folk traditions of Canewdon in the winter of 1959-1960 he found stories about the witches living in and around the village in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries had survived among the local farming community.”
From the magazine - Folklore Vol. 71 December 1960
The Witches of Canewdon - By Eric Maple
Page 247-248
“The master of the Canewdon witches was always said to be a wizard. Cunning Murrell of Hadleigh was supposed to have been a Master of Witches, but George Pickingale was the last and perhaps the greatest of the wizards. He was a farm-labourer, a widower with two sons, who lived in a cottage near the Anchor hotel. In common with other members of his family, he possessed eyes of peculiar intensity. He was a tall, unkempt man, solitary and uncommunicative. He had very long finger-nails, and kept his money in a purse of sacking.
Pickingale practised (practiced) quite openly as a Cunning Man, restoring lost property, and curing warts and minor ailments by muttered charms and mysterious passes. One woman was said to have been cured by him of rheumatism, but he did this by ‘transferring the disease to her father’. He made no charge for his services.
Unlike Murrell or (of) Hadleigh, he was not above the use of ‘black magic’ when it suited his purpose. He coerced local people into fetching his water from the village pump by subtle hints regarding the use of white mice. He could stop farm machinery when he wished to do so by the power of his eyes, and because of this, he was often bribed by farmers to remove himself.
He was visited by people from great distances. Once the men of Dengie sought the advice of the Wise Man of Canewdon in a wages dispute. His power over animals, both domestic and wild, was a byword. He could halt farm-horses, and he could also draw game from the hedgerows. To do this, he would strike the hedge with his stick and the game would rush out….”
“Pickingale died in 1909 at the age of ninety-three. In his old age he was regarded as something like a ‘grand old man of the village’. Visitors would give him money ….. as a parting shot, he announced that he would demonstrate, by a symbolic act at his funeral, that his magical powers remained unimpaired. He did this, for as the hearse drew up at the churchyard, the horses stepped from the shafts.”
From the magazine - The Essex Countyside, November 1961
Last Legends of Essex Witches - Witch lore of Canewdon by Eric Maple (Part 2)
“The Master of Witches was George Pickingill, who kept not only the witches but the villagers as well in a state of sheer terror. Mr. Whitwell, whose family has lived in Canewdon for centuries, remembered the fear which this man inspired. When George Pickingill wanted water drawn for him from the pump he did not have to ask twice, for the penalty for disobedience was a curse. The victim was often taken seriously ill as a result, and would remain in that condition until Pickingill lifted the spell.
Old Picky, as he was called, died in 1909 at the age of ninety-three. His last and greatest act of magic was performed at his own funeral. As he lay dying he had declared that he would demonstrate his powers in a way that Canewdon would never forget.
On the day of his funeral the hearse drew up to the churchyard and suddenly the horse stepped out of the shafts and trotted off down the road, to the great alarm of the mourners. Old Picky was having the last word, as usual.”
From the magazine - Folklore Vol. 73 Autumn 1962
The Witches of Dengie - By Eric Maple
Page 183
“The people of Dengie Hundred greatly feared the witches of Canewdon on the far side of the river, yet there were occasions when they actually consulted them. Mr M. Burton of Dengie village remembered how two labourers decided to consult the ‘Old Man Witch’, George Pickingill of Canewdon over a wages dispute. As they set forth, one said to the other, ‘I wonder if the old b … is at home.’ On arriving at the wizard’s cottage they knocked at the door and suddenly the window flew open and the wizard thrust his head out and hissed at them, ‘Yes, the old b … is at home’.”
From the book - The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft - by Ronald Hutton, 1999
Page 297
“….. Such Data certainly existed in the 1960s, when people still survived who had lived in Canewdon at the opening of the century and known Pickingill. One was ‘Granny’ Lillian Garner, who had been one of Maple’s chief informants. Another was Jack Taylor, then in a retirement home at Rayleigh. In April 1967 I spent some time in the district myself, inspired by Maple’s book to collect further information. What I found exactly supported his original body of material, which is hardly surprising as it was gained from the same sources …… It confirmed the impression given by Maple, that Pickingill’s clients, though numerous, were drawn mainly from rural south-east Essex. My only significantly new quantity of testimony was provided by Jack Taylor, whom Maple seems to have missed, and it was wholly in harmony with the latter’s other evidence. I print one story here, as it so dramatically illustrates the powers of a traditional cunning man:
When my sister and I were children, we wanted to ride our pony and trap to Rochford Fair; but that day the beast just wouldn’t move, no matter what we did with it. Then we suddenly saw George Pickingill staring at us with those terrible eyes of his. He came over and told us to put down the reins and not to interfere with the pony at all. Then he whispered in its ear for a few minutes and stood back and hit it; and it started off, and found its own way done to the lanes to Rochford, without our needing to touch it.
… Jack was born in 1888 and became a labourer alongside the Pickingills; George took an especial liking to him.”
From the book - Modern Wicca: a History from Gerald Gardner to the Present - By Michael Howard, 2010
Page 51 in the chapter of “The Pickingill Connection”
“Sybil Webster told me that [George Pickingill] was supposed to have traveled to Norfolk regularly in a pony and trap. This was probably to see his relatives in Castle Rising, a village that, like Canewdon, has a reputation for witchcraft”.
Page 57 and 58 in the chapter of “The Pickingill Connection”
“In October 1977, a few days before Hallowe’en, I decided to visit Canewdon in the hope of finding out more about Pickingill……. I called at the vicarage and asked the aged minister if he could help me in my quest…. he kindly suggested that an elderly lady called Granny Garner might be able to help me, and he directed me to her cottage in the lane leading up to the church. Apparently she had been Eric Maple’s chief informant in the village and he had described her as the last white witch in Canewdon.
Lillian Garner was eighty-seven years old when I met her, but her mind was, as they say, “as bright as a button.” She invited me in for tea, and told me that she remembered George Pickingill from her childhood as a village character and eccentric old gentleman. She recollected when the first car came to the village that he had his photograph taken beside it. She revealed that her own mother had told her that Mr. Pickingill was the leader of a local coven of witches. Apparently her mother was actually a member of the coven and said that the witch master had “many visitors” from outside the village who came seeking his occult knowledge. Before I left, Lillian gave me the original of the photograph of George Pickingill that was published in Eric Maple’s book Dark World of the Witches. A photograph of Granny Garner herself standing at the door of her cottage was reproduced with Maple’s article on the Canewdon witches published in the encyclopedic work Man, Myth and Magic in the 1970s.”
Page 44
“… E. W. “Bill” Liddell, living in Auckland, New Zealand. He said he had been born in Essex, England, and had emigrated in 1959 or 1960. Liddell added that as a young man he had been inducted into his family’s traditional form of witchcraft on May Eve, 1950. This Craft tradition had allegedly been founded by “Old George” Pickingill (1816-1909), who lived his last years in the remote Essex village of Canewdon.”
From a website constructed by Scott Bisseker for Bill Liddell, 2006, www.pickingill.com
Old George Pickingill and the History of Modern Witchcraft
"I was investigating George Pickingill a good twelve years before Maple visited Canewdon. 'Old George' was the first-cousin of my paternal great-great grandfather, who adopted the surname of one of his employers. This was standard practice for many members of the widespread Pickingill stock. They sought refuge with Romany families and imbibed much Rom magic. There are some 30 to 40 Pickingill siblings by last count and most bear different surnames. However, only 5 or 6 are remotely interested in the silly superstitions of their ignorant forebears. Such is progress!" (Bill Liddell, 1999)
"George Pickingill was an itinerant horse dealer who accompanied his Rom kinsmen to Horse Fairs. He was renowned as a Gypsy sorcerer and met a number of his nine female leaders when travelling with the Rom. The Gypsies have always known the favoured haunts of the traditional witches. They had no trouble locating Pickingill covens. Mike Howard advised me in personal correspondence dated 27th March 1997 : "Your comments about the gypsies and Pickingill covens has reminded me of an encounter I had in 1976 with a Romany called George Wells who lived in South London. He claimed to know of Pickingill people on the Suffolk-Essex border at Brandon, and others still in the New Forest area. "Mike was not impressed and gave little heed to Wells at the time. In hindsight this was a pity. It may have been possible to corroborate some of the claims in the Lugh material.
George Pickingill was apprenticed to a Cunning Man named Shewell. His education was completed by Rom sorcerers and the leaders of Old Style covens. His reputation preceded him and landowners and influential 'Rosicrucians' were impressed with Pickingill's magical prowess. He was granted access to the archives of several 'Cunning' Lodges. It was not long before Pickingill was exhibiting his gifts at Masonic Temples and private houses. He confined the bulk of his demonstrations to a country house in Hertfordshire." (Bill Liddell, 1999)
"The strong possibility exists that George Pickingill, the famous Rom horse whisperer, is the 'George Pettingale' who was buried on the 14th April 1909. This George Pickingill was born on the 23rd December 1803 in either Suffolk or Norfolk. He would have been 105 in April 1909. This George Pickingill had retired to the Hundred of Dengie, which adjoins the Hundred of Rochford in which Canewdon is situated. Pickingill sons were named for English kings; George, William and Charles were the most common forenames. There is nothing improbable in having three George Pickingills living just a few miles apart. The church wardens and the parishioners of St. Nicholas' church in Canewdon would never have permitted their vicar to bury the George Pickingill in their churchyard. This was the satanist who allegedly conducted sex orgies in their churchyard. It seems more plausible to suggest that the son, or the innocuous Rom horse-whisperer, is the George Pettingale buried at Canewdon. The recorded age of 103 suggests it could have been the ancient horse-whisperer rather than George Jnr. 'Pettingale' may have been substituted for Pickingill as a sop to the sensitivities of the parishioners and the other villagers.
It seems eminently feasible that 'Old George' Pickingill lies in an unmarked and unhallowed grave. However, his input into the pagan revival is his epitaph." (Bill Liddell, 1999)
CHILDREN OF GEORGE AND SARAH ANN (BATEMAN) PICKINGILL:
14. + MARTHA ANN PICKINGILL was born June 22, 1858 in Hawkwell, Essex, England.
Martha married William Punt.
15. CHARLES FREDERICK PICKINGILL was born in the second quarter of 1861 in Eastwood, Essex, England.
Charles has no known children, but his history is on a separate page.
16. + MARY ANN PICKINGILL was born in the third quarter of 1863 in Eastwood, Essex, England.
Mary married William Wood.
17. GEORGE PICKINGILL was born in the second quarter of 1867 in Canewdon, Essex, England.
George has no known children, but his history is on a separate page.
Sources:
1. 1816 baptism of George Pickingill. Parish registers for Hockley, Essex, England. FHL British Film 1593600 Items 14 - 31. Searched and extracted starting March 18, 2008 Tuesday.
2. 1851 Census of England, Essex, Little Wakering, District 6, Image No. 2, Ancestry.com. Public Record Office reference: H.O. 107 / 1777, Original Page No. 4, Stamped Page No. 538, No. of Householder’s Schedule 6, George Pickengill in the household of David Clemens. Searched on February 21, 2008 Thursday 12:21PM.
3. 1856 marriage of George Pickingill and Sarah Ann Bateman. Saint George, Gravesend, Kent, England. Batch No. M131332 Source Film No. 0992464, 0992467. IGI Individual Record. FamilySearch IGI v5.0. Searched on March 2, 2008 Sunday.
4. 1856 Marriage of George Pickingill and Sarah Ann Bateman. England & Wales, Marriage Index online at Ancestry.com. Date: Apr-May-Jun 1856; Registration District: Gravesend; County: Kent; Vol.: 2a; Page: 389. Searched on March 3, 2008 Monday.
5. 1856 Marriage Certificate of George Pickingill and Sarah Ann Bateman. From the General Register Office, Southport, Merseyside, England. Ordered March 13, 2008 8:45 PM.
6. 1858 Birth of Martha Ann Pickengale. England & Wales, Birth Index online at Ancestry.com. Date: Jul-Aug-Sep 1858; Registration District: Rochford; County: Essex; Vol.: 4a; Page: 149. Searched on March 3, 2008 Monday.
7. 1858 Birth Certificate of Martha Ann Pickengale. From the General Register Office, Southport, Merseyside, England. Ordered on March 13, 2008 8:45 PM.
8. 1861 Census of England, Essex, Eastwood, District 10, Image No. 3, Ancestry.com. Public Record Office reference: R.G. 9 1083, Original Page No. 3, Stamped Page No. 137, No. of Schedule 15, Household of George Pickengale. Searched on February 8, 2008 Friday 7:21PM.
9. 1861 Birth of Charles Frederick Pickingale. England & Wales, Birth Index online at Ancestry.com. Date: Apr-May-Jun 1861, Registration District: Rochford; County: Essex; Vol.: 4a; Page: 169. Searched on March 3, 2008 Monday.
10. 1862 Mary Ann Pittingale was mentioned in the Rochford Sessions. Chelmsford Chronicle - Friday 07 November 1862. The British Newspaper Archive online at http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk. Searched on February 18, 2012 Saturday 2:56 PM.
11. 1863 Birth of Mary Ann Pickingale. England & Wales, Birth Index online at Ancestry.com. Date: Jul-Aug-Sep 1863; Registration District: Rochford; County: Essex; Vol.: 4a; Page: 178. Searched on March 3, 2008 Monday.
12. 1867 Birth of George Pickingale. England & Wales, Birth Index online at Ancestry.com. Date: Apr-May-Jun 1867; Registration District: Rochford; County: Essex; Vol.: 4a; Page: 208. Searched on March 3, 2008 Monday.
13. 1871 Census of England, Essex, Canewdon, District 6, Image No. 21, Ancestry.com. Public Record Office reference: R.G. 10 16[ ]9, Original Page No. 21, Stamped Page No. 86, No. of Schedule 103, Household of George Pitengale. Searched on February 8, 2008 Friday 6:59 PM.
14. 1881 Census of England, Essex, Canewdon, District 6, Image No. 2, Ancestry.com. Public Record Office reference: RG 11/1771, Original Page No. 2, No. of Schedule 7, Household of George Pickingale. Searched on February 21, 2008 Thursday 11:53 AM.
15. 1887 James Taylor was mentioned stealing from George Pittingale in the newspaper. Chelmsford Chronicle - Friday 26 August 1887. The British Newspaper Archive online at http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk. Searched on February 18, 2012 Saturday 2:46 PM
16. 1887 Death Certificate of Sarah Ann Pittingale. From the General Register Office, Southport, Merseyside, England. Received on May 16, 2009 Saturday Morning.
17. 1887 burial of Sarah Ann Pittengale. Parish Registers of Canewdon, Essex, England. Burials: Page 39 No. 309, 1887 Sarah Ann Pittengale. Searched and extracted November 11, 2008 Tuesday.
18. 1887 James Taylor pleads guilty for stealing from George Pettingale. Chelmsford Chronicle - Friday 21 October 1887. The British Newspaper Archive online at http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk. Searched on February 18, 2012 Saturday 2:34 PM
19. 1891 Census of England, Essex, Canewdon, District 6, Image No. 2, Ancestry.com. Public Record Office reference: RG 12 / 1393, Original Page No. 2, No. of Schedule 11, Household of George Pickingill. Searched on February 21, 2008 Thursday 12:06 PM.
20. 1899 Sale advertisements of some properties in Canewdon, Essex. George Pittingale was one of the tenants in those properties. Essex Record Office, Document Reference: TS 286/1. Received in 2009.
21. 1901 Census of England, Essex, Canewdon, District 5, Image No. 4, Ancestry.com. Public Record Office reference: R.G. 13 / 1684, Original Page No. 4, No. of Schedule 23, Household of George Pickengal. Searched on February 8, 2008 Friday 3:31 PM.
22. 1908 Frederick Pickingale of Canewdon is mentioned as age 105 in the newspaper. Essex Newsman - Saturday 19 September 1908. The British Newspaper Archive online at http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk. Searched on March 10, 2012 Saturday 4:11 PM.
23. 1909 Death of George Pettingale. England & Wales, Death Index online at Ancestry.com. Date: Apr-May-Jun 1909; Age: 103; Registration District: Rochford; County: Essex; Vol.: 4a; Page: 311. Searched on March 3, 2008 Monday.
24. 1909 Death Certificate of George Pettingale. From the General Register Office, Southport, Merseyside, England. Received on May 16, 2009 Saturday Morning.
25. 1909 burial of George Pettingale. Parish Registers of Canewdon, Essex, England. Burials: Page 61 No. 484, 1909 George Pettingale. Searched and extracted on November 11, 2008 Tuesday.
26. 1909 obituary of George Pettingale. The Times, Apr 12, 1909; pg. 13; Issue 38931; col B online at The Times Digital Archives, 1785-1985. Searched on February 25, 2010 Thursday 8:38 PM.
27. 1909 obituary of Frederick Pickingale. Essex Newsman - Saturday 17 April 1909. The British Newspaper Archive online at http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk. Searched on March 10, 2012 Saturday 4:00 PM.
28. 1909 obituary of Frederick Pickingale. The Star, a newspaper of New Zealand, Issue 9579, 26 June 1909, Page 3 online on the website PAPERSPAST at http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Searched on December 10, 2010 Friday 7:42 PM.
29. 1909 obituary of Frederick Pickingale. The Star, a newspaper of New Zealand, Issue 9583, 1 July 1909, Page 2 online on the website PAPERSPAST at http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Searched on December 10, 2010 Friday 8:34 PM.
30. Magazine - Folklore, Vol. 71, December 1960 - “The Witches of Canewdon” by Eric Maple. Pages 247-248 about George Pickingill. Received from a friend in Australia in December 2009.
31. Magazine - The Essex Countryside, November 1961 - “Last Legends of Essex Witches - Witch lore of Canewdon” by Eric Maple (Part 2). From scan copy of article sent to me by a friend in Australia. Received on February 12, 2009, Thursday 2:08:43 PM.
32. Magazine - Folklore Vol. 73 Autumn 1962 - “The Witches of Dengie” by Eric Maple. Page 183 George Pickingill mentioned. From my own copy of the magazine purchased on December 5, 2009 Saturday.
33. Book - “The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft” by Ronald Hutton, 1999. Oxford University Press, ISBN-13: 978-0-19-285449-0. Page 297, About Jack Taylor’s recollection about George Pickingill. From my copy of the book that I purchased in the Spring of 2009.
34. Book - “Modern Wicca: a History from Gerald Gardner to the Present” by Michael Howard, 2010. Llewellyn Worldwide, ISBN 0738715883, 9780738715889. Chapter Three The Pickingill Connection, pages: 44 about E. W. “Bill” Liddell, 47 about Eric Maple in Canewdon, 51 about George Pickingill in Norfolk, 57-58 about Michael Howard’s visit to Canewdon in 1977, Lilian Garner, and George Pickingill. Book on Google Books online. Searched on December 2009.
35. Website - “Old George Pickingill and the History of Modern Witchcraft” from a website constructed by Scott Bisseker for Bill Liddell, 2006, www.pickingill.com. Article about George Pickingill. Searched on January 31, 2010 Sunday 7:30 PM.
First worked on in February 2008
Last updated on March 16, 2012 Friday 4:20 PM
Researched and Compiled by -- William Wallworth
Deadfamilies.com
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