News Home Secretary called upon to introduce legislation to pardon women executed under the Witchcraft Act

Though the executions took place in 1652, Maidstone’s council leader says confronting historic injustice is key to tackling gender-based abuse today

Councillor Stuart Jeffery, Leader of Maidstone Borough Council, has written to the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood urging the government to introduce legislation that would grant a general pardon to the hundreds of women executed under the Witchcraft Act (1562), including seven women hanged at Penenden Heath in 1652 following one of the largest witch trials in English history.

In his letter Cllr Jeffery states that the women, Anne Ashby, Mary Brown, Anne Martyn, Mildred Wright, Susan Pickenden, Anne Wilson (all of Cranbrook), and Mary Reade (of Lenham), were convicted not for acts of maleficia, but for being poor, single, widowed, or healers. The councillor goes onto say that their persecution was rooted in misogyny, fear, and social scapegoating adding that for the three women that were granted judicial reprieve, it arrived too late.

A petition presented to the Council earlier this year calls for a permanent memorial to be erected in Maidstone to honour these women. The petition states:

“They were persecuted for being old, poor, for being a 'nuisance' or not going to church… for being a burden or for being different. 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.”

Councillor Claire Kehily, who represents Coxheath and Farleigh, has led the campaign to commemorate these women and raise awareness of the injustice, she said:

“They weren’t witches, they were women who had no one to speak for them. They were executed for being different.”

The council is working with local heritage groups and the Maidstone Museum to support the initiative. A new exhibition at the museum explores the history of superstition and persecution in Kent, featuring artefacts such as witch bottles and plague-related items. As part of the recent Local Heritage Week, Councillor Kehily delivered a public talk titled The History of Witchcraft in Maidstone.

In his letter to the Home Secretary, Cllr Jeffery draws a parallel with Turing’s Law (2013), which granted posthumous pardons to those convicted of consensual same-sex relationships, he writes:

“These historic acts of murder cannot be undone, but those women could be granted a general pardon by a similar route.”

Elected member for Penenden Heath, Councillor Tony Harwood and Cabinet Member for Planning Policy and Management said that he felt a “heavy responsibility” to “ensure the memory of the unspeakable cruelties inflicted on so many at the Heath are never forgotten”. He went on to say:

“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."

This call for justice aligns with Maidstone Borough Council’s broader commitment to tackling gender-based violence. Under the Community Safety Partnership Plan 2025–2028, the council has introduced a new priority focused on preventing and addressing violence against women and girls. This includes:

• Establishing a dedicated sub-group within the Safer Maidstone Partnership.
• Running media campaigns and supporting male allyship.
• Collaborating with the White Ribbon campaign.
• Hosting focus groups and a Citizens’ Assembly to amplify women’s voices.
• Challenging harmful behaviours and advocating for cultural change.

Cllr Jeffery commented in the plan’s introduction:

“We will work hard to make Maidstone a place that everyone feels proud of and to ensure that everyone feels safe and secure.”

Maidstone Borough Council believes that acknowledging past injustices while actively working to prevent future ones is essential to building a safer, more inclusive community."

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