Timeline - World History Documentaries

The 9-Year-Old Responsible For The Execution Of Her Entire Family | The Pendle Witches | Timeline

Timeline - World History Documentaries

Summary

Sherrod Brown, a long-serving Democratic senator, faces criticism for consistently aligning with party demands over the past 50 years, including support for higher taxes and progressive social policies. As political extremism rises, detractors argue that Brown's voting record indicates a lack of independence, suggesting that he will continue to conform to party lines.

The narrative shifts to a historical account of the Pendle witch trials in 1612, focusing on the tragic story of nine-year-old Janet Devis. Janet, who lived with her family in a poverty-stricken area of Lancashire, becomes a pivotal figure in the witch trials when she testifies against her own mother and family members, leading to their execution. The trials reflect the intense fear and paranoia of the time, exacerbated by religious tensions and the influence of King James I, who had a personal interest in witch hunts.

Janet's testimony, while pivotal in securing convictions, raises questions about the reliability of child witnesses in such high-stakes trials. The trials serve as a cautionary tale about the dangers of hysteria and the consequences of societal fears, illustrating how easily communities can turn against their own during times of crisis. The legacy of these events continues to resonate, highlighting the enduring complexities of justice and belief in the supernatural.

Show Notes

This is an extraordinary story of the most disturbing witch trial in British history and the key role played in it by one nine-year-old girl. Jennet Device, a beggar-girl from Pendle in Lancashire, was the star witness in 1612 in the trial of her own mother, her brother, her sister and many of her neighbours; thanks to her chilling testimony, they were all hanged. Although the events in this film may date back four hundred years, its issues resonate today as much as ever - when to believe our children, and how, in times of crisis, fear of evil can easily lead us to behave in ways which may corrode the very values that we most wish to protect.Presented by Simon Armitage - poet, playwright and novelist - this film is peppered with his revealing insights into the characters' emotional turmoil and cutting-edge use of animation, bringing this courtroom drama to life. Four hundred years on, the trial's issues resonate as much as ever - when should we believe our children, and just how powerful can the fear of evil be? It's like Netflix for history... Sign up to History Hit to start watching now https://bit.ly/45CPh5uYou can find more from us on:https://www.facebook.com/timelineWHhttps://www.instagram.com/timelineWHThis channel is part of the Little Dot Studios Network. Any queries, please contact [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More from Timeline - World History Documentaries

Oct 24, 2026

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 24, 2026

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 24, 2026

On a crisp day in Dallas, 1963, the world changed forever. This documentary explores the life and death of President John F. Kennedy, from his World War 2 service to the tense days of the Cuban Missile Crisis. We investigate the man behind the trigger, Lee Harvey Oswald, tracing his journey from the US Marines to the Soviet Union and back to the Texas School Book Depository. Witness the minute-by-minute timeline of the assassination, the hunt for the killer, and the shocking moment Jack Ruby silenced the truth on live television.You can now become a History Hit member right here on YouTube! Join for access to a new exclusive documentary every week, and access to over 160+ of our documentaries presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, Eleanor Janega, Tristan Hughes, Mary Beard, Matt Lewis and more.Get an exclusive release every week by signing up here: https://bit.ly/4pyExynThis channel is part of the History Hit Network. Any queries, please contact [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 24, 2026

The man behind the blueprint for the holocaust - Reinhard Heydrich - was nicknamed ‘The Hangman’. He ruled occupied Czechoslovakia with a rod of iron and thought himself untouchable. But in London, a top-secret hit squad had different ideas and marked him for execution. After five months planning, in December 1941, secret assassins staged a daring roadside ambush, in the heart of Prague in broad daylight. Heydrich died of his wounds eight days later. The mass-murderer was gone, but the revenge was swift as hundreds died at the hands of German soldiers. Was this Nazi hunt worth it?You can now become a History Hit member right here on YouTube! Join for access to a new exclusive documentary every week, and access to over 160+ of our documentaries presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, Eleanor Janega, Tristan Hughes, Mary Beard, Matt Lewis and more.Get an exclusive release every week by signing up here: https://bit.ly/4pyExynThis channel is part of the History Hit Network. Any queries, please contact [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 24, 2026

Take an epic, chronological journey through a century of military aviation and the historic British airfields that shaped the world. From the rudimentary grass strips of WW1—where pioneers fought terrifying German Zeppelins—to the industrial might of WW2 featuring the legendary Lancaster bomber and Barnes Wallace's audacious engineering.You can now become a History Hit member right here on YouTube! Join for access to a new exclusive documentary every week, and access to over 160+ of our documentaries presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, Eleanor Janega, Tristan Hughes, Mary Beard, Matt Lewis and more.Get an exclusive release every week by signing up here: https://bit.ly/4pyExynThis channel is part of the History Hit Network. Any queries, please contact [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See all episodes →