GWEN FERCH ELLIS ( tua 1542 – 1594)
Yn 1594, cyhuddwyd Gwen Ferch Ellis o gyflawni gwrachyddiaeth. Yn ôl pob sôn, roedd hi’n swynwraig ac yn weledydd, ac yn anffodus gadawodd un o’i swynau yng Ngloddaeth, tŷ Thomas Mostyn, oedd yn ddyn hynod ddylanwadol ar y pryd.
Roedd Gwen yn gwneud ei bywoliaeth o wnïo a gwau, ac roedd hi hefyd yn creu meddyginiaethau gwerin ar gyfer ei ffrindiau, ei chymdogion ac anifeiliaid pan oeddent yn sâl. Roedd hi wedi bod yn briod deirgwaith yn ei bywyd.
Pan ofynnodd yr esgob iddi, wedi iddi gael ei chyhuddo o wrachyddiaeth, a oedd hi erioed wedi defnyddio swynau, ei hymateb diniwed oedd ‘Wrth gwrs’, ac aeth ymlaen i adrodd un.
Cafodd ei hanfon i’r carchar, a gofynnodd yr ynad i’r bobl leol a oedd ganddyn nhw unrhyw dystiolaeth bod Gwen yn wrach, neu gyhuddiadau yn ei herbyn. Tystiodd 7 person yn ei herbyn.
Tystiodd beili a’i gynorthwyydd fod gan Gwen ddiafol, ac eu bod hwy wedi ei weld ar ffurf pryfyn.
Tystiodd gwraig melinwr lleol fod Gwen wedi taflu gwrachyddiaeth at ei mab a’i lofruddio.
Cafwyd Gwen Ferch Ellis yn euog o un gyhuddiad o wrachyddiaeth droseddol, a chafodd hi’r gosb eithaf. Crogwyd hi yn Ninbych yn 1594.
Darllen Pellach:
Welsh Witches – Richard Suggett.
https://parish.churchinwales.org.uk/a065/history-en/gwen-ferch-elis-1542-1594/
E. Lois yw arlunydd Prosiect Drudwen, Rhithganfyddiad a phrosiect #GwrachodCymru, ymhlith pethau eraill. Mae hi ar Instagram fel @efalois a Twitter fel @efalois.
GWEN FERCH ELLIS
In 1594, Gwen Ferch Ellis was accused of witchcraft. She was apparently a charmer and a soothsayer, and unfortunately one of her charms was found in Gloddaeth, the home of Thomas Mostyn, who was a very influential man at the time.
Gwen made her living from knitting and sewing, and she also made homeophathic remedies for her friends, her neighbours, and animals when they were ill. She was married three times. When the Bishop asked her, once she’d been accused of witchcraft, if she’d ever used charms, she stated ‘Yes, yes… of course I do’, and proceeded to recite one.
She was sent to prison, and the local magistrate asked people if they had any proof that Gwen was a witch, or accusations against her. Seven people testified against her.
A bailiff and his assistant testified that Gwen had a devil, and that they had seen it in the form of a fly.
A local miller’s wife accused Gwen of throwing witchcraft at her son and murdering him.
Gwen Ferch Ellis was found guilty of felonious witchcraft, and she was sentenced to death. She was the first woman in Wales to be hanged for witchcraft.
Further Reading:
Welsh Witches – Richard Suggett. https://parish.churchinwales.org.uk/a065/history-en/gwen-ferch-elis-1542-1594/
E. Lois is the illustrator of Prosiect Drudwen, Rhithganfyddiad and the #GwrachodCymru project. She is on Instagram as @efalois and Twitter as @efalois.