reres,
That serchen every lond and every streem,
As thikke as motes in the sonne beem,--
Blessynge halles, chambres, kichenes, boures,
Citees, burghes, castels, hye toures
Thropes, bernes, shipnes, dayeryes,--
This maketh that ther been no fairyes."

Five hundred years, however, had to pass before the most implicit belief
in hobs, wraiths, and boggles was to disappear, and even at the present
day those who have intimate associations with the population of the North
Yorkshire moors know that traces of the old superstitions still survive.

Several books have been written on the folklore of Yorkshire and from them
it is possible to get a rough idea of the superstitions common to many
parts of the county, but these do not particularly concern the district
surrounding Pickering. We should probably have never heard of many curious
facts specially belonging to this part of the county if a small manuscript
book of closely written notes had not been discovered by Mr Richard
Blakeborough of Stockton-on-Tees, who has kindly allowed me to quote from
it. The stories were collected by one George Calvert, who writes in 1823,
and frequently mentions that the customs he describes were rapidly dying
out. Under the heading of "Witch Hags who have dwelt hereabouts" he
writes--

"They be so great in number that mayhap it will shew the more wisdom, if
mention be made only of those who in their day wrought some wondrous deed
or whose word cast fear upon all."

From this list I have picked out those that belong to the neighbourhood of
Pickering, and by the letters placed after each name one can discover in
the key given below the special arts practised by each "hag."

"Nancy Nares o' Pickering" [T V Z W Y].
"Nanny Pearson o' Goathland" [X].
"Nan Skaife o' Spaunton Moor," called also Mary or Jenny.
"Aud Mother Migg o' Cropton" [Z].
(Her real name was Sabina Moss).
"Sally Craggs o' Allerston" [V Z].
"Dina Sugget o' Levisham" [W Z].
"Hester Mudd o' Rosedale" [T V].
"And Emma Todd o' Ebberston [Y].

KEY TO LETTERS AGAINST THE WITCHE'S NAMES.

T Did also use the evil eye.
U Could turn thersels into a hare.
V Could turn thersels into a cat.
W Had a familiar.
X Could cripple a quickening bairn.
Y Well up in all matters of the black art.
Z Did use ye crystal.

"All these," says Calvert, "were at one time of great note and did in
their day work great deed and cast many an evil spell and charm and were