James ‘Cunning’ Murrell: The white witch of Hadliegh
By JackDaw.. 1992
James Murrell was born the seventh son of a seventh son, a statistic that in the past was thought to be of great magickal importance, at Rochford in 1780. The Rochford Hundred, an area of Southeast Essex is often referred to as “The Witch Country” due to it’s numerous and famous male and female witches. Of all his brothers and sisters he was the only one to receive an education.
Before becoming a “ Cunning-man” he was apprenticed for a time as surveyor but later also worked as a chemist’s still man in London. In about 1812 he set himself up as a shoemaker in Hadleigh, Essex, until he came into contact with a witch/wizard called Neboad. From Neboad Murrell received teaching in the magickal arts and a book of magick and conjurations. At first it seems that Murrell was rather cynical of magickal powers, but this soon changed. After a performing a few rituals to help people to his surprise he found that they worked. Eventually he gave up shoemaking in order to work full time, as a Cunning-man and soon became known as the Cunning-man of Hadleigh. He married and fathered 20 children.
Cunning Murrell lived in a small weatherboard cottage set in a narrow lane facing the south door of Hadleigh Church. From this cottage Murrell worked his Magick and it was to this place that people came for his help. But often after much deliberation, as the services of this great magickian were never to be engaged lightly, often folk would linger for some time before knocking at his door. When the door opened they would be greeted by a small man with piercing green eyes and a ruddy complexion. He often wore a bob tailed coat and is said to have had the aura of a great authority. In fact Murrell’s reputation as a Cunning-man was unequalled. Not only local people but also wealthy and aristocratic clients from outside the area would seek him out, at the height of his fame Hadliegh post office received three time as much mail for Murrell as it did for the whole of the rest of the village. He possessed an immense knowledge of herbal remedies, wort cunning, magick and astrology. He owned a number of hand written Grimoires as well as books on astrology, herbalism and magick including The Magus by Frances Barrett.
The cottage front room in which Murrell held his consultations had bunches of drying herbs hanging from the ceiling. In one corner was his chest (now held by the central museum at southend) in which he kept his magickal books and papers. On a table could be seen a magickal knife a human skull and various other magickal implements. Next to the fire stood a large brass telescope and next to this a high back chair in which the Cunning-man would sit.
He normally charged no more than a shilling for his services and often he was content with sixpence or whatever the person could afford. But if asked to summon forces from the other world he generally demanded half a crown.
He always asked if their problem was “high” or “low” by which he meant, did they require magickal or material help. The material help normally came in the form of a herbal cure, if magickal then Murrell would set about raising good spirits or “good angels” as he would describe them, These would then be set the task of combating the ones that were responsible for the trouble. When he wished to trace lost property he used a magick looking glass. First he would charm its surface and then ask the person who had lost the item in question to look into the mirror. After the mists had cleared they were said to be able to see where the item was and/or who had stolen it. He is also known to have used a pail of water into which he poured a strange black liquid to trace a long lost husband. In it she said her husband’s ship sinking during a great storm. No official word of her husband’s fate ever came but she knew.
Cunning Murrell was also a renowned astrologer and was said to be able to predict events years ahead.
He had great skill in the treatment of animals, normally applying conventional treatment but always with a short magickal ritual. But he sometimes cured sick cows and horses by the mere act of laying on of hands.
When he travelled, often great distances, it was always at night. Frequently he was asked to exorcise someone. If he suspected that the victim was bewitched then he would prepare one of his famous witch bottles. This was a concoction comprising the urine of the bewitched, together with herbs and pins, these were put into an iron bottle, which he had made for him by the local blacksmith, and heated on a fire. The room would be in total darkness, and the doors locked, the family instructed to maintain a strict silence for if not, the counter spell would be broken. Soon footsteps would be heard outside, often followed by furious knocking. Sometimes the voice of the ill-wisher could be heard crying out for them to stop.
Cunning Murrell was believed to be the master of witches because it is said he possessed the power to compel any other witch to submit to his will. He is said to have once engaged in a contest with another witch from Canewdon, a local village. To demonstrate the superiority of his power over hers he commanded her to die and then and there she fell down dead.
As Murrell grew old he withdrew from providing magickal help a little although he always had time for those in dire need. Near the end of 1860 Murrell was taken ill. He asked for a pen and paper, and calculated that he would die on the 16th of December and calmly awaited the end. His last hours were disturbed by the frantic efforts of the local vicar trying to administer the last rites. At last Murrell could stand it no longer, and fixing his piercing eyes on him, he roared “ I am the Devil’s master”- and with this the vicar ran from the room. So died James ‘Cunning’ Murrell on of the greatest cunning men of English witch mythology.
After his death his landlord buried the chest of magickal books in the garden of the cottage. But one of Murrell’s sons, Buck Murrell immediately dug it up again. The contents survived until 1956, when most papers and letters were destroyed because they were thought to be worthless. Thankfully the novelist Arthur Morrison, has left us a description of the contents of the chest. There were books on astronomy and astrology, old medical books, a culpepper’s annotated in the wizard’s own hand, and other books dealing with conjuration and geomancy. One of these books, the book given to Murrell by Neboad was said to be over three hundred years old. This book is said to be still in existence secretly stored somewhere near the village of Hadliegh.
Turns out it was in fact published in the Golden Dawn supplement 1988
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