Mary Pannal

Mary Pannal (died 1603) was an English herbalist and cunning woman who was accused of, and executed for, witchcraft in 1603.

Mary lived in Ledston, West Yorkshire where she had a reputation as a cunning woman or witch. She was accused of witchcraft following the death of a young child named William Witham in 1593 to whom she had administered a herbal mixture. The location and method of her execution is unclear; she was either hanged in York after her trial or burnt at the stake near Castleford.

The ghost of Mary Pannal is supposed to haunt the woods near Pannal Hill, near Castleford. The suggestion is that if someone see's her ghost, which will be leading a horse, then someone close to them will die.

A play inspired by her biography, 'Maleficium! The Life, Trial, and Death of Mary Pannal' was written by Chris Gibson.