Episode 23 – The Fenstanton Witch
In this episode Will and Mike travel back in time to the early 18th century to examine some diabolical goings on in rural Cambridgeshire in M.R. James’s ‘The Fenstanton Witch‘.
Show notes:
- Story Locations (Monty’s World)
This story features many real-world locations, starting in King’s College Cambridge, and following Hardman and Ashe up the Huntindon Road (now the A14) past Lolworth and on to the church at Fenstanton. - Alchemy! Enlightenment! Revolution!
… Britain in the late 17th and early 18th centuries had it all. Mike recommends two books set around Oxford and Cambridge in this period, both with a pleasing mixture of science, swashbuckling and genre fun: An Instance of the Fingerpost, by Iain Pears, and Quicksilver, by Neal Stephenson. - ‘Stories I have tried to write’ by M.R. James (A Podcast to the Curious)
Although never published in his lifetime, James did mention this story in his essay ‘Stories I have tried to write’, published in 1929. We provided a full reading of the essay back in November 2011. - ‘A Night in King’s College Chapel’ by M.R. James (Ghosts & Scholars)
In this episode we mention the only other James story to be set at King’s College, another unpublished story called ‘A Night in King’s College Chapel’. - Parker’s Piece, Cambridge (Wikipedia)
James refers to snipe being shot in this city centre park back at the time when this story took place. - Isaac Newton’s Catflap (Wikipedia)
In ‘The Fenstanton Witch’ James refers to the popular myth that Sir Isaac Newton invented the cat flap whilst at King’s College Cambridge. - The Methuen Treaty (Wikipedia)
James drops a lot of historical details into his description of 18th Century college life. An example of this is his reference to the MEthuen Treaty with Portugal, which included trade regulations that allows wines to be imported from Portugal without tax. - The Witch of Berkeley (Living the History)
Thinking of turning to God when your pact with the devil turns sour? Read the story of the Witch of Berkeley first. C.S. Watkins “History and the Supernatural in Medieval England” provides expert commentary on what went wrong for her – and Hardman and Abel. Also, check out this cool illustration of the witch being carried away by a demon! - 91st Psalm (Biblegateway.com)
At the moment in their ritual when the demon appears, Hardman is just reading the 91st psalm. - Sheila Hodgson (suttonelms.org.uk)
Will first encountered this story in the form of ‘Turn, Turn, Turn’, a 1977 radio play by Sheila Hodgson that was broadcast as part of a series of plays based on the ideas mentioned by M.R. James in ‘Stories I have tried to write’. - The 17th Century Witchcraft panic in Cambridgeshire (bbc.co.uk)
It is likely that this story was inspired by the witchcraft hysteria which swept through western Cambridgeshire in the mid 17th century. More information of it’s victims can be found at witching.org, where you can also find an account of the trials written at the time. - Arthur Gray aka Ingulphus (Ghosts & Scholars)
Arthur Gray was a contemporary of M.R. James at Cambridge, where Gray was Master of Jesus College. Between 1910 and 1925 he published a number of ghost stories set at Jesus College under the pseudonym ’Ingulphus’.
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A good stew of thin meat, I think – as you say, this is a pretty straightforward by-the-numbers approach to a horror story, and I’m not surprised that James didn’t feel it was good enough to be published. I think one has to read for the atmosphere, and let oneself be carried along, rather than delving into details and meanings as one would perhaps prefer to do.
This story is also available in “The Haunted Dolls House and other Ghost Stories”.The Penguin 2006 edition with notes and introduction by S.T. Joshi .
Really love your map/Monty’s World project – have decided to happily blame you for the several hours I spent looking at various satellite views and checking wikipedia for history on various places and houses. But thank you for spending the time putting that together – it’s especially fun to track the sites of the stories.
Also who was the Arthur Grey that was mentioned in the first part of the podcast? (Or am I missing him somewhere in a link?)
Hi! Glad you like Will’s map, it does look awesome. If it helps, I guess you’ve saved time by not needing to drive to those places…
Arthur Gray was Master of Jesus College and wrote antiquarian ghost stories under the name Ingulphus. Our very own reader Hamish did the design and type setting for the republished Oleander Press edition a few years ago – well worth a look! http://mrjp.me/nbt
I actually love the creature in this story. It kind of reminds me of the beastie from the Mothman legend, although I see the Toho monster resemblance! Godzilla vs. The Fenstanton Demon!
I think, had James taken this story and re-wrote it later, ironed it out and changed the characters to students, it would have been a far more solid story, although it would become rather too reminiscent of Lovecraft’s ‘The Houd’.
The BBC play “Turn, Trun, Turn” was re-broadcast on Radio7 (aka Radio4extra) over Christmas (together with “Echoes From The Abbey”), and so it might turn up again in their cycle? The broadcast tapes are lost, I believe (like much of British radio), but a good quality off-air recording was used (remastered) and sound pretty good considering, better than copies I’d previously heard. I don’t know if there’s a big enough market for a commercial release however. I think they have very few of the broadcast tapes left, so would have to reply on off-air copies for most of the plays.
Regarding the Flickr photos from Fenstanton, I initially thought that photo of Will by the gravestone was Gok Wan!
Oh God, I really have to fire my stylist!
Hi Chaps
I enjoyed this podcast – not the best James story but I do have a slight affinity to it because it is the only one which mentions Kent, where I am from.
In regard to the conventional demon, though I agree this does have the feel of an early attempt at writing, I’ve always thought James may have used the conventional look and description because it appropriate to the contemporary accounts and descriptions (for example in the old woodcuts). Did James in fact describe what people of the time were saying they saw?
Just a thought
Maybe you could hire Gok, what with all the fame and money that comes from podcasting!
Dear Will & Mike, thank you for another enjoyable podcast! (*^^*)/
You mentioned Sheila Hodgson made this story into a radio-play. While I haven’t heard this (how I wish the BBC would re-release it!), I have read the short story version, which she also wrote. It’s called “The Turning Point”, and I’m wondering if either of you might also have read it?
If not, you absolutely must! It’s in her book “The Fellow Travellers”, which is a whole collection of stories she wrote based on the ideas in “Stories I Have Tried to Write”. I can’t say the stories are as beautifully creepy as some of James’, but they have their own unsettling charm. At least, I liked them (^^)
Amazon has it as an e-book:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/THE-FELLOW-TRAVELLERS-ebook/dp/B006HLA35S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362826832&sr=8-1
Please check if you haven’t read it! And feel free to share with the podcast, too.
Oh… I also wanted to tell you, I really like the music at the beginning of this episode. I’m not sure if WIll also composed it, but it’s so nice!
Omg… I am so sorry! (>_<)
Just after posting my previous comment, I realised you had already introduced "Stories I have Tried to Write" before! Sorry about that!
Looking forward to the next episode (*^^)/