In 1583 a rather curious point of law was raised in connection with a
pending witch-trial at St. Helier's. On the 15th of February in that
year, a suspected witch named _Marion Corbel_, who had been imprisoned
in the Castle awaiting her trial, suddenly died. Whereupon her
relatives came forward and claimed to be heirs to her goods and
chattles, seeing that she had not been convicted of the imputed crime,
and urging that her death put an end to further criminal proceedings.
The Queen's Procureur, however--it was in the reign of
Elizabeth--contended that death was no bar to the completion of the
indictment, although it had effectually removed the criminal from the
jurisdiction of the Court, as far as punishment was concerned. The
very reasonable claim of the deceased woman's relatives was therefore
set aside, and the defunct of course being found guilty, her
possessions reverted to the crown.

Again, forty years later, in 1623, an old woman of sixty, named _Marie
Filleul_, daughter of _Thomas Filleul_, of the parish of St.
Clement's, was tried before a jury of twenty-four of her countrymen,
and found guilty of the diabolical crime of Sorcery. She was therefore
hanged and burnt as a witch, and her goods were confiscated to the
King [James I.], and to the Seigneurs to whom they belonged.

It may be interesting to note here the opinion of Mr. Philippe Le
Geyt, the famous commentator on the constitution and laws of Jersey,
and one of the most enlightened men of his time, who for many years
was Lieutenant-Bailiff of that island. He was born in 1635 and died in
1715, in his eighty-first year. In Vol. I., page 42, of his works,
there occurs a passage of which the following is a translation:--

As Holy Scripture forbids us to allow witches to live, many