Before the witch trials: dancing, scandal and the law on Sark in 1626

Before the witch trials came dancing.

At Pentecost in 1626, six young women were convicted of dancing contrary to court orders. The dancing took place in Marie Rogier’s barn at Le Fort.

Job Nicolle was about thirty-five. He played the rebebe, a small bowed instrument related to the rebeck, and the surviving reconstruction describes him as calling the dancers.

Rolin le Brocq testified that he saw Marie Dolbel pass through a hedge with Philippe Vaudin, Jonas’s son, on their way into the barn.

Job himself gave evidence. Six women were convicted. The surviving material does not establish why Job was not.

Dancing was already prohibited

Guernsey’s Royal Court had prohibited dancing since the sixteenth century. Sark followed the same Reformed tradition of church and court discipline.

Dancers, musicians and people who allowed dances in their homes could all be brought before the authorities.

Marie Dolbel named Job Nicolle

On 28 August 1626, Marie Dolbel was brought before the court. The surviving reconstruction describes her as visibly about five months pregnant.

She said Job Nicolle was the father.

Job denied it and gave Isaac Vaudin as his bail.

Sara Vibert and Amos Vaudin after dark

The surviving reconstruction describes Sara Vibert as one of the Pentecost dancers, and Amos Vaudin as a servant in his twenties.

On 14 March 1627, the court recorded that Amos and Sara were carrying on scandalously together. Amos was forbidden to be out of his master’s house at an unseemly hour without reasonable cause, on pain of corporal punishment.

Sara had disobeyed the constable’s demand to appear before the court. She was committed to prison.

On 12 December 1627, the constable reported that he had found Amos and Sara alone together at night on several occasions. The court ordered them not to keep company scandalously together, again on pain of corporal punishment.

The surviving reconstruction records that Amos and Sara married nine months later.

The witchcraft case came the following year

In 1627, Job Nicolle was arrested alongside Rachel Alexandre and Judith Alexandre and taken to Castle Cornet.

Rachel alone was convicted of sorcery. Job was banished for great scandals, not for sorcery.

The surviving record does not connect the Pentecost dancing prosecution with the later witchcraft case.

Rachel Alexandre’s case is covered in Sark’s Witch Trials. Jean Nicole’s earlier imprisonment and escape from Castle Cornet are covered in Jean Nicole’s escape from Castle Cornet.