THE LOWESTOFT WITCHES

DIANA BOCKING

WIDOW AND MOTHER

The Bocking family is one about which very little is known.

Diana Bocking, the mother of the bewitched Jane was not born in Lowestoft so her maiden name is not known, although records show that she did live there after her marriage. She was married to Henry Bocking the son of William and Jeane Bocking who was born in Lowestoft in 1616.  Only one child is recorded from this union and that is Jane who was born at Lowestoft in August 1647 making her 15 years old at the time she was "bewitched".

Diana appears to have been a widow by 1653 (although there is no record of her husband's burial at Lowestoft) for in that year she purchased in her own right  a copyhold house and land at the north end of High Street.  However her time as a property owner was short-lived because four years later she sold all the land and the following year she sold the house as well.  Obviously her "fortunes" were failing because in 1656 the records show that Widow Bocking received a payment from the town Poor Rate .

Eight years after the trial she can be found living in a small rented tenement in town.

She died at Lowestoft at Lowestoft in October 1680 and is described in the burial register as "an ancient woman".

All the parish records remain mute concerning the fate of her daughter the bewitched Jane Bocking.