Claude Bernhard Marchal

One of the possible instigators of a witchcraft pogrom in Waldersbach.

"It was especially in our fortunate family that God made the good seeds sprout that we were given by His minister Mr. Pelletier. I knew him, not in the days of his ministry among us, but when he came to visit and strengthen his people in the holy doctrine. Then (as before and during Mr. Pelletier's ministry in the country) holy meetings were held in the parish; they were made up of the true faithful. These meetings were usually held at the home of my uncle Sebastien and aunt in the house where Louis Spenler now lives. But Satan put all Hell in motion against these meetings, he made people mock all those who attended them, then they slandered them; Satan used all the means he could to succeed in his schemes. A villager of Waldersbach fired a shot through my aunt's window-pane and the ball passed very close to her husband's head in the bed and pierced an inner wall. There were two families in particular who were the most inveterate attackers: {here the French is transcribed into Greek letters, to protect the names from chance readers} the Neuvillers of Waldersbach and the Marchals of Fouday; the father of Nicolas Marchal and the father's sister. These two died blind {by inference, from the wrath of God for persecuting His people; the Greek text ends here}. [marginal note: See {Greek} Sebastian Ringelspach {end Greek} in the Register of the Families of the Parish, p. 111.] Thus Satan grew most powerful; they no longer dared to gather and each had his private service at home. But the Evil One grew greater and greater; my uncle had met in him a great devil. I often heard him bewail this depravity; at last he decided to leave all sooner than risk following the multitude in doing evil. He left with his family, and abandoned us to the mercenaries who arrived to render the country as dark as the people's works deserved." (The grandmother's story ends here.)

• http://www.math.ubc.ca/~cayf/Gockley.pdf , page 92