Archive experts will next week lift the lid on the life of Nottinghamshire exorcist John Darrell, an interesting link to Shakespeare and an investigation by the then Archbishop of Canterbury.

Nottinghamshire County Council’s archives service is to host a public talk on Wednesday about the life and times of John Darrell who was an Anglican clergyman in the 1500s who was famous for his Puritan views and practiced exorcisms.

Darrell, who was born in 1562 in the Mansfield area came to prominence when he published an account of exorcising a girl in Derbyshire. From 1596-97 he conducted further exorcisms, mainly at St Mary’s Church in Nottingham where he was appointed a curate. He also carried out exorcisms in Staffordshire and Lancashire.

During his fascinating life he:

· Claimed he knew of 13 witches in Nottinghamshire and said that people’s sins were the direct result of evil which needed to be exorcised

· Was the subject of an investigation by the then Archbishop of Canterbury – John Whitgift – and became accused of fraudulent exorcism. He was then deprived of holy orders and sent to prison, released in 1599.

· Coined names for devils such as ‘Flibbertigibbet’ and ‘Smulkin’ – and these names went onto appear in Shakespeare’s King Lear. Shakespeare had read about Darrell from the Archbishop’s investigating prosecutor Samuel Harsnett who published a book called A Declaration of Egregious Popish Impostures in 1603.

Talk author Ruth Imeson, Team Manager for Heritage at Nottinghamshire County Council’s archives service, said: “It will be a fascinating talk which will explore John Darrell’s extraordinary life. I will remind the audience that in those times people were driven to fear of the thoughts of demons and spirits which is why the idea of exorcism was of such interest and cause of much debate within communities. The date of Darrell’s death is also something of a mystery which will be explored in the talk as well as we explore what happened to him.”

The talk will draw on parish records and other documents which are available to the public at Nottinghamshire County Council’s archives service.

The event is one of many taking place within the archives over the coming months. Find out more by visiting the council’s website: www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/events