While undoubtedly the historiography of witchcraft has undergone a renaissance in the past two decades, these developments have not always been speedy to filter down the regional incidents, especially in the instance of the Lancashire trials. Moreover, studies of this region have had a tendency to focus upon the two renowned trials of 1612 and 1633. The purpose of this study is to provide a more extensive and inclusive study of allegedly supernatural incidents in this region, which acknowledges historiographical progression. In the process a multitude of incidents and individuals which have been neglected will be assessed, such as the 'blesser' Mary Shawe, the dispossession of Richard Dugdale et al. In doing so not only will much be revealed about the evolution of beliefs regarding the supernatural in the local community, but also how they were interpreted and manipulated nationally, and in the process both reflected and made significant contributions to politico-religious debates