The forgotten true-life tale of a North-East nobleman, who faced being hanged for plotting to murder his father and wife by witchcraft, is rediscovered in a new book. Mark Tallentire reports.

THE year is 1544. Henry Lord Neville, the future 5th Earl of Westmorland, is unhappily married and burdened by huge gambling debts.

For help, the future lord of County Durham’s Raby and Brancepeth castles turns to Gregory Wisdom, a self-taught physician, magician and master conman.

Wisdom had already sold Neville a “magic” ring, apparently guaranteeing him gambling success and mystical abilities.

But his latest scheme would top the lot.

Wisdom offered to solve Neville’s financial woes by murdering his father, Ralph Neville, the incumbent 4th Earl of Westmorland, and his wife, Lady Anne Manners, by magic.

Inevitably, the plot fell flat, and 18 months later Neville was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder.

The young nobleman never faced trial and, although he spent some time behind bars, was released in 1547.

Neville died in 1564, Wisdom bought his way into the Royal College of Physicians and their story would likely have died along with him, had it not been for Alec Ryrie, a professor of the history of Christianity at Durham University.

Professor Ryrie rediscovered Neville’s eight-page confession, penned from his prison cell, in the Public Records Office, in London.

Ten years on, the 38-year-old, from Edmundbyers, County Durham, has published The Sorcerer’s Tale, uncovering a world of cut-throat medicine, Tudor gangs and street-corner wizards.

He said: “I thought there was some important history in there, but most of all I thought it was fun.

“It’s a good story, in particular this central character of the swindler. He tried to cover his tracks and even now we can only get glimpses of the man – but there’s something very compelling about him.

“Neville is arrested initially on suspicion of conspiracy to murder his father and for a few weeks it’s a major scandal and it looks as though he might be hanged. But once his full confession comes out, it’s clear he’s as much a victim as anything.”

■ The Sorcerer’s Tale is published by Oxford University Press, priced £8.99.