UK's Oldest Witch Leaves Six-Figure Fortune

Patricia Crowther, a prominent figure in modern witchcraft and widely known as the UK's "oldest witch," passed away at 97 on September 24 last year. She bequeathed a significant estate valued at £322,000. Crowther achieved national fame in 1971 with her BBC Radio Sheffield program, "A Spell of Witchcraft," which she co-wrote and presented with her then-husband, Arnold Crowther.

The majority of her substantial fortune has been left to Ian Lilleyman, who participated in a Wiccan handfasting ceremony with Crowther in 1981. Further provisions in her will include gifts of cash and jewelry for her friends. Notable among her possessions was a collection of signed first-edition books by the occultist Aleister Crowley.

As a High Priestess in Gardnerian Wicca, Patricia Crowther was instrumental in maintaining the vibrancy and accessibility of witchcraft through her writings and teachings. She co-authored "The Witches Speak" in 1965 and penned several other influential books, including "Lid off the Cauldron: A Handbook for Witches." Her work documented the realities of witchcraft and provided guidance for practitioners, solidifying her profound legacy in the spiritual community.

Before her influential role in the witchcraft community, Crowther had a career as a professional entertainer and dancer, even performing puppet and magic shows for children. In a 1990s interview, she recounted a belief that her late husband, through a ritual, had prevented Hitler's invasion of Britain, attributing it alongside the Battle of Britain as a factor in Hitler's decision not to invade.