It is seventeenth century England, a country divided in the aftermath of the English Civil War, and paranoia and superstition are rife throughout the land. In the village of Rithycombe in Somerset, Bridget Conyngham, the squire's beautiful young daughter, is abandoned to the mercy of lawless soldiers and paranoid villagers. Matthew Hopkins, Witchfinder General, is going about the country torturing anyone he doesn't like the look of, and the villagers of Rithycombe, suspicious of Bridget's healing abilities, are determined to save Hopkins the trouble of burning their witch. The novel 'Mistress Bridget' was originally published in 1898. This volume also includes all seven of E. Yolland's incredibly rare short stories.
 
Contents:
In Search of E. Yolland • Mistress Bridget • The Miser’s Secret • Only a Smudge! • Impostors? • The Secret of the Dead • Autumn Clouds • On the Spur of the Moment • In the Days of the Cagots.
 
Before now, not a single fact, not even the tiniest tidbit of information, had been discovered to shed light on the identity of E. Yolland. There was no clue to the writer's full name or sex, let alone anything more substantial. However, in the introduction to this volume, Gina R. Collia reveals the true identity of E. Yolland and paints a full and vivid picture of this forgotten Victorian author's life.