The name Nutter is famous in the Pendle area of Lancashire. (Both Burnley and Barrowford are in the Pendle area. Pendle Hill dominates the landscape round about.) There were several famous witch trials in England in the 17th Century, and one of the most famous was the Lancashire Witch Trials. This involved several women from the Pendle area who were found guilty and put to death for being witches. It's thought by many today that they weren't witches at all, but simple countrywomen who were a bit strange, used herbs as remedies for illnesses, or didn't get on with their neighbours. However, one of the women who was tried and died was Alice Nutter, who was a gentlewoman - her beautiful house is still standing in the village of Roughlee, near Barrowford.

Louise's seven times Great-Grandmother was born several decades after the witch trials in about 1700, but she was also called Alice Nutter. As far as we know, she wasn't part of the same family as THE Alice Nutter the witch. But obviously the name Alice Nutter was still thought of with pride in the area for her parents to have given her that first name.

Louise's 7x Great Grandmother, Alice Nutter, married John Stansfield on 25th October 1718 in Colne parish church. She bore him ten children, and the marriage lasted for 45 years, till her death. They seem to have lived for much of the time around Colne Edge, but in 1738 there was a settlement order to Barnoldswick, a small town about six miles to the north of Barrowford. This must indicate that the family were in poverty at this time because a settlement order was imposed when a family could not care for their own means and needed parish relief. They could be sent all over the country to the last parish that had responsibility for them. The Stansfields could consider themselves to be 'lucky' that they were sent only a few miles away. At some time, the work situation must have improved and they were able to earn enough to care for themselves, because John was living at Colne Edge when he died in 1768, which was also where he was born.