John Lambe

Calling himself "Doctor Lambe" (though he was not a licensed physician),[3] he claimed that he could read fortunes, identify diseases, repel witchcraft, and locate missing or stolen items with his crystal ball.

[5] Sometime before 1625, Lambe attracted the attention of George Villiers, a favourite of King Charles I, and he eventually became the Duke's personal adviser.

One man allegedly gathered wood chips from the tree as evidence, but the pieces attracted violent storms to his house, and he soon disposed of them.

Frightened Londoners made several attempts to punish Lambe for black magic, but due to the influence of Charles and Villiers, their campaigns were mostly ineffective.

[4] Eventually, though, angry and fearful Londoners became tired of Lambe's special treatment, and on 13 June 1628, an unruly mob stoned him to death as he exited a theatre.