1- Changes attitudes to witchcraft Flashcards
John Holt
-oversaw 12 trials, each one had acquittal
-Murdock case 1701, resulted in lots of protest against accused
-shows significance making sure people weren’t convicted- his attitude and impact on cases heavily influenced his predecessors
-created stepping stones for future with handlement of crimes
-HOWEVER still widespread beliefs, predecessor Matthew Hale created larger impact- willing to accept dubious testimonies
Sir George Mackenzie
-Same realm as Holt and was concerned after 1660-61 trials
-published Laws and Customs of Scotland in Matters Criminal 1678
-belief that most people accused were innocent
-he dismissed cases whilst being Lord Advocate
-was concerned when torture or foul play
-his scepticism led to Alice Mollard being the last women executed in 1685
-Jane Wenham was the last acquitted in 1712
Demon Drummer of Tedworth 1662
-William Drury was arrested by JP John Mompesson, Mompesson confiscated Drury’s drum and kept it in his house
- Began to to witness strange disturbances in his house, thumping noises, drum beats, strange lights, objects thrown about, his mother’s bible found in ashes
-King Charles sent to investigate
-‘Mercurius Publicus and ‘The Kingdom’s Intelligence’ were newspapers that reported on the case
-Joseph Glanville went to visit, spoke to locals and claimed he also heard disturbing noises
-Disturbances apparently continued for a number of years
-John Webster claimed it was fraudulent and Balthasar Becker also criticised it
IMPACT:
- Continually revised throughout the 17th century as an argument for scepticism
- The numerous publications and involvement of the Royal Society elevated the scale of the case
- A logical, empirical approach was taken towards the case
LIMITED:
The overall consensus at the time was still that supernatural causes were to blame therefore little disbelief in witchcraft
Boy of Burton 1596-97
-John Darling accuses Alice Gooderidge of bewitching him
- Goodridge arrested, searched for marks
- Prison= confessed to bewitchment and having a familar. Died before executed
- Darling continued to have fits= Exorcist John Darrell, began to attract suspicion, inquiry set up by Archbishop of Canterbury
- Confessed they had faked possessions
MPACT
-‘Fraudulent possessions and exorcisms’- undermined the hunt in evidence used in trials
-decreased belief in possessions led to a decrease in witchcraft
-led to Harsnets publication and pamphlet war
-1604 law, forbid clergymen to perform exorcisms without a license
LIMITED
-didn’t lead to an overall disbelief in witchcraft, it was a one of
-exorcisms continued
-more about validity of exorcism rather than witchcraft as seen in pamphlet war
Pendle Swindle 1634
-Edmund Robinson claimed that he came across 2 greyhounds who transformed into witches and then led him to a coven meeting
- Looking to avoid punishment from his father
- Father went to the magistrates 3 months later
- 25 witches were identified, 17 found guilty
- Sent trial to Privy Council
- Bishop of Chester, concluded it was fraudulent
- Robinson and father sent to London for accusations
- Women examined= no devils mark, King Charles got involved
IMPACT
-involved Privy Council. They were widespread and had a big impact
-Charles himself was involved
-John Webster- publication
-proved accusations can be motivated by reasons unrelated to supernatural
LIMITED
-no significant publications of this time- impact on opinion of those outside the trials= very limited
-Edmund Robinson went on to become a witch hunter, this proved that the case did not impact his creditability or cause people to doubt the existence of witches
Jane Wenham 1712
-Reputation for being a witch
- Accused of bewitching Anne Thorne who suffered fits and hallucinations
- Wenham arrested= no devils mark BUT she confessed to practicing harmless magic
-Jury found Wenham guilty= Powell secured a Royal Pardon
-Whig politician, William Cowper, offered Wenham a cottage to stay it
-Anne Thorne was ordered to be watched over
IMPACT
-judges ridiculed most evidence from neighbours
-this created a well publicised serious clash between law and popular beliefs as well as opinions of educated and popular masses
-released despite a guilty verdict- royal pardon
-last guilty verdict on a witchcraft charge in England
-judge realised many witnesses had personal grudges against Wenham
LIMITED
-witchcraft persecutions already on a decline since 1660
-jury still condemned Wehnam which shows that ordinary illiterate people still believed in witchcraft
Samuel Harsnett- ‘A Discovery of Fraudulent Practices of John Darrell’ 1659
-Divided into 5 sections
-Intro=criticises Catholicism and the practices of misleading people through magic is nothing new
-Part 1= analysis of Darrell
-Part 2= how Darrell conspired with William Somers
-Part 3= confession of Somers
-Part 4= discredits Somer’s fits
-Part 5= Boy of Burton case
PAMPHLET WAR:
-Harsnett started it
- Darrell responded through publication
- Two more people criticised Darrell
- Darrell further responded
IMPACT:
- led to discussions and debate via pamphlet war
- puts forward the idea that possessions can be faked
LIMITED:
- many still supported Darrell
- views remained in the minority
- pamphlet war focused on exorcisms and the Devil not witchcraft
- simply religious dispute (Harsnett- COE, Darrell, Catholic)
Thomas Ady- ‘A Candle in the Dark’ 1656
-Doctor from Essex
-Wrote 3 sceptical publications on witchcraft
- Used the bible as it’s only source
-Was appalled at the number of wrongful executions
-Witch hunt had no biblical basis
- 3 sections of the book
= 1- definition of witch in the bible has been misinterpreted
= 2- criticises Catholicism
=3- critiques English works like Daemonologie
IMPACT:
- Ady undermined the legitimacy of the hunts by using the bible as it’s only source
- To Ady, witches don’t possess any supernatural power. Undermines women accused of maleficium under 1604 Witchcraft Act
- Exposed magic as fake and separated it from reality
LIMITED:
- Didn’t put forward a particularly different view from Scot’s and failed to outright question the existence of witches
- Came after the most intense hunting, therefore argued that a decrease in belief was due to people’s negative experiences not publications
Balthasar Bekker- ‘The Enchanted World’ 1691
-Dutch clergyman
-Influenced by Scot, but had different reasonings
- Uses bible as only source
- Doubts many witchcraft cases
- Devil is trapped in hell and cannot influence Earth
- Used cartesian methodology
IMPACT:
- Historians argue that Bekker ‘struck at the heart of the witch craze by destroying belief in the Devil’
- 4,000 copies sold in Holland
- Received pamphlets criticising him for a decline in witchcraft trials
- Lost his job as Calvinist minister, and put on trial for blasphemy and atheism
LIMITED:
- Witchcraft trials already on a decline
- Argued that advancements in science led to a decline not his publications
- Most of his controversy surrounding his work was confined to the Dutch language, which limited his influence on attitudes
John Webster- ‘The Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft’ 1677
- Agreed with Ady’s work
- Witches did exist but didn’t command supernatural powers or have assistance from the Devil
- Critical of Demon Drummer
- Commented on Pendle Swindle case
- Well-received= received a response from Henry More, the editor of Joseph Glanville’s work
- Taken seriously by members of the Royal Society
IMPACT=
- dismissed maleficium and diabolism
- the response to his work from high profile people showed how well respected he was
- Support from the Royal Society
LIMITED=
- Wasn’t particularly radical, didn’t fundamentally change a belief in witches
- Published at the time witchcraft was already on a decline
Reginald Scot- “A Discoverie of Witchcraft’ 1584
-Stated women that confessed to witchcraft were actually suffering from melancholia
-Member of the Family of Love, a cult organisation that was Christian in origin and stated that nature controls events, not God
- Witches who harmed animals or people who did do through natural means, not witchcraft
-Samuel Harsnett supported Scot
- Defended by Ady and Webster
IMPACT=
- Radical and went against the beliefs most people held at the time and this heightens its ability to change attitudes as it proved a radical new way of viewing the witch craze
- King James ordered all copies of the book to be burned, and even denounced Scot in his own book Daemonologie, which undermines the importance of Scot’s work and suggests that people saw his argument as a genuine threat to their beliefs
- Scot was the first English author to show scepticism
- Scot’s work inspired later sceptics, none of whom really went beyond his ideas
LIMITED=
- Scot still maintained the belief in both witches and the power of the Devil. Therefore, although he criticised components of the witch craze, he failed to penetrate the heart of the problem
-Scot’s work preceded the most ferocious period of witch-hunting in England; the 1604 Witchcraft Act introduced harsher penalties for witches and from 1644-1646, 300 women were sentenced to death under this act
