Context of East Anglia Flashcards
When did the East Anglia Witch Hunt take place?
1645-1647
How many people were accused or faced trial?
700, 80% of them were women
Where did the East Anglia witch hunt take place?
In 7 counties across East Anglia, including Suffolk, Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire
When did the English Civil War begin and end?
1642-1649
Why was England at war?
King Charles I had overstepped his power as King.
He imposed the Ship Tax across the country which was only meant for coastal towns during war.
He married a Catholic woman and began to treat Protestants badly.
What were the two sides of the war?
Catholic, Royalist Sympathisers
Protestant/ Puritan, Parliamentarian Sympathisers
How was the Suffolk population affected by the Civil War?
20% of men were taken to fight for Parliament
The Eastern Association provided many troops for the Parliamentarian army
How did the traditional power authorities change as a result of the Civil War?
Many men died in battle → fears around women becoming too powerful
The Church of England was weaker under Charles→ the authority of the church was undermined
The local gentry went away to fight → their long term absence meant their authority was undermined
What impact did all of this have on the view of women?
Women were seen to be becoming too powerful and people translated their fears of the war to a fear in women and witches
FEAR of witches as “bad women” and “bad mothers”
How do we know that there was genuine concern around the changing perception of women?
Women joined extreme sects like Ranters and the Anabaptists, and began to preach/give prophecy
Women became deeply involved in politics, attempting to influence the outcome of political issues through petitions and protests.
They formed a significant portion of the peace movement.
Why did women confess to being witches?
Some women genuinely believed that they had magical powers; others may have been mentally ill.
Some women had thoughts of killing their children as they were unable to provide for them due to the war.
How was the religious context of the time an influence?
Good and bad things were explained in terms of God and the devil.
Thoughts of depression and suicide, were viewed as the effects of the devil
Clear gender roles in society, the Puritan expectation was that women would be be good mothers and wives
What was the religious context of East Anglia during the C17th?
There was a strong Puritan influence that had been present since the reign of King James I
What are 3 things to know about Puritanism in relation to witchcraft?
- There was a strong focus on the importance of Scripture and its role in guiding how people lived their lives
- People were innately sinful and could therefore be tempted by the Devil
- Culturally women were less important, and attempts to increase their power/influence was sinful
How did changes in prices and wages affect people’s lives?
Inflation was a big issue, prices of livestock increased by 12% and grain increased by 15%
Wages didn’t increase, this led to poverty
They needed a scapegoat for economic problems
How did soldiers and armies affect the local economic landscape?
Armies needed resources:
- Horses that worked on the fields were confiscated by armies
- Armies took food from farms and fields as they were marching through the area
What was introduced in 1643?
A new type of tax - In East Anglia it was 12 times higher than Ship Tax
What happened to the function of the Assize court?
They were unable to function normally, as a result Lord magistrates and other locals gave out justice instead
What evidence is there that the lack of functioning assize courts had an impact on the course of the hunt?
The Earl of Warwick - no legal experience at all, sent 19 women to hang in 1645 during the assize courts, shows that the it caused the intensity of the hunt to increase
Why were laws difficult to implement?
There was no Kingly authority
How did difficulty implementing laws lead to an increase in tension?
The witch hunt was able to spread quickly as there was nothing to stop them
Local fears intensified as they didn’t know who to blame for their problems
Hopkins and Stearne were gratefully received by locals because of their knowledge and efficiency
What led to increased poverty in East Anglia?
There was crop failure as a result of very wet weather and ergot - this caused hallucinations if eaten by humans
Further inflation: meat and cheese prices rose by 20%
Landlords enclosed land and evicted tenants:
- Sir Sandys (Ely), some of the women who protested later became accused and executed witches
- Margaret Moore: Evicted as she couldn’t afford more rent, she became reliant on charity. She was then accused for causing life stock failures and a child’s murder.
How did Puritans interpret this economic situation?
As a punishment from God, they believed that it was a sign that Charles should not be returned to the throne
They also believed that idleness means sinfulness and some stopped providing charity
Elizabeth Clarke and Anne West evidence of this
How did this lead to an increase in tension around witchcraft?
It became easy to blame misfortune on witches especially with their supposed connection to the Devil
Wealthier members feared that old women beggars would use magic in revenge
