DECLINE CAUSES - Fraudulent Cases

Question 1

Briefly summarise The Boy of Burton Case (1597).

bewitch, speech, London

Answer 1

Alice Goodridge accused by Thomas Darling of bewitching him; hallucinations & fits.

Goodridge had fit & lost speech before trial, so Darling exorcised using fast & prayer.

Darling & Darrell called to London to testify & found fraudulent.

Question 2

Briefly summarise The Pendle Swindle Case (1634).

sabbatt, hunt, fraud

Answer 2

Edmund Robinson accused Jennett Device of being in a sabbatt.

Robinson organised local hunts & accused 17 more people.

Case referred to Privy Council after fraud suspected & Robinson confessed.

Question 3

What was questioned after The Pendle Swindle Case (1634)?

Answer 3

The use of sleep deprivation.

Question 4

Briefly summarise the Demon Drummer case (1662)

spell, storm, Salisbury

Answer 4

Drury was accused by Mompesson of casting a spell over his house after using a drum to raise money for the poor.

Drury was found guilty and sentenced to deportation but escaped after his boat was caught in a storm.

He was acquitted of witchcraft after being recaptured in Salisbury but was deoprted again for theft.

Question 5

Why was there scepticism about the Demon Drummer (1662) case?

Answer 5

Locals were providing misinformation & influenced Mompesson to come to the conclusion of witchcraft.

Question 6

Briefly summarise the Jane Wenham Case (1712).

wise, court, vicar, judge

Answer 6

Wenham, old wise woman, accused of bewitching Matthew Gilson by Gilson’s employer.

Took the employer to court, had to pay 1 shilling, annoyed her - she supposedly cursed his livestock and daughter.

A girl accused Wenham of making her vomit pins. Vicar’s wife accused her of shifting into a cat and 16 locals corborate.

Wenham found innocent by judge but guilty by jury so judge organised royal pardon and gave her home until death.

Question 7

What was the name of the case in which Alice Goodridge was accused by Thomas Darling of bewitching him?

Answer 7

The Boy of Burton, 1597

Question 8

What was the name of the case in which Jennett Device was accused by Edmund Robinson of participating in a sabbatt, leading to local witch hunts?

Answer 8

The Pendle Swindle Case, 1634

Question 9

What was the name of the case in which Drury was accused by Mompesson of casting spells over his house using drums?

Answer 9

The Demon Drummer Case, 1662

Question 10

What was the name of the case in which Jane Wenham was accused of bewitching Matthew Gilson by Gilson’s employer?

Answer 10

The Jane Wenham Case, 1712.

Question 11

Briefly explain how fraudulent cases impacted decline in witchcraft belief.
(2)

Answer 11

Revealed to local communities their belief in witchcraft wasn’t as strong for all members of society.

Created a legal climate where it was harder to find guilty verdicts of witchcraft.

Question 12

Boy of Burton - how did it change belief in witchcraft (IMPACT)?

(exorcism, testimonies, pamphlet war).

Answer 12

Darrell’s reputation made scepticism of exorcism more prominent.
1604 canon forbid practicing exorcisms without a licence, suggesting rising doubts & Church wanted to protect its reputation.

Showed unreliability of witness testimonies & use of children as witnesses/evidence.

Harsnett’s work (1599) made case widespread & led to pamphlet war.

Question 13

What was the pamphlet war?

Answer 13

Theological debate centred around power of the Devil & reliability of exorcisms.

Question 14

Boy of Burton - didn’t it change belief in witchcraft (IMPACT):
Didn’t lead to an ______ disbelief, it was viewed _____ as a _____ case of _________.
Supported by ______, which showed an _______ in legal ________ of ________.
The key _______ was more about the ________ of _______, not witchcraft, as seen in the _________.

Answer 14

a) overall, more, one-off, fraudulence
b) 1604 Act, increase, severity, witchcraft
c) debate, validity, exorcism, pamphlet war

Question 15

The Pendle Swindle - it change belief in witchcraft (IMPACT):
________ of ________ and _______ shows the case was ______ for _________ - it may have influenced the _______ of the _____ & ________.
The _________ approach reveals a more ______, ______ approach to _____ was developing. However, during ________, _______ given after certain ______ were still ________.
The ____ proved witchcraft ________ can be ________ by reasons that aren’t _________ & _______ should be viewed ________.

Answer 15

a) involvement, Privy Council, King James, relevant, powerful elites, scepticism, King, magistrates
b) evidence-based, careful, sceptical, trials, East Anglia, confessions, torture, accepted
c) trial, accusations, motivated, supernatural, accusers, sceptically

Question 16

The Pendle Swindle - it didn’t change belief in witchcraft (IMPACT):
_________ & _______ of witch ______ still ____ before ________.
________ went on to be a ________ witch ______, showing it didn’t cause people to _____ witches ________.
_______ later, the _____ & ________ of __________ in ________.

Answer 16

a) importance, influence, hunters, rose, declining
b) Robinson, professional, hunter, doubt, existed
c) 11 years, role, significance, Matthew Hopkins, East Anglia

Question 17

Demon Drummer of Tedworth - it changed belief in witchcraft (IMPACT):
It was continually ________ through the ________ & used as an argument for ________.
Eg, ______ & ______ publish _______ influenced by the ____ & ___________ elevated it as an example of _______.
Provoked ______ on __________ - involved key ______ eg ____________.

Answer 17

a) revisited, 17th century, scepticism
b) Webster, Bekker, writings, case, the Royal Society, scepticism
c) debate, supernatural forces, people, VP of the Royal Society

Question 18

Demon Drummer of Tedworth - it didn’t impact belief in witchcraft (IMPACT):
The overall _______ was still that _____________ were to _____ - most believed in _________.
Still ________ until the __________ was ________.

Answer 18

a) consensus, supernatural forces, blame, witchcraft

b) 74 years, Witchcraft Act, repealed

Question 19

JANE WENHAM - how it impacted witchcraft belief (IMPACT):
Despite a ________, the Judge _______ her, showing ________ of the ____ to embrace _______ in the face of _________.
It was the last ________ on a charge of ________ in _______.
It led to a celebrated _______ book by ____________ in 17___: __________________.

Answer 19

a) guilty verdict, released, willingness, law, reason, mob hysteria
b) guilty verdict, witchcraft, England
c) sceptical, Francis Hutchinson, 1718, ‘A Historical Essay Concerning Witchcraft’

Question 20

JANE WENHAM - it didn’t change belief in witchcraft (IMPACT):
_____ still ________ Wenham, showing ________ hadn’t been adopted by ___________ like Wenham’s.
Several ______ afterwards showed ______ for ______ in witchcraft.
Witchcraft ________ had been in ______ since 16__.
Not a _________ but part of a ______ changing _______ - arguably ______ cases are more __________.

Answer 20

a) jury, condemned, scepticism, small communities
b) writers, support, belief
c) prosecutions, decline, 1660
d) turning point, rapidly, attitude, earlier, significant