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Witchcraft Depth Studies > east anglia knowledge > Flashcards

east anglia knowledge Flashcards

1
Q

When did the East Anglia Witch Hunt take place?

A

1645-1647

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2
Q

How many people were accused or faced trial?

A

700 people 80% of them were women

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3
Q

Where did the East Anglia witch hunt take place?

A

In 7 counties across East Anglia, including Suffolk, Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire

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4
Q

When did the English Civil War begin and end?

A

1642-1649

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5
Q

Why was England at war?

A

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.

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6
Q

What were the two sides of the war?

A

Catholic, Royalist Sympathisers

Protestant/ Puritan, Parliamentarian Sympathisers

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7
Q

How was the Suffolk population affected by the Civil War?

A

20% of men were taken to fight for Parliament

The Eastern Association provided many troops for the Parliamentarian army

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8
Q

How did the traditional power authorities change as a result of the Civil War?

A

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

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9
Q

What impact did all of this have on the view of women?

A

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”

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10
Q

How do we know that there was genuine concern around the changing perception of women?

A

Women joined extreme sects like Ranters and the Anabaptists, and began to preach/give prophesy

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.

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11
Q

Why did women confess to being witches?

How was the religious context of the time an influence?

A

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.

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

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12
Q

What was the religious context of East Anglia during the C17th?

A

There was a strong Puritan influence that had been present since the reign of King James I

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13
Q

What are 3 things to know about Puritanism in relation to witch craft?

A

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

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14
Q

How did changes in prices and wages affect people’s lives?

A

Inflation was a big issue, prices of: *Livestock increased by 12% *Grain increased by 15%

Wages didn’t increase, this led to poverty
They needed a scapegoat for economic problems

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15
Q

How did soldiers and armies affect the local economic landscape?

A

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

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16
Q

What was introduced in 1643?

A

A new type of tax - In East Anglia it was 12 times higher than Ship Tax

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17
Q

What happened to the function of the Assize court?

What evidence is there that this had an impact on the course of the hunt?

A

They were unable to function normally, as a result Lord magistrates and other locals gave out justice instead

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

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18
Q

Why were laws difficult to implement?

A

There was no Kingly authority

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19
Q

How did this lead to an increase in tension?

A

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

20
Q

What led to increased poverty in East Anglia?

A

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.
21
Q

How did Puritans interpret this economic situation?

A

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

22
Q

How did this lead to an increase in tension around witchcraft?

A

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

23
Q

What do some historians see the hunts as?

A

Organised and deliberate violence against women

24
Q

What did most of the accusations focus on?

A

Female tasks and female spaces- the home, kitchin, nursery, feeding

In East Anglia, poor women were involved in dairy farming so if the milk curdled or cows died they were accused

25
Q

What was Hopkins particularly keen to find evidence of?

A

Evidence of sexual activity with the Devil
Murders of husbands and children

Idea of “bad mothers” and “bad women”

26
Q

How did Hopkins and Stearne become involved in the witch hunting?

A

Stearne was given permission to hunt witches first by Manningtree magistrates.

Hopkins volunteered to help him.

27
Q

Why did Hopkins want to be involved in the hunts?

A

He is kept awake at night by a meeting of witches near his house in Manningtree in 1644.

28
Q

How did their career as witch hunters develop?

A

The first witches were all women and they presented their accusations.

Slowly, they began offering their services to towns and parishes for a fee.

29
Q

Which social class did the majority of victims come from?

A

Most likely lower orders and illiterate classes- gentry and authority are absent due to war

30
Q

How far did the hunts spread?

A

7 counties- including Essex, Suffolk, Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire

Hopkins and Stearne began the hunts together but eventually went separate ways.

31
Q

Was there a pattern to the hunts?

A

No, they just followed the money

32
Q

Why did they become good at their job?

A

People liked them because they made assessments of potential witches quickly and efficiently before moving on

33
Q

What were they given in return?

A

Fees and expenses: food, lodgings, horses

34
Q

What was their role in the hunts?

A

To search and investigate, they only stayed long enough to set legal proceedings in motion

35
Q

What did Hopkins and Stearne claim about their fees?

A

That they were reasonable and good value

They claimed that they charged 20 shillings

36
Q

What does the evidence tell us about this?

A

They actually charged a lot more
In Kings Lynn Hopkins was given £2
In Bury St Edmunds, the total cost was over £130

37
Q

How did execution costs differ and how did some communities respond?

A

It cost three times as much to execution by burning compared to execution by hanging

Communities in Suffolk were taxed to cover the growing cost of trials and hunts

38
Q

What happened when the Royalist gentry began to return home?

A

They punished tenants and servants if they had been involved in fighting for the Parliamentarians

39
Q

What happened to the legal structures?

A

East Anglia became a safe place again, and the assize judges could visit again

40
Q

What impact did these things have on the witch hunting?

A

The Puritan hold over the area was being disturbed

More and more witches were being acquitted (found innocent)

41
Q

What happened in 1647?

A

There was an assize court where several of Hopkins and Stearne’s cases were being heard
The local gentry gave the judges a list of questions

42
Q

Who influenced the questions?

A

John Gaule

43
Q

What were some of the questions?

A

Was Hopkin’s himself a witch, because he had great knowledge of sorcery?
Why are so many condemned with strange marks when these can occur naturally?
The swimming test is not allowed by law- why was he using it?

44
Q

Elizabeth Clarke

A

An older lady, who only had one leg
She was widowed and reliant on support to get by
She was long suspected of being a witch
She was arrested, and then searched and watched for several nights
She was “walked” and denied sleep
Eventually she confessed and implicated another woman: Rebecca West

45
Q

John Lowes

A

An 80 year old Royalist clergyman, he had defended an accused witch
He was the only member of the clergy to be tried in English witch hunts
He was arrested and denied sleep
He was the first to be interrogated with the swimming test
He confessed to singing a ship off the port of Harwich and killing cattle
He was found guilty and executed

46
Q

Methods

A 
Isolation 
Search
Watching and Sleep Deprivation 
Walking 
Swimming test
Possible other tortures
47
Q

Evidence

A

Relationship with the Devil
Marks associated with witchcraft
Other witches or members of a coven

Witchcraft Depth Studies (5 decks)

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