East Anglia - Why the hunts became widespread?

Question 1

What are the 3 paragraphs for why the East Anglia hunts became widespread?

Answer 1

• Breakdown of legal structure
• Breakdown of traditional authority
• Role of Matthew Hopkins

Question 2

What evidence is there for the breakdown of legal structure?

Answer 2

• Assize court unable to function

- Too dangerous for judges to make trip away from London (New Model Army)

Question 3

What RC is there for the breakdown of legal structure?

Answer 3

• 1642 Charles declared war on parliament -> civil war

- Were accusations in 1620s/30s but rarely went to trail

Question 4

What was the impact for the breakdown of legal structure?

Answer 4

• Local magistrates had power -> more sentences

- Local fears grew, spread across counties

Question 5

What is the link for the breakdown of legal structure?

Answer 5

• Exacerbated hunt, more accusations became sentences

- Impact was widespread, sweeping across EA

Question 6

What evidence is there for the breakdown of traditional authority?

Answer 6

• 20% of men went to fight
• Church became weak under Charles
• Local gentry went away to fight

Question 7

What RC is there for the breakdown of traditional authority?

Answer 7

• Authority was held by crown, church and clergy

- Men had control

Question 8

What was the impact of the breakdown of traditional authority?

Answer 8

• Growth in fear of women

- Rise in puritans, made connection between Royalists, Catholics and witchcraft

Question 9

What is the link for the breakdown of traditional authority?

Answer 9

• Power shift away from Royalists/ Catholics (long term)

- Revleases men in society did not like women being powerful

Question 10

What evidence is there for Matthew Hopkins?

Answer 10

• Assisted in interrogation of 300 suspects 1/3 were hanged
• Spread across 7 counties
• Hunts stopped after his death
• Use of torture

Question 11

What RC is there for Matthew Hopkins?

Answer 11

• Was less hunts due to lack of knowledge

- Torture not widely used

Question 12

What was the impact of Matthew Hopkins?

Answer 12

• 1647 ‘The Discovery of Witches’, allowed people to understand witchcraft
• His name became popular, traveled around (20 shillings per town)

Question 13

What link is there for Matthew Hopkins?

Answer 13

• His life prolonged the hunt
• Increased intensity of hunts (main advocate)
• Change from before through use of torture