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History- Witchcraft > East Anglia Witch Hunt > Flashcards

East Anglia Witch Hunt Flashcards

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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 the civil war 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 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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11
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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12
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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13
Q

What happened to the function of the Assize court?

A

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

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14
Q

Why were laws difficult to implement?

A

There was no Kingly authority

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15
Q

How did no Kingly authority 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

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16
Q

What led to increased poverty in East Anglia?

A

There was crop failure as a result of very wet weather and ergot which caused hallucinations if eaten by humans

Further inflation: meat and cheese prices rose by 20%

Landlords enclosed land and evicted tenants

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17
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

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18
Q

How did the economic context 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

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19
Q

What do some historians see the hunts as?

A

Organised and deliberate violence against women

20
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

21
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”

22
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.

23
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.

24
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.

25
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

26
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.

27
Q

Was there a pattern to the hunts?

A

No, they just followed the money

28
Q

What is the story of Elizabeth Clarke?

6 points

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

29
Q

What was the story of John Lowes?

6 points

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

30
Q

Why did Hopkins and Stearne become good at their job?

A

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

31
Q

What were Hopkins and Stearne given in return for finding witches?

A

Fees and expenses
food
lodgings
horses

32
Q

What was Hopkins and Stearne role in the hunts?

A

To search and investigate

They only stayed long enough to set legal proceedings in motion

33
Q

What methods did Hopkins and Stearne use?

A 
=Isolation 
=Search
=Watching and Sleep deprivation 
=Walking 
=Swimming test
=Possible other tortures
34
Q

What Evidence did Hopkins and Stearne use?

A

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

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 Hopkins and steranes fees?

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 after the civil war had ended?

A

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

40
Q

What impact did the Royalist gentry began to return home and the changing legal structures 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

Who was John Gaule and what did he believe?

A

He was a minister of Great Staughton

He believed that the sins of the accusers were blame for the misfortune, not witches

42
Q

What are John Gaules criticisms of Hopkins and Stearne?

A

Criticised their methods of investigation and interrogation
Asked for caution, “common sense and restraint”
The craze was becoming idolatrous, people were praising the witchfinders more than God and the Bible

43
Q

What was the impact of John Gaules beliefs?

A

Initially, he didn’t get much support, but his work helped convince authorities that the hunt was no longer needed

44
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

45
Q

Who influenced the questions from The local gentry?

A

John Gaule

46
Q

What were some of the questions The local gentry gave to the judges?

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?

History- Witchcraft (30 decks)

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