East Anglia Witch Hunt Flashcards
When did the East Anglia Witch Hunt take place?
1645-1647
How many people were accused or faced trial?
700 people
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 the civil war 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 did changes in prices and wages affect people’s lives?
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
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
Why were laws difficult to implement?
There was no Kingly authority
How did no Kingly authority 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 which caused hallucinations if eaten by humans
Further inflation: meat and cheese prices rose by 20%
Landlords enclosed land and evicted tenants
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
How did the economic context 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
What do some historians see the hunts as?
Organised and deliberate violence against women
What did most of the accusations focus on?
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
What was Hopkins particularly keen to find evidence of?
Evidence of sexual activity with the Devil
Murders of husbands and children
Idea of “bad mothers” and “bad women”
How did Hopkins and Stearne become involved in the witch hunting?
Stearne was given permission to hunt witches first by Manningtree magistrates.
Hopkins volunteered to help him.
Why did Hopkins want to be involved in the hunts?
He is kept awake at night by a meeting of witches near his house in Manningtree in 1644.
How did their career as witch hunters develop?
The first witches were all women and they presented their accusations.
Slowly, they began offering their services to towns and parishes for a fee.
Which social class did the majority of victims come from?
Most likely lower orders and illiterate classes- gentry and authority are absent due to war
How far did the hunts spread?
7 counties- including Essex, Suffolk, Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire
Hopkins and Stearne began the hunts together but eventually went separate ways.
Was there a pattern to the hunts?
No, they just followed the money
What is the story of Elizabeth Clarke?
6 points
=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
What was the story of John Lowes?
6 points
=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
Why did Hopkins and Stearne become good at their job?
People liked them because they made assessments of potential witches quickly and efficiently before moving on
What were Hopkins and Stearne given in return for finding witches?
Fees and expenses
food
lodgings
horses
What was Hopkins and Stearne role in the hunts?
To search and investigate
They only stayed long enough to set legal proceedings in motion
What methods did Hopkins and Stearne use?
=Isolation =Search =Watching and Sleep deprivation =Walking =Swimming test =Possible other tortures
What Evidence did Hopkins and Stearne use?
=Relationship with the Devil
=Marks associated with witchcraft
=Other witches or members of a coven
What did Hopkins and Stearne claim about their fees?
That they were reasonable and good value
They claimed that they charged 20 shillings
What does the evidence tell us about Hopkins and steranes fees?
They actually charged a lot more
In Kings Lynn Hopkins was given £2
In Bury St Edmunds, the total cost was over £130
How did execution costs differ and how did some communities respond?
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
What happened when the Royalist gentry began to return home?
They punished tenants and servants if they had been involved in fighting for the Parliamentarians
What happened to the legal structures after the civil war had ended?
East Anglia became a safe place again, and the assize judges could visit again
What impact did the Royalist gentry began to return home and the changing legal structures have on the witch hunting?
The Puritan hold over the area was being disturbed
More and more witches were being acquitted (found innocent)
Who was John Gaule and what did he believe?
He was a minister of Great Staughton
He believed that the sins of the accusers were blame for the misfortune, not witches
What are John Gaules criticisms of Hopkins and Stearne?
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
What was the impact of John Gaules beliefs?
Initially, he didn’t get much support, but his work helped convince authorities that the hunt was no longer needed
What happened in 1647?
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
Who influenced the questions from The local gentry?
John Gaule
What were some of the questions The local gentry gave to the judges?
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?
