Relevant Context - Individuals Inc Hopkins + Stearne Flashcards
1
Q
How did Matthew Hopkins first get involved in witch hunts?
A
- 1644
- Kept awake at night by what he claimed were meetings of witches near his house in Manningtree.
2
Q
Which local magistrate did Stearne and Hopkins present the witches too?
A
- Sir Harbottle Grimston
- March 1645
- He was the landlord of many of the accused - or lived illegally on his ground
- Made Baron in 1611 and entered Parliament 1614
- Puritan
- Resisted much of Charles policies
3
Q
Who was the first to be accused in Manningtree?
A
- Elizabeth Clarke
- Older women with one leg - long suspected of witchcraft
- 4 search women inspected and found 3 teats
- When watched several familiars appeared and Clarke welcomed them - Inc Sack and Sugar rabbits and Jarmara a dog.
- She was also named by other witches including Rebecca West
- Trial in Chelmsford and with 20 others found guilty
4
Q
Who was Rebecca West?
A
- Accused Elizabeth Clarke - admitted to suckling imps
- She turned witness for the Crown and gained immunity from prosecution.
- This case gained notoriety when published in the pamphlet“A true and exact relation of the several informations, examinations and confessions of the late Witches, arraigned and executed in the county of Essex”
5
Q
Why was John Lowes an important case?
A
- 1 of 120 examined in Suffolk
- 80 year old Royalist clergyman
- Antagonised parish
- Spoke in defence of Ann Annson (witch) - claimed she was as much of a witch as he was
- Interpreted as a confession of guilt
- Subjected to swimming test (illegal) - floated (guilty)
- Confessed to pact with the devil and several familiars
- Admitted to sinking a ship of the port of Harwich killing 14 and killing cattle
6
Q
When did Hopkins and Stearne first meet the scrutiny of John Gaule?
A
- 8 women tried in Huntingdonshire in 1646
- He was a local clergyman
- Objected to their presence in his community
7
Q
What did Matthew Hopkins write in his own defence to hostile questioning about his activities following a trial in Norfolk?
A
- May 1647
- Officials became suspicious
- Wrote The Discovery of Witches
8
Q
What evidence was Hopkins keen to find that would accuse women?
A
- Evidence of sexual activity with (the male) devil and suckling of imps
- Margaret Baytes and Good Smith - include in confessions that they fed imps from teats
9
Q
Who was Susanna Stegold?
A
- Found guilty of killing her husband through witchcraft
- After an unhappy marriage
- Almost certainly involved domestic violence
10
Q
Who was Prissilla Collit?
A
- Confessed after sleep deprivation
- Killed her children
11
Q
Ultimately what did Hopkins and Stearne do?
A
- Stayed long enough in one location to set legal proceedings in motion.
- They had no specific qualifications but were confident in their ability and followed the money.
12
Q
What did the methods of Hopkins and Stearne aim to uncover?
A
- A relationship with the devil
- Any marks that could be associated with witchcraft
- Any imps or familiars given to the witch by the devil or other witches
- Other witches known to the accuses or supposed coven
13
Q
What methods did Hopkins and Stearne use?
A
- Isolate suspect - to disorientate
- Search-women employed to find Devil’s Mark
- Watching - sleep deprivation (Hopkins claimed in book 1947 discontinued said witches kept themselves awake)
- Intimidation and physical violence - eg. women from Wattisham received injuries to the forehead
- Walking - in conjunction with watching to become exhausted
- Swimming Test eg. John Lowes, approved by Kind James I in deomonologie
14
Q
What role did Matthew Hopkins give himself?
A
Witchfinder general
15
Q
How did Matthew Hopkins family affect his actions?
A
- Father - James Hopkins was a Puritan Clergyman
- As minister of Great Wenham in Suffolk he died when Matthew was in his early teens
- He had two older brothers and so wanted to stand out as he was aware he would never inherit the family estate
- He was a new Gentleman in Manningtree so was in an ideal position to investigate objectively
