Malcolm Gaskill: ‘Witchcraft Trials in England’

How does Malcolm Gaskill characterise witch trials in England?

They were a "product of ignorance from below and religious zeal from above”

What was significant about Francis Hutchinson’s 1718 publication?

It was "a calculated assault on the defenders of superstition and persecution"

When did Francis Hutchinson publish his “calculated assault on the defenders of superstition and persecution"?

1718

Why did Francis Hutchinson publish his book in 1718

been delayed publication due to the political sensitivity of his subject

What was Francis Hutchinson’s book called?

An Historical Essay Concerning Witchcraft

What does Gaskill say about the rarity of witch trials?

"Communities lived with their witches for years, deterred by the expense of prosecution, and fear of revenge”

What was the conviction rate throughout this period in Southeastern England?

22%

What does the low conviction rate reflect according to Gaskill?

“The courts’ fear of hanging blameless women is reflected in the low conviction rate”

When was the first witchcraft act and who introduced it?

1542 and Henry VIII

What does Gaskill note about witchcraft under Elizabeth?

“After Elizabeth’s accession in 1558, returning Marian exiles warned her of sorcery by Catholic enemies”

What was witchcraft seen as under Elizabeth?

Witchcraft seen as a political weapon and a means to commit regicide

What does Gaskill say about the link between witchcraft and Protestantism?

“The enforcement of Protestantism may have heightened sensitivity to the diabolic”

Between 1558-1607, how many people were indicted in Essex?

187 people were indicted in Essex, an average of around 37 per decade

Between 1558-1607, how many people were indicted in Sussex?

13

Between 1558-1607, how many people were indicted in Surrey?

35

What was the conviction rate during the 1645 East Anglia witch-hunt?

Between 42% and 46% — part of a major outbreak interrogating as many as 300 people

What was the conviction rate between 1558–97?

The conviction rate remained roughly constant at between 23 and 28%

When was the first trial in Pendle?

1612

how many people were hanged in Pendle in 1612 for witchcraft?

10 of the 16 witches tried had been executed—a conviction rate of over 60%

When was the second Pendle witch trials?

1634

What happened in the 1634 Pendle witch trials?

The accusers (including an 11-year-old boy) sent to London to be questioned, but the king ordered his physician, William Harvey, to examine the suspects’ bodies

What happened in Leicester in 1616?

9 women were hanged and another 6 saved by the intervention of James I, who saw through the pretended bewitchment

What was the significance of the 1643 pamphlet?

Before, there were no pamphlets recording witch craft cases since 1621, an account of the trial of Elizabeth Sawyer, broke the silence

What did the 1643 pamphlet about the witch of Newbury represent?

“This publication turned back the clock” — reawakening fears during the Civil War

How does the amount of people tried in Essex during the Civil war compare to that of the previous decade?

In Essex 45 people were tried between 1638 and 1647, compared to 5 in the preceding decade

How many people were interrogated during the Civil War?

as many as 300 people were interrogated, and a 1/3 hanged

What does Gaskill note about local courts and witch-prickers in 1650?

Newcastle authorities hired a witch-pricker who identified 30 suspects; 15 were executed

How did witch trials disappear according to Gaskill?

“witchcraft trials disappeared from English life with a whimper not a bang”

How many trials occured during the 1660s?

23 including in Putney

How mnay trials occured during the 1670s?

12 in the next decade eg 1671 a grand jury deemed plausible the charges against Widow Barren of Woolwich

Who was Robert Hunt?

Somerset JP

What did Robert Hunt do?

Gathered evidence against 25 witches in 1664-5 inc Alice Duke

What did the privy council do as a result of the Robert Hunt accusations?

Despite the sheer weight of such evidence, or perhaps because of it, it appears that the Privy Council intervened in Somerset to prevent a major witch-hunt