BP1: Economic and Political Context

Example of Charles’ dubious taxes?

Ship tax - levied on coastal counties and towns in order to provide for the fleet, which he extended to the entire country, resulting in financial demands being made on the inland gentry as well as those living near the coast.

How many years of war had East Anglia been through by 1645?

3

How many men on average left towns and villages to fight in the civil war?

As may as 20%

Example of confessions linking w/ men going off to war?

Suffolk, Margery Sparham confessed to entertaining the Devil’s imps after she had been left alone and vulnerable

What was interesting about some witches discovered at Wingfield, Westhorpe and Stradbroke?

Appeared to be connected with radical Puritan sects that believed women could be viewed as socially and spiritually equal to men

What stories were reaching East Anglia by 1645?

• royalist woman from Lancashire births headless baby - reverse Terrifier 2

• the body of a habitual sinner was dug up by dogs and eaten

• across the region women were beginning to drink and swear like men

2 symbols of continuity and power in the region which were declining due to the chaos of war?

• Church

• Assize courts

Decline of the continuity and power of the church of England leading to hunts?

• undesirable ministers replaced with Puritans

• people w/ Royalist sympathies faced arrest and confiscation of their estates

• Preachers preached about enemies from within, like spies

Why were the assize courts unable to function after June 1645?

Charles had realised how powerful the New Model Army was and moved his force towards East Anglia

July 1645 Essex assizes?

Earl of Warwick had to oversee, very little experience, had to collaborate w/ other judges, 19 women hanged

Why did the absence of the assizes possibly cause more trials?

Because without authority local fears of witchcraft were intensified

What did Hopkins and Stearne’s work result in?

An English record 42% conviction rate

Which three factors worked together to encourage suspicion?

• poor harvests

• changing land use

• impact of the Civil War

Examples of crop failure/poor harvests?

• 1646 exceptionally wet summer - disease affects livestock, wheat and rye rotten with ergot

• October 1645 and 1646 crops rotted and were trodden into mud

How much did the price of wheat rise by in 1646?

20%

Which products prices rose?

meat and cheese

What were poor harvests viewed as?

A sign from the heavens, possibly that Charles should not return to the throne and should be punished, is also made it easy to blame witches for people’s misfortunes

Sir Miles Sandys on Isle of Ely = bad landlord?

• enclosed 4,000 acres of land

• evicted the inhabitants

• they tried to petition to the court of Chancery and riot - both failed

• a number of suspected witches there in 1647 were linked to this

Why were people reluctant to support those impacted by enclosure?

Puritans viewed idleness as a form of sin

Price increases of livestock and grain by start of civil war?

Livestock 12%, grain 15%

Why was there inflation during the civil war?

Because of the huge resources required by armies on both sides

What new tax did parliament pass to deal w/ the cost of war?

The weekly assessment (1643) - collected at a rate 12 times higher than ship money

Example of an accused witch who fell into poverty and suffered the consequences?

Margaret Moone - was evicted from her cottage after a man offered her 10 shillings more than she could afford in rent per year, she fell into begging and was later blamed for deaths of livestock, crop failures, and killing a child