Breadth Timeline

1584 - Scot Discoverie of Witchcraft

1591 - North Berwick

1596 - Boy of Burton + Kepler Cosmic Mystery - asserts religious faith

1597 - Gresham College Founded

1599 - Harsnett A Discovery of the Fraudulent Practices of John Darrell

1604 - Witchcraft Act

1609 - Kepler Nova Astronomia

1612 - Pendle

1620 - Francis Bacon Novum Organum

1632 - Galileo Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems

1633 - Church condemnation of Galileo

1640 - Bacon’s ideas about science not widely implemented before

1633-4 - Pendle Swindle

1645-47 - East Anglia

1650s - Hobbes Leviathan, De Corpore and De Homine published

1656 - Ady A Candle in the Dark

1660 - Foundation of Royal Soc

After 1660 - Steep decline in trials and increased scepticism certainly influenced by Ady

1661-2 - Scottish Witch Hunt

1662 - Demon Drummer of Tedworth

1677 - Webster Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft

1677-86 - George Mackenzie Lord Advocate

1684 - Last witch to be executed in England Alice Molland

1684 - Royal Soc dedicated itself solely to scientific pursuits

1687 - Newton Principa Mathematica

1689 - John Holt appointed Lord Chief Justice

1690 - Locke Essay Concerning Human Understanding ‘

1691 - Bekker The Enchanted World (influenced by Locke)

1692 - Salem

1695 - Holt acquitted all accused at Launceston Cornwall

1597 - Ten executed in Scotland

1701 - Holt tried and convicted accuser of Sarah Murdock

1705 - John Beaumont’s Treatise

1712 - Jane Wenham

1712 - (after) John Welsley still wrote in support of witchcraft

1717 - Final attempt to bring witch to trial Leicester rejected

1718 - Galileo Ban on Printing Lifted

1727 - Last Scottish Execution

1736 - 1604 Witchcraft Act repealed

1751 - Osbornes subjected to swimming test at Long Marston Hertforshire

Publications

1584 - S

1599 - H

1656 - A

1677 - W

1691 - B