East Anglia - Hopkins and Stearne Flashcards
(12 cards)
what was the role of Sir Harbottle Grimston?
1614: entered Parliament
Puritan and resisted much of Charles’ policies during personal rule
investigated witchcraft accusations in and around Manningtree as a local magistrate
- the first witches identified
- 1645: Hopkins and Stearne presented accusations to him
many of the witches originally accused in 1645 were his tenants or lived illegally on his land
what was the case of Elizabeth Clark?
Manningtree - one of the first identified
Clark was an older woman with one leg, suspected of being a witch
she was inspected for the Devil’s mark, and three teats were found
she was watched for several nights by officials, and Hopkins claimed she welcomed several familiars
she named other women such as Rebecca West
found guilty as Chelmsford trials
timeline of how the hunts spread
1645: Hopkins went to Yarmouth and oversaw the questioning of several witches. 40 women tried
1646: 8 women tried in Huntingdonshire
1647: Stearne investigated in Ely and Hopkins attended assizes in Norfolk where he was questioned by suspicious officials
May 1647: Hopkins published ‘The Discovery of Witches’ as his defence
why were poor women vulnerable to accusations?
accusations often centred on female tasks/spaces
poor women often involved in dairy farming
when things went wrong in the agricultural-domestic sphere, women were particularly vulnerable to being accused
what evidence is there that gender played a large role in the hunts?
80% accused were female
- the 20% men accused were due to association with women
accusations centred around female tasks
Hopkins was keen to find evidence of sexual activity with the Devil and suckling of imps which is far more likely to be associated with women
why was class significant?
all but one witches accused at Ely were illiterate
searchers were also iliterate, suggesting they were neighbours of accused
victims and witnesses more likely to be literate
- reflects the fact many accusations occurred after a poor woman was denied charity from someone wealthier
what were the roles of Hopkins and Stearne?
investigations followed the same procedures
neither had qualifications but were good at their work
- made assessments quickly
mot often conducted interrogations with other magistrates and officials
would only stay long enough to set legal proceedings in motion, leaving others to continue the cases to trial
what methods did the witch finders use?
isolation - disorientated, more likely to confess
search-women inspected bodies for Devil’s mark
‘watching’ (+ sleep deprivation)
- controversial
- successful
walking - exhausted
swimming test
- cheap and persuasive
- legitimacy, approved by James I in ‘Daemonologie’
- magistrates sceptical
what did witch finders aim to find through their use of methods?
relationship between witch and Devil, and how they became initiated
marks that could be associated with witchcraft
imps or familiars
other witches known to the accused
why did Hopkins have so much influence and power?
Suited for his role as the son of a Puritan clergyman and from good social standing
outsider in Manningree, locals sought him out as an objective and neutral perspective
some believed parliament appointed Hopkins
why did Stearne have so much influence and power?
Puritan with good knowledge of the Scripture and was passionate about witchfinding
first to receive warrant from Manningtree magistrates to search suspected witches
arguments against Hopkin and Stearne’s power?
right place at the right time
- Hopkins being an outsider in Manningtree made him an ideal candidate
perhaps didn’t believe themselves to have significant power. Instead acted as facilitators who assisted accusers
