fraudulent cases Flashcards
1
Q
when was the Boy of Burton case?
A
1597
2
Q
when was the Pendle Swindle case?
A
1634
3
Q
when was the Demon Drummer case?
A
1662
4
Q
when was the Jane Wenham case?
A
1712
5
Q
what was the story of the Boy of Burton?
A
- Thomas Darling (14 years old) accused Alice Goodridge of causing hallucinations and fits - a doctor confirms Darling was bewitched.
- Goodridge was arrested and he accused 13 other women of witchcraft
- John Darrel was bought in to exorcise (removal of the demon) Darling using fasting and prayer
- Darling later confessed in 1599 that the case was fraudulent - Darling and Darrel were imprisoned for a year
6
Q
what limited the impact/no change of scepticism in the Boy of Burton case?
A
- it didn’t lead to an overall disbelief in witchcraft, the case was viewed more as a one-off discovery of fraudulence, and overall belief in witches and exorcism continued.
- the Witchcraft Act of 1604 is after this case - showed an increase in the legal severity of witchcraft.
- The key debate over the case was more about the validity of exorcism, rather than of witchcraft - as can be seen in the pamphlet war created by the publication of Samuel Harsnett’s ‘A Discovery of the Fraudulent Practises of John Darrel.’
7
Q
why was there an increase in scepticism because of the Boy of Burton case?
A
- The exposure of Darling’s lie was also evidence of the unreliability of witness testimonies, and proved that children, were capable of lying - This was an early dent in the thought surrounding how wise it was to accept the testimony of children.
- A Discovery of the Fraudulent Practises of John Darrel (1599) made knowledge of the case more widespread and lead to the pamphlet war - a theological debate which centred around the power of the Devil and the reliability of exorcisms.
- The case did provoke change within the church - a canon was drawn up in 1604 forbidding the practice of exorcism without a licence - although this change is not in itself evidence of scepticism, it is more likely the Church was simply taking steps to protect its reputation.
8
Q
what was the story of the Pendle Swindle case?
A
- Edmund Robinson accused Jennett Device of participating in a sabbat in the woods.
- Robinson and three local magistrates organised a local hunt and accused 17 more women.
- the magistrate was sceptical and referred to the Privy Council in London.
- the evidence is questioned (the use of sleep deprivation) and Robinson admits to freud
9
Q
what the the Pendle Swindle case connected too?
A
the Lancashire Witch Trials in 1612
10
Q
what was the limited impact/no change of scepticism in the Pendle Swindle case?
A
- The Pendle Swindle case provoked little change - there was no justice for the accused women, with many of them still held in custody three years after the trial.
- There were no significant publications of this case at the time so its impact on the opinions of those outside of the trial was very limited.
- major witch hunts began to happen during the Civil War in East Anglia after this hunt
11
Q
why was there an increase of scepticism because of the Pendle Swindle case?
A
- The involvement of the Privy Council and King Charles shows the case gained relevance amongst the powerful elites - may have influenced the scepticism of the King.
- The evidence-based approach, through further questioning and the involvement of surgeons, does reveal a more careful, sceptical approach to witchcraft trials was developing.
- There were relatively few witchcraft prosecutions in the 30s.
12
Q
what was the story of the Demon Drummer case?
A
- A local landowner, John Mompesson JP, accused Drury of casting a spell over his house, having confiscated his drum, which he was banging to draw attention to himself for raising alms for the poor - with a forged pass.
- supernatural events started to occur at Mopesson’s house - Joseph Glanvill investigated and claimed that there was evidence that Drury had cast a spell.
- Glanvil wrote that when Dury was sentenced to deportation, the events stopped, but when he escaped (using supernatural powers) and was subsequently acquitted of witchcraft, the disturbances started again.
13
Q
why was Joseph Glanvill significant?
A
He encouraged the Royal Society, which he was a member of, to explore the scientific foundations of witchcraft.
His account sparked sceptical responses - Bekker and Beaumont
14
Q
why was there limited impact/no change of scepticism in the Demon Drummer case?
A
- Witchcraft Acts not repealed until 1736
- Still a widespread popular belief in witchcraft (highlighted in the newspaper interest and witch hunts occuring after)
15
Q
why was there increasing scepticism because of the Demon Drummer case?
A
- There was numerous publications that highlight a significant change in thinking (Webster, BEKKER, Beaumont)
- involvement of the Royal Society
- A logical, empirical approach was taken towards the case, with sceptics investigating Mompesson and looking for other causes of the disturbances.
16
Q
What was the story of the Jane Wenham case?
A
- Jane Wenham held a reputation of being a witch
- She had been accused of bewitching Matthew Gilson, his employees daughter and their livestock.
- later Anne Thorne, a 16 yr old servant, her of bewitching her and forcing her to vomit pins.
- A vicars wife accused her of shifting into a cat and 16 locals came forward to corroborate the story.
- At the trial, Sir John Powell - the judge - was sceptical and recommended that Jane was found innocent - The jury found her guilty so Powell secured a royal pardon for Wenham.
17
Q
why was there limited impact/no change because of the Jane Wenham case?
A
- .Witchcraft prosecutions had already been in decline since 1660. Therefore, it is arguable that the case should not be seen as a turning point but as part of a changing attitude that changed more rapidly in recent years.
- Several writers after 1712 still wrote showing support for a belief in witchcraft, e.g. John Wesley.
- The fact that the jury still condemned Wenham shows that the scepticism of the Intelligentsia had not yet been adopted by small, rural communities like Wenham’s - ordinary, illiterate people still believed in witchcraft even if the educated elites were willing to challenge it.
18
Q
why was there an increase in scepticism because of the Jane Wenham case?
A
- The case led to a celebrated sceptical book by Francis Hutchinson in 1718: An Historical Essay Concerning Witchcraft.
- It was the last guilty verdict on a charge of witchcraft in England.
- The presiding judge ridiculed most of the evidence from neighbours, thus creating a well-publicised, serious clash between the law and popular belief, as well as the opinions of the educated class and the popular masses.
