Lancashire - context Flashcards
(12 cards)
what was the economic state of Pendle?
upland pastoral economy, used for rearing sheep and cattle
thriving cloth industry
many families involved in both pastoral farming and cloth manufacturing
- revenue from agriculture could be unpredictable
what was the importance of cattle to the witch trials?
they were of great importance to the economy
many witches were accused of damaging livestock
- e.g Old Chattox accused of bewitching cattle
inflation in Pendle
1507: faces rents and entry fines were introduced to cattle farms
- rents increased by 39%
general price inflation meant copyholders benefits from increased profits
- others had to pay forest entry fines and rents, which caused their economic situation to become strained
increased enclosure meant many tenants faced threat of eviction
what was the impact of population growth?
1443: 24 tenants
1650: population 1,620
more food needed to be produced more efficiently
religious needs of the population needed to be catered for
what was the Duchy of Lancaster?
the territory controlled by the duke of Lancaster
why were there clashes with the duchy of Lancaster?
1607: lawyers for the duchy questioned the validity of copyholders’ estates
- hoped to gain money from Copyholders for the crown
1608: copyholders petitioned because they had limited resources to pay further fees
added to economic tensions
1609: agreement that copyholders had to pay a sum of 12 years’ rent to confirm rights and privileges
- many had to sell or mortgage land
what was the role of the Reformation in Lancashire?
area around Pendle didn’t suffer greatly
occasional confrontation between local clergy and superiors
very few examples of residents troubling church courts
what was the role of Whalley Abbey?
had provided charity and education to local population
closed in mid-1500s and Pendle Forest lost a key resource
what was the impact of Whalley Abbey closing?
Puritan clergy could have greater influence
the abbey and its lands became property of the Crown, managed by local gentry
landed gentry gained more power, some of whom were Puritan, and many of whom were Protestant
what was white magic?
helpful magic used by village healers
in Lancashire, there was a blurred boundary between witchcraft and the work of healers
what were attitudes to witchcraft before 1604?
courts worked traditionally when investigating cases of witchcraft
the crimes witches were accused of hadn’t changed for centuries
- maleficium was most common (e.g hair to livestock)
- required tangible evidence
what was the impact of the 1604 Statute on witchcraft?
mirrored widespread view that the most terrible part of witchcraft was the pact with the devil
action of conjuring spirits was a capital offence
