Witch hunts

• What years did the witch-hunts occur in England?

  1645-47
• What was a significant factor in the increase of witchcraft executions during 1645-47?

  Matthew Hopkins, known as the 'Witchfinder General'
• What were witch-hunts?

  They were efforts to actively discover witches.
• During which conflict did the witch-hunts of 1645-47 occur?

  During the English Civil War (1642-51)
• In which geographical area were the witch-hunts of 1645-47 particularly concentrated?

  In the east of England
• Who were primarily investigated during the witch-hunts?

  Hundreds of women and a few men, mostly clergymen
• What was the usual method of execution for those convicted of witchcraft?

  Usually by hanging
• What were the key characteristics of the witch-hunts during 1645-47?

  • Active efforts to discover witches
  • Occurred during the English Civil War
  • Concentrated in the east of England
  • Involved hundreds of women and a few men
  • Executions typically by hanging
• what are the factors that made people believe in witchcraft


  religion, government, changes in society/attitudes and poverty
• what were the changes with the law with witches?


  they previously wasn't a crime and now officially is
• when was witchcraft officially recognised as a crime?


  1542
• what was the punishment and the reason the new law was made?


  due to religious beliefs and death/execution
• what was there in 1563?


  Minor + Major Witchcraft
• what did james I do in 1604?


  toughens the laws and enforces major witchhunts
• give a period of years and the amount of witches arrested and killed?

  over 200 years around 2000 people where arrested and killed
• what were witches typically portrayed as?


  old vunrelable women
• why did fear cause people to believe in witchcraft?

  religious problems due to changes in Catholicism and prostatism caused people to not feel safe from evil
• why did social and economic problems make people believe in witchcraft?


  poor harvests and a rising population + failed crops was blamed on witches
• why did changes in society (conflict) make people believe in witchcraft?


  civil wars set neighbour against neighbour creating distrust in England 1642-49
• why did the government make people believe in witchcraft?

  as James I believed in witches and wrote a book 'demonology' on how to spot witches
• how did the civil war cause witches to be vulnerable (judges)


  as royal judges werent able to get around counties twice a year so witches were vulnerable
• when did Mathew Hopkins do, when did he arise and who was he?


  a failed lawyers in 1645 labelled 'witchfinder general' went around and arrested witches making a lot of money identifying them by devil marks, torture or confession