Role of Roger Nowell in Lancashire Trails Witchcraft

• Ambitions of the local magistrate Roger Nowell

  To gain favour with the monarch
• Nowell's ambitions


  Drove the witch hunts in the local area and made sure accusations went to trial
• Alizon Device's confession to Nowell


  Led him to take further actions, making the witch hunt become more widespread
• Nowell acted upon rumours of meetings held at Malkin tower


  Resumed the witch hunt and led to 8 other accusations
• Nowell's beliefs


  Dangers of recusancy, so he chose who to question wisely
• Alice Nutter was a catholic widow
• Nowell could have dealt with the cases himself


  However he wanted them to go to Lancashire assizes so that the cases will be higher profile
• 11 women detained because of Nowell's accusations
• Witchcraft Statute of 1604


  Any person caught using supernatural powers or conjuring spirits was a capital offence, which gave the public more reason to find these witches led to increase of accusations
• Religious tensions


  Three of the women convinced the judges that they were apart of a catholic plot which allowed for them to be acquitted
• Old Demdike was reportedly using white magic and maleficium
• Strong belief of magic and witchcraft in the area, which would intensify the belief of witches and the public to do a witch hunt
• 6 of 11 accused were from rival families and most were lead by widows