Hopkins

• Commissioned by John Godbolt (barrister)
• Types of victims in witchcraft accusations

  • Women made up 80% of the accused
  • Approximately 20% of witches were accused of killing children
  • Victims seemed to be more literate, while witnesses were local landowners and clergy
• Literacy levels of victims

  • 89% of women in Suffolk left a mark instead of signing a signature
  • 85% of labourers just left a mark
  • 94% of women were illiterate in Ely
• Socioeconomic status of victims

  • 6 searchers left a mark and 12 left no signature - indicating lower class
  • Men of lower class were more likely to be accused
• Women took men's jobs in agriculture


  They were more likely to be accused when things failed
• Widespread 2 – roles and methods of Stearne and Hopkins – Stearne and Hopkins had uniformed investigations and followed same procedures/ no witchfinder qualifications/ Puritans/ accommodation, food and horses payed for them and additionally payed/ stayed long enough to start legal proceedings and left them to finish/ methods – isolated/ disorientated/ search women/ inspected for Devil’s mark/ watched – sleep deprivation/ walking/ swimming test/ marks easy to find – especially older women/ sleep deprivation very effective at getting confessions 
• Hopkins

  • Son of a Puritan clergyman from high social standing
  • As he was an outsider, locals sought him out as he had a 'neutral judgement'
  • Many historians think he had influence as he was in the 'right place at the right time' - economic and political crisis
• Stearne

  • Received a warrant to search suspected witches in Manningtree
  • Malcolm Gaskill said they acted as facilitators who assisted accusers and gave them confidence to pursue suspects
  • Older than Hopkins
  • Puritan
  • People listened to them
  • Inspired people to do their own witch hunts
• End 1 – the growing cost – witches in Ipswich cost £50 to keep while wating for judges/ towns required to pay for judges – Godbolt invoiced £130 in 1645/ £3 spent on Mary Lakeland’s execution – 3 times higher than if she were hanged/ witch-hunt in Adleburgh cost more than £40 - 1/7 of the town’s yearly budget/ financing the war effort seemed more important/ those who watched executions had to start paying/ witch-hunts becoming an unnecessary luxury people couldn’t afford/ may seem pointless to spend all the money on witch-hunts 
• End 2 – re-establishment of traditional authority – Charles surrendered in 1646 and East Anglia more safe – assize judges could travel more safely/ Hopkins appeared at King Lynn’s to give a testimony – 7/9 acquitted/ Hopkins began being questioned – was he a witch? Why did he break the law?/ assize courts able to more around – more fair judgements/ religion was used as evidence that witchcraft and witch hunts shouldn’t exist 
• End 3 – the role of John Gaule – Hopkins and Stearne came to his attention in mid 1646/ believed in witches but criticised their methods/ said evidence should be analysed meticulously and only my magistrates/ said confessions should not be taken at face value/ said witchfinders assumer authority but did not actually have it/ helped to convince the authorities that witch hunting was no longer necessary