Summary
Join your host Eri Berry on the third and final part of this October special where we will meet the infamous Matthew Hopkins and try to uncover the truth behind the title of Witch-Finder General. This era of English history is set against the backdrop of the English Civil War, and along the way, we’ll meet magic-obsessed monarchs, dubious court officials, and of course, we will try our best to separate fact from fiction. This episode is dedicated to all victims of witchcraft persecution worldwide, as tragically, it is not confined to the history books.
Time Stamps:
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:46 A quick recap…
00:01:49 James I
00:05:45 Charles I
00:08:02 The English Civil War kicks off
00:12:53 Matthew Hopkins
00:15:55 Elizabeth Clarke
00:21:16 The Chelmsford Assizes
00:23:20 Contemporary critics
00:27:00 How does this chapter end?
00:29:18 A tribute to those accused of witchcraft
00:30:15 The full list of names
00:37:59 Credits
Disclaimer:
While I do my best to bring you accurate, well-researched content, I’m only human! If you spot a mistake, have a correction, or want to share additional context, please feel free to reach out via email at unexpectedessex@gmail.com.
Key Names and Places:
Matthew Hopkins, Elizabeth Clarke, Chelmsford, Mistley, Manningtree, Essex, Ursley Kempe, St Osyth, John Stearne, John Gaule, James I, Charles I.
Sources:
Sources
- An Act Against Conjuration, Witchcraft and Dealing with Evil and Wicked Spirits (1604), 1 Jac. I c.12. Available via Statutes Online:
https://statutes.org.uk/site/the-statutes/seventeenth-century/1604-1-james-1-c-12-an-act-against-witchcraft/ - Brian P. Levack, The Great Witch-Hunt in Early Modern Europe. Excerpt hosted by the University of Chicago Law School:
https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=13841&context=journal_articles - Malcolm Gaskill, Witch-Hunting in Revolutionary England. Transcript published by World Turned Upside Down:
https://www.worldturnedupsidedown.co.uk/transcripts/witch-hunting-in-revolutionary-england/?print=print - Malcolm Gaskill, Witchcraft, Witch-Hunting and Politics in Early Modern England. Palgrave Macmillan, 2001.
https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Witchcraft_Witch_hunting_and_Politics_in.html?id=sDEiCwAAQBAJ - East Anglian Witch Project, Chelmsford: Trials and Executions:
https://www.eastanglianwitchproject.co.uk/blog/chelmsford-trials-and-executions - Matthew Hopkins. Encyclopaedia Britannica:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Matthew-Hopkins - Witch Trials in Essex Database, compiled by Ken Farnhill:
https://www.witchtrials.co.uk/years.html
Database Credit: The list of known Essex witchcraft accusations used in the closing memorial sequence is based on the research published by Ken Farnhill at Witch Trials in Essex (www.witchtrials.co.uk).
My sincere thanks for making this remarkable resource freely available and helping to preserve the stories of those accused of witchcraft in Essex.
Image Attributions:
| Title: | Attribution: | Edited? |
| Essex Map | Christopher Saxton, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons | No |
| Candle | Photo by Jahra Tasfia Reza: https://www.pexels.com/photo/two-wax-candles-with-flickering-flame-39851502/ | No |
| Misty forest | Photo by Shivani Sharma : https://www.pexels.com/photo/tall-leafless-trees-in-dense-forest-4159238/ | No |
| James I | National Galleries Scotland, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons | No |
| Anne of Denmark | John de Critz, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons | No |
| Storm at Sea | Willem van de Velde the Younger, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons | No |
| Daemonologie | See page for author, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons | No |
| Parchment | Photo by Putra Kusuma: https://www.pexels.com/photo/cursive-writing-on-paper-13207104/ | No |
| Charles I | Anthony van Dyck, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons | No |
| Henrietta Maria | Workshop of Anthony van Dyck, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons | No |
| Canterbury Cathedral | Canterbury Museums and Galleries, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons | No |
| Puritans | John Everett Millais, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons | No |
| Roundheads | Walter Paget, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons | No |
| Cavaliers | Walter Paget, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons | No |
| Civil War | John Barker (1811-1886), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons | No |
| Shire Hall | Stuart166axe at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons | No |
| Jail | Photo by Barış Türköz: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-cell-window-14265347/ | No |
| Mistley | Mistley Towers by Tim Marchant, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons | No |
| Manningtree | Manningtree, High St. by Peter Pearson, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons | No |
| River Stour | John Lemay / CC BY-SA 2.0 /River Stour, Suffolk/Essex border | No |
| Matthew Hopkins | See page for author, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons | No |
| The Discovery of Witches | London, Printed for R. Royston, at the Angell in Ivie Lane, publisher Uploader Hejkallocain, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons | No |
| Ordeal of Water | See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons | No |
| Witch Swimming | See page for author, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons | No |
| Old hands | Photo by – landsmann -: https://www.pexels.com/photo/elderly-hands-resting-on-wooden-cane-32097878/ | No |
| Candle | Photo by Jahra Tasfia Reza: https://www.pexels.com/photo/moody-candlelit-scene-with-two-candles-burning-39850039/ | No |
| Moon | Photo by Daniel Olivier: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-of-a-bright-moon-against-a-night-sky-17860193/ | No |
| Clockface | Photo by jonathan emili: https://www.pexels.com/photo/round-mechanical-clock-on-black-background-6133070/ | No |
| John Gaule’s Pamphlet | John Gaule / Public Domain / https://www.greatstaughtonpc.org.uk/post/great-staughton-and-its-people-by-anthony-withers-chapter-15 | No |
| Graveyard | Photo by Matt Connolly: https://www.pexels.com/photo/tombstone-of-graves-in-the-graveyard-13291353/ | No |
| Mistley | Geoff Pick / St. Mary, Mistley / CC BY-SA 2.0 | No |
| Ursley Kempe | Image used with kind permission from Amy’s Crypt painted by Elke Mackus Fine Arthttps://www.elkemackus-fineart.com/ | No |
| St Osyth Plaque | Image used with kind permission from Amy’s Crypt | No |
Intro images:
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