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History · Crime and punishment in early modern England

Witchcraft and the Witch-Hunts of 1645-47

How witchcraft became a crime punishable by death, and why Matthew Hopkins was able to lead England's worst witch-hunt during the Civil War.

  • c1500-c1700
  • 7 key terms
  • All boards
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Teacher resources

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Student handouts

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Learning Objectives

  1. 1Describe the laws that made witchcraft a crime, and how they changed.
  2. 2Explain why accusations of witchcraft increased, especially in the 1640s.
  3. 3Explain the role of Matthew Hopkins in the witch-hunts of 1645-47.

Setting the Scene

In the 1500s and 1600s almost everyone believed the Devil was real and that witches could use his power to harm people, animals and crops. When something went wrong - a sick child, a dead cow, a failed harvest - neighbours looked for someone to blame. Witchcraft became a crime that could be punished by death.

  1. 1542 Henry VIII's Witchcraft Act makes witchcraft punishable by death.
  2. 1547 The 1542 Act is repealed under Edward VI.
  3. 1563 Elizabeth I's Witchcraft Act: death for killing someone by witchcraft.
  4. 1597 James VI of Scotland publishes Daemonologie, a book about witches.
  5. 1604 James I's Witchcraft Act: death for a first offence of calling up evil spirits.
  6. 1645-47 Matthew Hopkins leads a witch-hunt in East Anglia.

The Witchcraft Acts

Each Act made witchcraft more clearly a crime.

  • 1542

    Monarch: Henry VIII. What it said: Witchcraft punishable by death; repealed in 1547

  • 1563

    Monarch: Elizabeth I. What it said: Death for causing a death by witchcraft; lesser harm punished by the pillory and prison

  • 1604

    Monarch: James I. What it said: Death for a first offence of invoking evil spirits, even if no one was harmed

Why Were People Accused?

Accusations grew out of belief, fear and hardship.

  • Religious belief

    Belief in the Devil was universal, and Puritans stressed his power.

  • Hard times

    Bad harvests, disease and poverty made people look for someone to blame.

  • Who was accused

    Most were poor, elderly women, often living alone or dependent on neighbours.

  • Tension

    A woman refused charity who then cursed her neighbour might be blamed for any bad luck that followed.

  • The king's example

    James I believed strongly in witches and wrote Daemonologie (1597).

  • Evidence

    "Proof" included a witch's mark, a familiar such as a pet cat, or a neighbour's word.

Why the Witch-Hunts of 1645-47 Happened

Hopkins was important - but he could only work because of the circumstances around him.

  • The Civil War

    The Civil War (1642-51) disrupted normal government, and the usual assize courts were not held regularly, so local courts acted with less control.

  • Puritanism

    East Anglia was strongly Puritan, and Puritans saw the Devil at work everywhere.

  • Hardship

    War, bad harvests and disease left people anxious and looking for someone to blame.

  • Hopkins himself

    His methods produced confessions, and his fame spread through his 1647 pamphlet The Discovery of Witches.

Case study

The End of the Hunt

Hopkins's witch-hunt ended almost as quickly as it had begun. Some ministers, such as John Gaule, openly criticised his methods, and people began to question whether confessions made after days without sleep could be trusted. By 1647 the witch-hunt had collapsed, and Hopkins died that same year. The hunt shows how belief, fear and a breakdown of normal authority could combine with one determined man to cause a wave of accusations.

100+ People executed as a result of the witch-hunt, 1645-47
1647 Hopkins publishes The Discovery of Witches, and dies

Summary & Exam Focus

  • Witchcraft Acts in 1542, 1563 and 1604 made witchcraft a crime punishable by death.
  • Most accused were poor, elderly women.
  • The Civil War, Puritanism and hardship made the 1645-47 witch-hunt possible.
  • Matthew Hopkins's methods led to more than 100 executions.

Exam focus

Explain why there was an increase in accusations of witchcraft in the period c1500-c1700. (12 marks) (12 marks)

Explain several causes - belief, the law, hardship, the Civil War - and do not let Hopkins be your only reason.

Key terms

The vocabulary this lesson expects you to use. Each one is linked from the first place it appears above.

Witchcraft
Using supernatural power, believed to come from the Devil, to cause harm.
Witchcraft Act
Laws of 1542, 1563 and 1604 that made witchcraft a crime.
Familiar
An animal believed to be a witch's helper from the Devil.
Devil's mark
A mark on the body believed to show a pact with the Devil.
Swimming test
Throwing a suspect into water: floating meant guilt.
Puritan
A strict Protestant who wanted a simpler, purer Church.
Witchfinder General
The title Matthew Hopkins gave himself.

Questions and answers

9 questions set on this lesson, with the mark schemes and model answers open.

1. Exam question Explain one way 4 marks Foundation

Explain one way in which the Witchcraft Act of 1563 was different from the Witchcraft Act of 1604.

Mark scheme — 4 marks available

  • A valid difference identified — 1-2 marks
  • Supported with specific knowledge of both Acts — 3-4 marks

Model answer

Under Elizabeth I's Witchcraft Act of 1563, a witch could only be sentenced to death if their witchcraft had caused someone's death; lesser harm was punished by the pillory and prison. James I's Witchcraft Act of 1604 was harsher: it made a first offence of invoking evil spirits punishable by death even if nobody had been harmed. So the difference is that the 1604 Act made it much easier to execute someone for witchcraft.

2. Exam question Explain why 12 marks Stretch

Explain why there was an increase in accusations of witchcraft in the period c1500-c1700. You may use the following in your answer: the Witchcraft Act (1604); Matthew Hopkins. You must also use information of your own.

Mark scheme — 12 marks available

  • Level 1 (1-3) — A simple or general answer
  • Level 2 (4-6) — Some explanation of one or more reasons, with some knowledge
  • Level 3 (7-9) — A developed explanation linked to the question, with accurate knowledge
  • Level 4 (10-12) — An analytical explanation of several reasons, with knowledge that goes beyond the stimulus points

Model answer

One reason was that the law made witchcraft a serious crime. Acts in 1542, 1563 and 1604 made witchcraft punishable by death, and James I's Act of 1604 allowed the death penalty for a first offence of invoking evil spirits even if nobody was harmed. James himself had written Daemonologie in 1597, so a strong belief in witches came from the very top. A second reason was the work of Matthew Hopkins in 1645-47. Calling himself the Witchfinder General, he and John Stearne travelled through East Anglia using methods such as keeping suspects awake and searching for the devil's mark, which produced confessions. Towns paid him fees, and more than 100 people were executed as a result. A third reason, beyond the stimulus, was the circumstances of the time. The Civil War disrupted normal government and the assize courts, Puritanism made people see the Devil everywhere, and bad harvests and poverty made neighbours look for someone to blame. Poor, elderly women who depended on charity were especially vulnerable to accusations when misfortune struck.

3. Exam question How far do you agree? 16 marks Stretch

"The main reason for the witch-hunts of 1645-47 was the work of Matthew Hopkins." How far do you agree? Explain your answer. You may use the following in your answer: the Civil War; The Discovery of Witches (1647). You must also use information of your own. (16 marks, plus 4 for spelling, punctuation, grammar and specialist terminology)

Mark scheme — 16 marks available

  • Level 1 (1-4) — A simple or generalised answer
  • Level 2 (5-8) — Some analysis, with a judgement that is asserted
  • Level 3 (9-12) — Analysis of both sides with accurate knowledge and a supported judgement
  • Level 4 (13-16) — Sustained analysis, knowledge beyond the stimulus, and a clear, justified judgement
  • SPaG (4) — Accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar, with specialist terms such as familiar and Puritan

Model answer

On the one hand, Hopkins played a central role. Calling himself the Witchfinder General, he and John Stearne actively sought out witches in Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk. His methods - sleep deprivation, searching for the devil's mark and the swimming test - produced confessions, and because towns paid him fees he had a reason to keep finding witches. More than 100 people were executed, far more than in any other English witch-hunt, and his pamphlet The Discovery of Witches spread his ideas. On the other hand, Hopkins could only succeed because of the circumstances. The Civil War disrupted normal government, so the regular assize courts were not held and local courts acted with less control. East Anglia was strongly Puritan and believed deeply in the Devil. War, bad harvests and disease left people frightened and looking for someone to blame. The law already made witchcraft a capital crime under the 1604 Act. Overall, Hopkins was the trigger, but the Civil War and the religious and economic situation were the underlying causes. Without the breakdown of normal authority his methods would probably have been stopped much sooner, which is what happened once critics such as John Gaule spoke out and the hunt collapsed by 1647.

4. Multiple choice 1 mark Core

What title did Matthew Hopkins give himself?

  1. A The Lord Protector
  2. B The Witchfinder General Correct
  3. C The Keeper of the Peace
  4. D The High Sheriff

Why: He called himself the Witchfinder General, although no one had given him that title.

5. Multiple choice 1 mark Core

What did James I's Witchcraft Act of 1604 do?

  1. A Ended the punishment of witches
  2. B Made witchcraft punishable only by a fine
  3. C Made witchcraft a crime for the first time
  4. D Allowed death for a first offence of invoking evil spirits Correct

Why: It allowed the death penalty for a first offence of invoking evil spirits, even if nobody was harmed.

6. Multiple choice 1 mark Core

What was a "familiar"?

  1. A An animal believed to be a witch's helper Correct
  2. B A neighbour who accused a witch
  3. C A mark on a witch's body
  4. D A book of spells

Why: An animal, such as a cat or toad, believed to be a witch's helper sent by the Devil.

7. Multiple choice 1 mark Core

Which of these helped cause the witch-hunts of 1645-47?

  1. A The Gunpowder Plot
  2. B The dissolution of the monasteries
  3. C The Civil War Correct
  4. D The Act of Supremacy

Why: The Civil War disrupted normal government and courts, letting local accusations run out of control.

8. Multiple choice 1 mark Foundation

Who were most people accused of witchcraft?

  1. A Wealthy landowners
  2. B Poor, elderly women Correct
  3. C Catholic priests
  4. D Soldiers

Why: Most were poor, elderly women, often living alone and dependent on their neighbours.

9. Multiple choice 1 mark Stretch

Which king wrote Daemonologie (1597), a book about witches?

  1. A Henry VIII
  2. B Edward VI
  3. C James VI of Scotland Correct
  4. D Charles I

Why: James VI of Scotland, who became James I of England in 1603.