In 17th century England, a wave of witch hunts swept through communities marked by fear, superstition, and societal tensions, resulting in the persecution and execution of dozens accused of witchcraft. One notable case occurred in 1650 in Newcastle, where a young woman was publicly examined by a Witch Pricker, an official brought from across the Scottish border to identify witches. The assessment involved poking the woman’s thigh with a sharp bodkin, a test intended to reveal whether she bled, a sign of innocence. When she failed to bleed, she was declared a witch before a gathered crowd and sentenced to death. However, intervention by the regional military governor, Lieutenant-Colonel Hobson, led to a retesting, which produced different results and spared her life. Nevertheless, 15 individuals, mostly women, were executed nearby.

Historian Marion Gibson emphasizes that the witch hunts were fueled by deep-rooted misogyny, paranoia, and religious strife amid the English Civil War’s upheaval. During this period, ordinary misfortunes like crop failures, illness, or personal tragedies were frequently attributed to malevolent supernatural forces and the work of witches who had purportedly made pacts with the Devil. Many accused were poor, often single women scapegoated by their communities. For example, in Essex, wheelwright Thomas Hart attributed the death of his prized sow and his wife’s miscarriage to a local widow, Anne West, who was later executed following accusations. Similarly, in Great Yarmouth, hosier Henry Moulton blamed Elizabeth Bradwell for allegedly bewitching his infant son after she was denied additional knitting work. Another case from Cornwall involved Ann Jefferies, a servant suspected of casting curses and subsequently imprisoned.

These accusations were often intertwined with the broader religious and political conflicts of the time. Areas where Puritan influence grew—such as East Anglia, Lancashire, and Newcastle—experienced some of the most intense witch panics. Puritans sought strict biblical adherence and viewed superstition and local folk beliefs with hostility, in contrast to Royalists, who were generally more tolerant of traditional practices. The disruption caused by civil war further eroded legal protections; jury trials were often suspended, and local authorities bypassed formal court processes, allowing prominent individuals to determine guilt based on prevailing prejudices.

The witch hunts were further intensified by figures like Matthew Hopkins, a self-appointed “Witchfinder General” in East Anglia, who charged communities to identify supposed witches. Hopkins’ methods, detailed in his 1647 publication, included searching for signs such as an alleged pact with the Devil, confession under duress, physical examination for extra teats believed to nurse evil spirits, and the pricking test to find insensitive, non-bleeding marks. His interrogations often involved prolonged sleep deprivation and physical exhaustion to force confessions. Women subjected to these ordeals frequently described fantastical familiars or imps, often displaying signs of psychological distress that contemporary observers might now attribute to mental illness or trauma.

These witch trials reflected a volatile environment shaped by social tension, religious factionalism, and a widespread belief in the supernatural, revealing much about the fears and vulnerabilities of 17th-century English society.