[HPforGrownups] Re: a lot of Names, interrupted with a lot of Traitors, L...

[MadameSSnape at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 154744

 
In a message dated 7/2/2006 8:29:48 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
willsonkmom at msn.com writes:

Three  to four ***thousand*Three  to four 


===============
Sherrie here:
 
Whoa - that's a bit much!  Matthew Hopkins was a sick, twisted,  sadistic SOB 
- but his reign of terror only lasted about TWO years,  from 1644-1646 (he 
died in 1647 or 1648, apparently not long after the  publication of his 
pamphlet, "The Discovery of Witchcraft").  The largest  number of victims I've seen 
reliably attributed to him is about three hundred -  which, considered he 
operated in East Anglia (his base was at Manningtree and  Mistley, in Essex) rather 
than in a metropolitan area, is quite a few.  At  twenty shillings a witch, 
sounds like a pretty good living in the  mid-seventeenth century.
 
Still, average out 150 a year - that's a witch being "discovered" every  
couple of days or so.  His "trials" were always public spectacles (though  his 
torture was carried out very privately), so yes, I'd imagine that would be  
enough for anyone to get the wind up!  It's certainly enough to have his  name 
reviled in most Witch circles I know!
 
IIRC, his title "Witch-Finder General" was apparently self-bestowed -  
there's no record that Parliament ever appointed him or gave him any such  
commission.  His pamphlet was one of the resources referred to by the  Special Court of 
Oyer and Terminer at Salem, which enthusiastically adopted some  of his 
methods of "discovery".
 
Sherrie
History Fanatic Second Class


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