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Today, I’d like to tell you the story of one Matthew Hopkins, more commonly known as the ‘Witchfinder General’. He’s a figure both very much of his time, and one that I think wouldn’t be *too* out of place in 2018 - as depressing a realisation as that may be… THREAD /1 
Before we go further, it’s important to know 2 things. The first, the 17th century was an age with a deep anxiety of witches. In fact, King James I/VI had published a book called ‘Daemonologie’ in 1597 that outlined their supposed aims and methods. /2 bl.uk/collection-ite…
The second thing to know is that by the time that Hopkins reached adulthood, the English Civil War was in full swing. It was a chaotic, divided, fearful time - with all the mass panics that comes with it. Not that we’d know anything about that. /3
Matthew Hopkins was born around 1620 in a relatively small village in Suffolk, where his family owned land. We know very little about his upbringing, or his aspirations - although he *may* have been a lawyer & spent time in the Netherlands. He first appears around 1644. /4
We first meet Hopkins in 1644, when an associate, John Stearne, accused a group of women in Manningtree, Essex of trying to kill him with sorcery. Hopkins enthusiastically joined in with the ‘investigations’, that involved sleep deprivation & searches of the body (by women). /5
Thirty-six local women were eventually charged with witchcraft, their names being given either under ‘confession’, or by townsfolk accusing others. Nineteen of these women were hanged in July 1645, having been found guilty at the Chelmsford Assizes. /6
The next month, an assizes was held at Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. This time, 18 - 16 women & 2 men - were hanged on evidence supplied by Hopkins & Stearne. 100 odd more accused lingered in prison & some undoubtedly died. This was the largest witch trial in English history. /7
Buoyed by their success, Hopkins and Stearne began to travel around eastern England - Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire - rolling into town with their ‘prickers’ (the women who searched the witches bodies for ‘marks’). /8
Hopkins and Stearne used a number of tests to ascertain whether a woman was a witch, all based on contemporary superstition. This included prodding any skin deformities (if used to suckle a familiar, they were supposed to be numb) and the infamous ducking in a stream or river. /9
Hopkins spent 1646 conducting his witch hunts, demanding a healthy sun in return. It’s reported that Ipswich in Suffolk had to raise taxes to pay for his ‘services’. Both he & Stearne claimed to have a license to seek witches - questions did arise regarding their methods. /10
You can follow Hopkins’ hunts with this handy little guide that gives accounts of where he visited and who was accused throughout the East of England. I was staggered at the number of victims detailed. /11 practitioners.exeter.ac.uk/wp-content/upl…
Various sources claim that between 200 and 300 people were executed as the result of Hopkins and Stearne’s activities. Many of the victims are detailed in court records, some we rely on the written testimony from the period - letters and such. /12
Hopkins and Stearne shut down when attention began to mount regarding their motivations and expertise. Hopkins retired to Manningtree, where he wrote the book that led to his enduring reputation, ‘A Discovery of Witches’. It detailed his methods, & recounted his hunts. /13
Hopkins’ book was a bit of a hit by the standards of the period, and it undoubtedly influenced the direction and the processes of the Salem Witch Trials that occurred decades later in Massachusetts. You can read the book here. /14 headgatetheatre.co.uk/witchfinder/pd…
Hopkins died a young man in 1647, most probably from tuberculosis. He was buried in the village churchyard of Mistley Heath, part of wider Manningtree. His gravestone is long gone - probably a good thing for the locals. /15
Matthew Hopkins has become a bit of a boogeyman, helped by any number of folktales, books, TV shows and films - including the 1968 ‘Witchfinder General’, starring Vincent Price. He is a stand-in for the forces of superstition and zealotry. /16
I don’t see Hopkins as a boogeyman - just a man who took the opportunity presented by fear, anxiety & chaos to benefit himself. I’m sure he believed, on some level, in witches - I just think he saw it also as a path to fame and riches. More parasite than mad prophet. /17
If you’d like to learn more about Matthew Hopkins and his story, I highly recommend this book by Malcolm Gaskill. /18 amazon.co.uk/Witchfinders-S…
Hope you enjoyed that. Remind you of anybody about right now? I couldn't possibly comment... /FIN
