the discovery of witches by matthew hopkins

It has been estimated that all of the English witch trials between the early 15th and late 18th centuries resulted in fewer than 500 executions for witchcraft. He is believed to have been responsible for the conviction and execution of 300 witches between 16. and were solely responsible for the increase in witch trials during those years.

He and his associates were responsible for more people being hanged for witchcraft than in the previous 100 years, In Essex there were no executions after 1626 until 1645. Hopkins’ witch-finding career began in March 1644 and lasted until his retirement in 1647. He had become indeed the Witch Finder General.” By the next year, he had extended his operations with a team of six – himself, John Stearne, and four prickers – to the counties of Cambridge, Northampton, Huntingdon, and Bedford. “After Essex, he turned to Norfolk and Suffolk. His witch-hunts mainly took place in East Anglia. He claimed to hold the office of Witchfinder General, although that title was never bestowed by Parliament.

1620 – 12 August 1647) was an English witch-hunter whose career flourished during the English Civil War.

Portrait of Matthew Hopkins, from the 1837 edition of The discovery of witches.

The discovery of witches by matthew hopkins