Witchcraft in Tudor and Stuart England

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Witchcraft in Tudor and Stuart England

Why was there any problem?

Today when we think of witches, we think of fairy tale witches on brooms with black cats and warts on the tips of their noses, but then, they would have thought anyone could be a witch. If you were an old lady, often a widow who lived at home alone, people would not automatically go "witch witch". Often people that were accused had a family, also there was a lot of the rich accusing the poor. This is the story of Elizabeth Crossly. Henry Cockfeild told how a poor woman called Elizabeth Crossly came to his house begging. Henry gave her a small amount and sent her away, Elizabeth was not pleased with this amount but she went anyway. The next night Henry's one year old son started having fits three months later he was dead. Henry blamed Elizabeth, At the trial other people said she had bewitched members of there family. Elizabeth was found guilty and hung.

Elizabeth's story was not uncommon. Here is a chart to show the number of witchcraft trials in the south east of England from 1560 to 1701.

County