Subjects
English Witchcraft, 1560–1736
General Editor: James Sharpe
Consulting Editor: Richard Golden
Volume Editors: Marion Gibson, Malcolm Gaskill and Peter Elmer
978 1 85196 735 3: 234x156mm: £495.00/$840.00
This exciting collection charts the prevailing attitudes towards witchcraft in Britain during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries through facsimile reproductions of early demonological works, trial pamphlets and works from the Matthew Hopkins trials and later pamphlets. Original texts are presented together with editorial matter including introductions and index, and headnotes to all texts.
Scholars of British history, politics and religion will find a wealth of material here revealing the religious and political tensions brought about by the Civil War and Restoration. During this time there were many instances of witch persecutions, and well over one hundred works were written on the subject. Events like the only mass witch trial to take place in England, instigated by an obscure gentleman called Matthew Hopkins in East Anglia, sparked the publication of a number of tracts by supporters of witch hunts and by the sceptics.
Witchcraft remained a live topic well into the eighteenth century, which saw a gradual tailing off in the perceived importance of witchcraft. The edition charts the trajectory of the educated debate on the reality of witchcraft and the gradual decline in belief in witches and associated phenomena, leading to the repeal of the English witchcraft statute.
- Includes early demonological works, trial pamphlets and works from the Matthew Hopkins trials, later pamphlets and the final debates
- General introduction
- Headnotes accompany all texts
- Texts reproduced in facsimile
Contents
Volume 1
Early English Demonological Works
Henry Holland, A Treatise against Witchcraft; or, a Dialogue, wherein the greatest doubts concerning the sinne, are briefly answered (1590); William Perkins, A Discourse of the Damned Art of Witchcraft; so farre forth as it is revealed in the Scriptures, and manifest by true Experience (1608)
Volume 2
Early English Trial Pamphlets
Richard Galis, A brief treatise conteyning the most strange and horrible crueltye of Elizabeth Stile (1579); [anon.], The Apprehension and confession of three notorious Witches (1589); [anon.], The most strange and admirable discoverie of the three Witches of Warboys (1593); John Darrell, An Apologie, of defence of the possession of William Sommers, a yong man of the towne of Nottingham (n.p., ?1599); [anon.], Witches Apprehended, Examined and Executed, for notable villanies by them committed both by Land and Water (1613); [anon.], The Wonderful Discoverie of the Witchcrafts of Margaret and Phillip Flower (1619
Volume 3
The Matthew Hopkins Trials
H F, A true and exact Relation of the Severall Informations, Examinations, and Confessions of the late Witches, arraigned and executed in the County of Essex (1645); [anon.], A True Relation of the Araignment of eighteene Witches That were tried, convicted, and condemned, at a Sessions holden at St Edmonds-bury in Suffolke (1645); [anon.], The Lawes against Witches and Coniuration. And Some brief Notes and Observations for the Discovery of Witches (1645); [anon.], Signes and wonders from Heaven. With a true Relation of a Monster borne in Ratcliffe Highway … Likewise a new discovery of Witches in Stepney parish. And how 20. Witches more were executed in Suffolke this last Assise (1645); John Davenport, The Witches of Huntingdon, Their Examinations and Confessions, exactly taken by his Majesties Justices of the Peace for that County (1646); John Gaule, Select Cases of Conscience touching Witches and Witchcrafts (1646); Matthew Hopkins, The Discovery of Witches: In Answer to severall Queries Lately Delivered to the Judges of Assize for the County of Norfolk (1647); John Stearne, A Confirmation And Discovery of Witch Craft (1648); [anon.], A Most Certain, Strange and true Discovery of a Witch. Being taken by some of the Parliament Forces, as she was standing on a small planck-board and sayling on it over the River of Newbury (1643); [anon.], The Examination, Confession, Triall, and Execution, of Joane Williford, Joan Cariden, and Jane Hott: who were executed at Faversham in Kent, for being Witches, on Munday the 29 of September, 1645 (1645); Mary Moore, Wonderfull News from the North. Or, A True Relation Of The Sad And Grievous Torments, Inflicted upon the Bodies of three Children of Mr George Muschamp, late of the County of Northumberland, by Witchcraft (1650); H F, A Prodigious & Tragicall History Of The Arraignment, Tryall, Confession and Condemnation of six Witches at Maidstone in Kent (1652)
Volume 4
The Post-Restoration Synthesis and its Opponents
John Wagstaffe, The Question of Witchcraft Debated (1669); John Webster, The Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft (1677)
Volume 5
The Later English Trial Pamphlets
I. The Bideford Witches, 1682: [anon.], A True and Impartial Relation of the Informations against Three Witches (1682); [anon.], The Tryal, Condemnation, and Execution of three Witches (1682); [anon.], The Life and Conversation of Temperance Floyd, Mary Lloyd, and Susanna Edwards (1687); II. The Case of Richard Hathaway, 1702: [anon.], The Tryal of Richard Hathaway, upon an Information for being a Cheat and Imposter (1702); III. The Case of Jane Wenham, 1712: [Francis Bragge], A Full and Impartial Account of the Discovery of Sorcery and Witchcraft (1712); [anon.], A Full Confutation of Witchcraft (1712); G R, A M, The Belief of Witchcraft Vindicated (1712); [Francis Bragge], Witchcraft Farther Display’d (1712); [anon.], The Case of the Hertfordshire Witchcraft Consider’d (1712)
Volume 6
The Final Debate
Francis Hutchinson, An Historical Essay concerning Witchcraft. With Observations upon Matters of Fact: tending to clear the texts of the Sacred Scriptures, and confute the vulgar Errors about that Point (1718); Richard Boulton, The Possibility and Reality of Magick, Sorcery and Witchcraft, demonstrated. Or, a Vindication of a Compleat History of Magick, Sorcery and Witchcraft, in Answer to Dr Hutchinson’s Historical Essay (1722)
Reviews
'The six volumes are nicely bound; each contains an excellent introductory essay to the documents as a whole, and individual commentaries provide context for each selected text … even undergraduates will have little difficulty mining the jewels in this collection [and] for any serious research institution English Witchcraft 1560-1736 is a must-have.'
– Whitney A M Leeson, Sixteenth Century Journal
'Anyone lucky enough to have access to a library that invests in this collection will find it an excellent introduction to the riches both of the publications generated by English witchcraft and of the current scholarship on the subject.'
– Jonathan Barry, History