Witchcraft in the Renaissance

Macbeth and Banquo encounter the witches, from Holinshead’s Chronicles, 1587.

An Acte against conjuration Witchcrafte and dealinge with evill and wicked Spirits, 1604

…if any pson or persons after the saide Feaste of Saint Michaell the Archangell next comeing, shall use practise or exercsise any Invocation or Conjuration of any evill and spirit, or shall consult covenant with entertaine employ feede or rewarde any evill and wicked Spirit to or for any intent or pupose; or take any dead man woman or child out of his her or theire grave or any other place where the dead body resteth, or the skin, bone or any other parte of any dead person, to be imployed or used in any manner of Witchecrafte, Sorcerie, Charme or Inchantment ; or shall use practise or exercise any Witchcrafte Sorcerie, Charme or Incantment wherebie any pson shall be killed destroyed wasted consumed pined or lamed in his or her bodie, or any parte therof ; then that everie such Offendor or Offendors theire Ayders Abettors and Counsellors, being of the saide Offences dulie and lawfullie convicted and attainted, shall suffer pains of deathe as a Felon or Felons, and shall loose the priviledge and benefit of Cleargie and Sanctuarie.

…that then all and everie such pson or psons so offendinge, and beinge therof lawfullie convicted , shall for the said Offence suffer Imprisonment by the space of one whole yeere, without baile or maineprise, and once in everie quarter of the saide yeere, shall in some Markett Towne, upon the Markett Day, or at such tyme as any Faire shalbe kept there, stande openlie upon the Pillorie by the space of sixe houres, and there shall openlie confesse his or her error and offence ; And if any pson or psons beinge once convicted of the same offences as is aforesaide, doe eftsones ppetrate and comit the like offence, that then everie such Offender, beinge of the saide offences the second tyme lawfullie and duelie convicted and attainted as is aforesaide, shall suffer paines of deathe as a Felon or Felons, and shall loose the benefitt and piviledge of Clergie and Sanctuarie : Saving to the wife of such person as sahll offend in any thinge contrarie to this Acte ; her title of dower ; and also to the heire and successor of everie such person his or theire titles of Inheritance Succession and other Rights, as though no such Attaindor or the Ancestor or Predecessor had been made ; Provided alwaies that if the offender in any cases aforesaide shall happen to be a Peere of this Realme , then his Triall therein is to be had by his Peeres, as it is used in cases of Felonie or Treason and not otherwise.

Witchcraft Timeline

1486 1542	Publication of Malleus Maleficarum: The Hammer of Witches, by Kramer and Sprengler, two Dominican Inquisitors Statute of Henry VIII against witchcraft
1547	Repeal of statute of 1542 in reign of Edward VI
1563	Statute of Queen Elizabeth against witchcraft
1566	The first Chelmsford witch trials
1584	Publication of Discovery of Witchcraft, by the skeptic Reginald Scot
1597	Publication of Demonology by James VI of Scotland (later James I of England)
1604	James l's statute against witchcraft
1612	Lancashire witch trials
1645	Case of the Faversham witches, Kent Witchfinder-general Matthew Hopkins and the Chelmsford (or Manningtree) witch trials
1646	Death of Matthew Hopkins by tuberculosis
1647	Publication of Discovery of Witches, Matthew Hopkins
1662	The Bury St. Edmunds witch trials
1684	Last execution for witchcraft in England (Alice Molland at Exeter)
1712	Jane Wenham of Walkern in Herefordshire is last person convicted of witchcraft in England
1722	Last execution for witchcraft in Scotland
1736	Repeal of Statute of James 1 (1604)

Estimates of those accused of witchcraft and those executed in Europe, 1500-1722

  Accused Executed
Holy Roman Empire   <100,000 <50,000
France     10,000+ 5,000+
Scandinavia    <5,000  1,500-1,800
Spain      3,687  100+

Italy <2,200+ 0?

 
British Isles
 England    2,000 <1,000
 Scotland    3,069   1,337+
 Ireland     0  0