Matthew Hopkins

What it is

Matthew Hopkins was a self-styled Witchfinder General who operated in England during the mid-seventeenth century. His career flourished while the country was torn apart by civil war. He is remembered as one of the most effective pursuers of alleged witches in British history. Alongside his partner John Stearne, he drove a massive increase in prosecutions. Their work resulted in more executions than all other English witch-hunters had managed in the preceding six decades. Historians view him as a central figure in a period of intense legal and social panic regarding magic and heresy.

Where it comes from

Hopkins was born around 1620 in Great Wenham, Suffolk. His father was a Puritan clergyman named James Hopkins. Little is known about his early life or training before 1644. Some traditions suggest he used an inheritance to buy the Thorn Inn in Mistley. Others note he may have had legal training, though evidence for this is weak. He moved to Manningtree in Essex in the early 1640s. He claimed to have started his work after hearing women discuss meetings with the Devil in March 1644. In reality, John Stearne made the first accusations, and Hopkins joined as an assistant.

How it is done

His investigations relied on techniques inspired by King James I’s Daemonologie. Although torture was technically illegal, he used sleep deprivation to force confessions from the accused. He also employed the swimming test, where suspects were tied and thrown into water; floating indicated guilt because water rejected those who had renounced baptism. This practice was abandoned by late 1645 due to legal concerns. Assistants known as witch prickers searched the bodies of the accused for the Devil’s mark, a spot that would not bleed. They often shaved suspects to find these marks more easily.

Tools and materials

Hopkins used specific physical tests to identify witches. The primary tool was the swimming test, which required ropes and water. Another method involved pricking the skin with needles to find insensitive spots called the Devil’s mark. These marks were thought to be places where a familiar spirit fed on the witch’s blood. Sleep deprivation served as a psychological tool to break resistance. The book The Discovery of Witches outlined these methods and served as a guide for other hunters.

What it is for

The goal was to prove that the accused had made a covenant with the Devil. This shifted the crime from simple harm to heresy against Christianity. Hopkins and Stearne sought to uncover these pacts through interrogation and physical tests. They were paid substantial fees by local towns, which some historians suggest motivated their aggressive approach. Their work targeted individuals believed to have chosen evil powers over God.

Who does it

Hopkins presented himself as an official agent, though Parliament never formally appointed him. He traveled with John Stearne and female assistants who helped search for marks. They carried letters of safe conduct to move between counties. Hopkins claimed his fees covered the cost of maintaining three horses. He retired in 1647 to Manningtree. He died shortly after, likely from tuberculosis. His reputation later became synonymous with paid informers who committed perjury.

Peoples and places

The hunts focused heavily on East Anglia, including Suffolk, Essex, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, and Huntingdonshire. This area aligned with strong Puritan and Parliamentarian support during the civil war. The Eastern Association provided political backing for their activities. Opposition arose from figures like John Gaule, a vicar who preached against the hunts. Hopkins’s methods influenced later trials in New England, including the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts decades later.

What people believe

Contemporary beliefs held that witches owed their power to a deliberate choice to serve the Devil. This made them heretics rather than just criminals. Because the Devil would not confess, humans had to be forced to admit their pact. The concept of crimen exceptum allowed normal legal procedures to be bypassed for such foul crimes. Familiar spirits were believed to feed on the witch’s blood from special marks on their bodies.

When it is done

Hopkins began his work in March 1644 and continued until his retirement in 1647. His peak activity coincided with the height of the English Civil War. The Chelmsford trials occurred in 1645. The Bury St Edmunds trials also took place in 1645, prompting parliamentary concern. His book was published in 1647, the year of his death.

How scholars and sceptics see it

Historians describe Hopkins as an anti-hero and bogeyman whose image remains malleable. Scholars note that his methods caused unprecedented numbers of executions. Some researchers suggest financial gain played a role in his actions. Others point out that his work exploited the legal framework of the time. Critics like John Gaule argued that his methods created witches rather than finding them. Modern scholars view him as a symbol of judicial abuse during times of social crisis.

Compare and confuse

Hopkins is often compared to other witch-hunters of the era, but his output was unmatched. His methods differed from earlier trials by focusing on demonic pacts rather than just malicious acts. He is distinct from continental hunters who used different legal standards. His name has become a generic term for any aggressive witch-finder.

Law and persecution

Parliament was aware of Hopkins’s activities and expressed unease through reports and commissions. The Bury St Edmunds trials prompted a special Commission of Oyer and Terminer. The swimming test was legally abandoned by the end of 1645. Despite lacking formal appointment, Hopkins operated with the tacit approval of local authorities. His book influenced laws and practices in the American colonies.

Questions people ask about Matthew Hopkins

Good reading and sources

• Encyclopaedia BritannicaArticle

• Matthew Hopkins on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data