Facts about Matthew Hopkins inform us about an English witch-hunter. He evolved this job during the english civil war. East Anglia was the place he explored to find witches. To know more the amazing detail about him, please feel free to read the descriptions below.
Facts about Matthew Hopkins 1: The Birth
Unfortunately, there are no comprehensive documents about Matthew Hopkins’s life before 1644. He was born in Great Wenham, Suffolk, England and died on August 12, 1647.
Facts about Matthew Hopkins 2: The Family
Hopkins was the fourth son of six children. His father, James Hopkins was the popular person, he was a Puritan Clergyman and vicar of Jhon’s of Great Wenham, in Suffolk.
Facts about Matthew Hopkins 3: Hopkins’s Life
Hopkins stated in his book, “The Discovery of Witches”, he never went or travelled far to develope his experiences. Hopkins moved to Manningtree, Essex, it’s about (16 km) from his hometown before, Mannigtree. Then, he learned to be a lawyer, but only, a few number of evidences to refer this case.
Facts about Matthew Hopkins 4: Career
In the beginning, the work of Hopkins and Jhon Stearne was not worthy to prove the witchcraft as a crime, until witches became heretics to Christianity and they were categorised as the greatest crime and sin. Then, based on Hopkins’s book, “The Discovery of Witches”, Hopkins started his career as a witch-finder after he overheard various women discussing their meeting with the devil in March 1644 in Manningtree. The fact that, the first accusations conducted by Stearne and Hopkins as his assistant, claimed twenty-three women were accused of witchcraft, four died in prison and the others convicted and hanged.
Facts about Matthew Hopkins 5: Method of Investigation
The inspiration of the investigation approachment got from Daemonology of King James, directly cited from Hopkins’s book. The method often used by Hopkins such as sleep deprivation to get a deeply confessions from his victims. Furthermore, he would also cut the arm of the accused by a blunt knife, and if she did not bleed, she must be said as a witch.
Facts about Matthew Hopkins 6: Opposition
Very soon after Hopkins and his company regulate their works, one of the opposition came from Jhon Gaule, a vicar from Great Staughton. Hopkins and Stearne prosecuted in the cpurt session in 1647, thus, they retired. Hopkins came back to Manningtree while Stearne to Bury St Edmunds.
Facts about Matthew Hopkins 7: Colonial Impact
Hopkin’s Methods were recomended in law book. After his book, “The Discovery of Witches”, have been published, trials and executions witchcraft began in the New England colonies with the hanging of Asle Young of Windstor, Connecticut on May 26, 1647.
Facts about Matthew Hopkins 8: Salary
As a witch-hunting, Hopkins got earning more than properly, which was a motivation for his action. He told that his fees were to maintain his company woth three horses, and he joined twenty shillings a town.
Facts about Matthew Hopkins 9: The Undertaken Locations
The objects of locations to conduct his action, he mainly choosed place in East Anglia in the counties of Suffolk, Essex, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and also beyond of East Anglia in the areas of Northtamtonshire and bedfordshire.
Facts about Matthew Hopkins 10: Death and Legacy
Known that Matthew Hopkins died at his home in Manningtree, Essex, on August 12, 1647, caused of tuberculosis.
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