MovieChat Forums > Matthew Hopkins: Witchfinder General (1968) Discussion > Last witch execution in England??

Last witch execution in England??

posted 19 years ago by leenicholls500
20 replies | jump to latest

Does anybody know where the last witch executions in England were? I here the last was a drowning in Halstead,Essex but would love to know for sure.

[–] Pamfino 19 years ago

The last legal execution of a witch in England was in Exeter in 1684 (the date is sometimes reported as 1685 or 1686 - though 1684 is the date most commonly cited). Alice Molland was the name of the unfortunate lady to go to the gallows.

The last person to be convicted of witchcraft in England was Jane Wenham in 1712 (sometimes seen as 1717); even though she was found guilty, she was pardoned.

The law that made witchcraft a crime (in England) was repealed in 1736.

I don't know about the drowning in Essex, but I'm sure there continued to be many (illegal) 'trials by water' after the repeal of the witchcraft laws. For instance, one Ruth Osborne drowned during a particularly rough witch-swimming in Tring, Hertfordshire in 1757; the ringleader of the mob responsible was charged with murder and executed.

___________________________________________
"I am not young enough to know everything." : Oscar Wilde

[–] leenicholls500 19 years ago

Thanks for that Pamfino.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] JamesHitchcock 17 years ago

According to Wikipedia, the last legal executions of witches in England were those of Mary Hickes and her nine-year-old daughter Elizabeth, who were condemned to death by the assizes and were hanged in Huntingdon on Saturday 28 July 1716. They were believed to have taken off their stockings in order to raise a rainstorm.

I believe that the "lynching" in 1945 was that of an elderly farm labourer named Charles Walton who was found murdered in the village of Upper Quinton, Warwickshire. At the time there was much speculation that the man might have been killed by neighbours who suspected him of being a warlock. The crime was, never solved and no motive was ever established. The speculation may, however, have been well-grounded. In 1875 a woman named Ann Turner was murdered in the same village by one John Hayward, who was eventually found guilty of the crime and hanged. Hayward claimed that he had killed Turner becuase she was a witch. He said that he had "pinned her to the ground with a pitchfork before slashing her chest with a billhook in the form of a cross" because this was the ancient and traditional way of killing a witch and the only way to prevent a dead witch rising from the grave. Walton was killed in precisely the same manner as Ann Turner. Of course, his killer may have known about the earlier case and used this method of killing in order to suggest to the police a motive other than his true one, thereby throwing them off the scent.

[–] Squonkamatic 17 years ago

We humans are a wonderful species, aren't we?

[–] Rocketeer_Raccoon 9 years ago

And I'm going to bet every person that was executed for witchcraft were innocent normal people. The law back then was so incredibly flawed as any person could freely accuse anyone of witchcraft and the witchfinders were the murderers doing the same just so they can earn big money which this film sums up very accurately. Gosh, people back then were evil.

[–] oversplayer 15 years ago

The British witchcraft law that was repealed in 1736 was recently reenacted in Arizona.

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] james1986london 18 years ago

The historian Malcolm Gaskill (in his Witchfinders) claims that "until the twentieth century English villagers continued to scratch, swim and even murder suspected witches. There was a lynching as late as 1945."

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] little_miss_sunnydale 16 years ago

Could be. But "execution" presumably refers to some kind of judicial process, however flawed and unjust, as opposed to a bunch of benighted villagers lynching someone they do not like, in which case Gaskill might well be right.

Yep; evidently people could take the law into their own hands although the last official conviction for witchcraft in England is, as a previous poster stated, the case of Jane Wenham in 1712. She was found guilty, sentenced to hanging yet her execution was delayed. During that time the individual who heard the case sought for her release and obtained a royal pardon for her. She died in the 1730.

There was the case of Ruth Osborne who, along with her husband, was subjected to ‘swimming’ (being ducked in and out of water), by her neighbours in 1751. However this was all done illegally as the statutes against witchcraft had been repealed in 1736. That didn’t stop the mob from torturing Ruth Osborne and killing her. One local man who promoted the whole thing and had pushed Ruth’s head in the water, was later hung.

‘Noli me tangere; for Caesar's I am’

[–] silverwhistle 16 years ago

Yup: one has to differentiate extra-judicial killings by lynch-mobs. Here in Scotland, the last one was in 1727 (Dornoch, I think). The method of execution in Scotland was to be "worryit and brent" – garrotted, and then burnt (either at the stake or in a tar-barrel).

[–] little_miss_sunnydale 16 years ago

Here in Scotland, the last one was in 1727 (Dornoch, I think). The method of execution in Scotland was to be "worryit and brent" – garrotted, and then burnt (either at the stake or in a tar-barrel).

Is there any reason why in Scotland this method of execution was endorsed yet in England hanging was the punishment for witchcraft? I’ve yet to find a good explanation as to why England did not follow the method of execution endorsed widely across Europe.

Heretics were burnt – the punishment was seen to fit the crime and it was seen to destroy all traces of the individual and their heresy. Yet witchcraft was also regarded as a gross irreligious offence, so I wonder why this style of execution was not adopted in England. (Furthermore women who committed petty treason were burnt, so this method of execution does not appear to be something never/reluctantly carried out in England).

‘Noli me tangere; for Caesar's I am’

[–] silverwhistle 16 years ago

Different legal systems, then and now. Scotland based its law on Roman Law, as did continental Europe. England developed a different legal tradition, the so-called 'Common Law'.

Seingner Conrat, tot per vostr'amor chan
http://www.silverwhistle.co.uk/knightlife

[–] little_miss_sunnydale 16 years ago

Yet I wonder why witchcraft was not seen as a crime to be punished by burning in England. They seemed willing to employ it for other crimes also regarded as heinous.

‘Noli me tangere; for Caesar's I am’

[–] Spiny_Norman 17 years ago

On a related subject, in our local museum there's a poster advertising the last public auction of women in the town square from 1833.

"Everbody in the WORLD, is bent"

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] avia2 16 years ago

Wasn't a woman convicted of witchcraft during World War 2? I thought she predicted Nazi attacks or something.

the last public auction of women... from 1833.

Wow, but do you mean as prostitutes or slaves or something?

[–] richwicz 12 years ago

I live in the small city of Chelmsford, in Essex, England.This is the place where the real witchfinder general (Matthew Hopkins) tried, imprisoned and hanged a lot of suspected witches.I love the film too! I've got the MGM Midnite Movies DVD, plus the Odeon Entertainment Blu-ray (which looks superb).

[–] psdhart 9 years ago

I live in the small city of Chelmsford, in Essex,

on bbc2 tonight, I think