The Ipswich Witch

Against the backdrop of the largest witch hunt in English history, this book is both an investigation of a miscarriage of justice 366 years old and an in-depth recreation of East Anglia as it once was. Ipswich, faced by the extreme challenges of war, religious dissent, poverty, sickness and the threat of foreign invasion, became an ideological battlefield during the civil wars. As Puritanism struggled against Catholic sensibilities, the Devil himself loomed at the door of every English home, and the age of the witchfinder was born. This book aims to challenge some of our stereotypes of the period, the exploitation of the poor, the importance of popular beliefs in the occult and the rise of English power in the New World. Written by David L Jones of the Ipswich Museum, and inspired by his time living in rural Nepal, where witchcraft is considered an everyday reality, it will fascinate visitors and residents alike.

Auteur

David L Jones, a writer and researcher who lives in Ipswich, works at Ipswich Museum. His role there is to be a bridge between the academic discipline of history and the interested member of the public. A frequent contributor to journals and magazines including the museum's own guides, this book is the product of forty-seven years of study. His previous titles for The History Press's sister company Phillimore include Ipswich in the Second World War.

Résumé
The year 1645 saw the biggest witch-hunt in English history. Faced by the extreme challenges of religious dissent, poverty, sickness and the threat of foreign invasion, Ipswich became an ideological battlefield during the English Civil Wars. Here Puritanism struggled against Catholic sensibilities, the Devil loomed at the door of every English home, and the age of the witchfinder was born. This book focuses on witchcraft in Ipswich and the most extreme punishment ever given to an English witch, and challenges some stereotypes of the period: reflecting on the growth in Puritan sects, gender politics, the exploitation of the poor, the importance of beliefs in the occult and the rise of English power in the New World.