ERO Presents: Magical ‘crime’ in Early Modern England

Speaker: Alison Rowlands

This talk analyses the two key pieces of legislation that made the English witch-trials of the 16th and 17th century possible: the witchcraft statutes of 1563 and 1604. Why were they issued early in the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I, and what magical crimes did they target? Why was the 1563 statute replaced by a more severe statute in 1604, and what impact did this have on prosecutions? Professor Alison Rowlands explores answers to these questions, showing how concerns about magical attacks on the monarch shaped political attitudes towards witchcraft. She also details how the laws were implemented in practice, with reference to the patterns of witch-prosecution in Essex.

Alison Rowlands is a Professor in European History at the University of Essex with expertise in the history of witchcraft and witch-persecution. She has recently helped Tendring District Council on their Witch Heritage Trail project and is currently working on a major international research project on the comparative history of English and German witchcraft.