England's Witchcraft Trials

Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. With the echo of that chilling injunction hundreds were accused and tried for witchcraft across England throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. With fear and suspicion rife, neighbor could turn against neighbor, friend against friend, with women, men and children alike caught up in the deadly fervor that swept through both village and town. From the feared "covens" of Pendle Forest to the victims of the unswerving fanaticism of The Witch Finder General, so-called witches were suspected, accused, and dragged into the spotlight to await judgment and their final fate.