John Stearne's Confirmation and Discovery of Witchcraft: Text, Context and Afterlife

John Stearne led the most significant outbreak of witch-hunting in England between 1645-7, and this book is the first study to analyze his publication and contextualize his ideas within early modern intellectual cultures. It argues that Stearne was a key player in the trials, that he was not a mainstream 'puritan, and that his witch-finding availed from contemporary science. It traces the reception history of A Confirmation from 1648 to modern day and argues that the lack of research focusing on Stearne has resulted in misrepresentations of the witch-finder in the historiography of witchcraft.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 214 pages
Publication date: 29 April 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Between 1645 and 167, John Stearne led the most significant outbreak of witch-hunting in England. As accusations of witchcraft spread across East Anglia, Stearne and Matthew Hopkins were enlisted by villagers to identify and eradicate witches. After the trials finally subsided in 1648, Stearne wrote his only publication, A Confirmation and Discovery of Witchcraft, but it had a limited readership. Consequently, Stearne and his work fell into obscurity until the 1800s, and were greatly overshadowed by Hopkins and his text.

This book is the first study that analyses Stearnes publication and contextualises his ideas within early modern intellectual cultures of religion, demonology, gender, science, and print in order to better understand the witch-finders beliefs and motives. The book argues that Stearne was a key player in the trials, that he was not a mainstream puritan, and that his witch-finding availed from contemporary science. It traces A Confirmation's reception history from 1648 to modern day and argues that the lack of research focusing on Stearne has resulted in misrepresentations of the witch-finder in the historiography of witchcraft. This book redresses the imbalance and seeks to provide an alternative reading of the East Anglian witch-hunt and of England's premier witch-hunter, John Stearne.

In conclusion, this book offers a fresh perspective on the East Anglian witch-hunt and on John Stearne, the premier witch-hunter of England. By analysing Stearnes publication and contextualising his ideas within early modern intellectual cultures, the book seeks to redress the imbalance in the historiography of witchcraft and to provide an alternative reading of the witch-finders beliefs and motives.

Weight: 394g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367511814