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Assess the value of the source for revealing beliefs in the power of witches and the organisation of witch-hunts in the early 17th century Lancashire.£8.99
Essay answering "Assess the value of the source for revealing beliefs in the power of witches and the organisation of witch-hunts in the early 17th century Lancashire."
Assess the value of the source for revealing beliefs in the power of witches and the
organisation of witch-hunts in the early 17th century Lancashire.
Explain your answer, using the source, the information given about its origin and your own
knowledge about the historical context. (20 marks)
The source is undoubtedly helpful in investigating the notion that witches have supernatural
abilities, but it is less helpful in analysing how witch hunts were conducted in the 17th
century. The source is a written account of Anne Whittle (old chattox), who was one of ten
individuals found guilty of witchcraft during the Lancashire witch trials and hanged as
punishment. The Demdike and Chattox families were the subject of the comparatively few
Lancashire trials, which were held in 1612 and lasted only a few weeks. When examining
people's views on witchcraft, this refers to the notion that they thought they possessed
supernatural abilities.The process of conducting witch trials and the manner in which the
evidence for those trials was acquired can both be understood as the organisation of witch
trials.
The source is fairly helpful in this instance for both objectives.There is ample proof that the
source was immensely helpful in demonstrating the widespread belief in the power and
abilities of witches. This was made clear by Anne's confession that she could "gold, silver
and worldly wealth, at her will. And at the same time she said, there was butter, cheese,
bread, and drink, and bid them eat enough.". Anne, as an illiterate poor woman, would
share many of the same beliefs as the majority of the commoners throughout the country,
this is useful evidence that people believed witches had power to the extent that they could
create and conjure things out of. Anne also states “ Soon after, the Devil appeared unto
her in the likeness of a man, at about midnight at the house of the said Demdike” which
highlights the belief that the devil could materialise into a mortal man to convert people
into witchcraft, which is useful to the modern day historian as the notion that people
believed that the devil could become human shows the intensity of the belief of
witchcraft and the supernatural. The source also provides excellent insight into the
supernatural powers that people believed witches to have at the time.Chattox stated that
"Robert Nutter, late of the Greenhead in Pendle, was bewitched by herself and Demdike.
Chattox further said that “Demdike told her that she had bewitched to death a man called
Richard Ashton."This demonstrates the strength of the belief in witchcraft as she believed in
the supernatural abilities of witches herself.
This is inherently useful because it demonstrates how the general public was likely under the
impression that witches possessed supernatural abilities beyond the basic invocation of
material wealth and were capable of physically harming humans. This is constrained,
though, as the two assize judges would almost certainly instruct the court clerk to
exaggerate Anne's wizardry in the court document.As It is possible that Anne simply
consented to whatever the interrogators claimed she did, which is less helpful in examining
what the general populace would have believed but still instructive in examining Anne's
personal beliefs in witchcraft and her decision to make this confession on her own.
C.a
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