Cursed Through the Generations – Excerpt 1
Introduction
In the year of our Lord, Sixteen Hundred and Fifty Five. Matthew Hopkin, the self proclaimed Witchfinder General selected a pathetic one-legged old hag named Elizabeth Clarke as his first victim. A woman whose own mother had been hung as a witch before her.
At his instigation she was thrown in to prison on suspicion of practising the Art of Witchcraft. So as not to leave any incriminating evidence against himself, he devised many subtle methods of torture, which were used during her interrogation, even thought torture was illegal in England at that time.
Due, I suspect, more to the torture than her guilt, she confessed and implicated five other women, who she claimed were also practising witches.
All of the named witches resided in Manningtree, in the county of Essex where Matthew Hopkin also resided. The word was that he had eavesdropped on their coven, and they had threatened his life for his daring too.
Under his interrogation, with the aid of Jack Stearne, An unsavoury character with a penchant for excessive cruelty. Elizabeth Clarke after the pain and humiliation of being stripped naked, then prodded and poked in a search for witches marks. She, ‘was found to have three teats about her, which honest women have not’ Witchcraft meant keeping imps and familiars. ‘Witches suckled imps and familiars, not merely to feed them, but more to aggravate a witches damnation.’
Elizabeth was then deprived of food and sleep for three consecutive nights, and so, on the fourth night of her torture, broke down and confessed to being a witch and in doing so, implicated five other women.
(C) Damian Grange 2018
The witch hunt……a practice still in use unfortunately……….
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Some things that most certainly should … never go away!
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True.have a good Saturday….full of nice witches 😉❤️
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What an enticing thought! Have a nice weekend!
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Nice start!
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Thank you, for the story to make sense, it requires a lengthy introduction
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I see.
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Have a beautiful weekend 💐
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You too, Thank you for that lovely thought!
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I remember seeing a movie once where the great actor Vincent Price played Matthew Hopkins.
Which brings me to a minor point – the Witchfinder-General’s name was Matthew Hopkins- Hopkin with an “s” rather than just plain Hopkin.
Also I notice you began your otherwise finely written new tale with “In the year of Our Lord Sixteen Hundred and Fifty-Five “.
Considering the fact that the real Matthew Hopkins died in 1647, possibly an African witch doctor brought him back to life (as happened to another Vincent Price character in another film).
The real Hopkins’ witch-finding career began in 1644 and lasted until his retirement in 1647.
He kicked the bucket a short while later and went to his great eternal bonfire 🔥 reward where no doubt his screams echo those of his victims during his mortal life.
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I must apologise obviously either my sources were a bit iffy or I made a typo error, both of which are unforgivable. It was actually watching a re-run of the film you mentioned that gave me the idea.
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I re-checked my source material, you were totally correct, my head must have been elsewhere when I wrote this!
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Torture is barbaric and no one who practices it is truly civilized. What a horrific story.
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I totally agree, unfortunately such crimes were perpetrated in the name of religion!
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Well…Like today’s crimes. How many of these gun toting mouth breathers consider themselves Christian?
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Unfortunately like many of these acts it was all done in the name of religion, with a little robbery and violence on the side!
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There are still witch hunters around in some countries and they still do murder both women and men, or kids even if were suspected to be witches. Many of them are innocent, but for the cause of beliefs in their own twisted religious mind (not knowing they do evil rather good) and kill those who are definitely different than themselves … jerks, really.
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Nothing ever changes, and nothing good ever comes from it, Thank you for your interest!
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Indeed.
Maybe I should come and whip all of those damn buns of the witch hunters.
They would learn their lessons well.
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Apparently at the period in question it was an easy way to amass a little money!
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Witchcraft! This is promising..
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I hope to keep it interesting!
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I have seen witch craft go on with my own eyes when I was in West Africa. Many albino children are subjected to mutilation in the name of witch craft. Maybe Matthew Hopkins is needed today in that part of the world. A very Interesting read Mr Marsh thank you for sharing!!!!
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My pleasure, I’m pleased that you enjoyed it!
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