The Witch Finder General

Matthew Hopkins was responsible for killing hundreds of women.

Matthew Hopkins was a real-life bogeyman in the mid-17th century. He titled himself the Witch-finder General, and his presence in your village would cause many women to run scared. 

His self-styled job lasted only a few years, but his gruesome results have earned him a place in the dark corners of the history books. 

Witch Fever

In the mid-17th century, fear ran through most females in England. Reports of witches and dark magic circulated. Reports from around the world were no different; witches were infecting the world.

King James I had started this fear of witchcraft. James had always thought that witchcraft haunted him and plagued his lands. His duty as protector of the people was to write a book to explain the plight that could infect them all. 

The book, published in 1597 and titled Daemonologie, was a detailed account of why James was convinced the land was riddled with witches. 

It was time his people found these criminals and took action.