In this episode, we break down the origins of the deadliest witch hunt in English history, and how one man became responsible for the arrest and execution of hundreds. Set in the midst of the English Civil War, which threw the country into a state of violent turmoil, we look at the story of Matthew Hopkins, and how this self-styled Witchfinder General came to create this new occupation for himself as fears around witchcraft were once again on the rise. This is a story of an opportunistic man who left a deadly legacy in his wake. How exactly does one become a witchfinder? Tune in to find out...

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Sources:

Matthew Hopkins, The Discovery of Witches: In Answer to Severall Queries Lately… (1647). Made available through Project Gutenberg.

Ellen Castelow, “Matthew Hopkins, Witch-Finder General,” Historic UK (April 4, 2017).

Malcolm Gaskill, Witchfinders: A Seventeenth-Century English Tragedy (Harvard University Press, 2005).

Diane Purkiss, “Matthew Hopkins and the Panic about Witches,” in Literature, Gender, and Politics During the English Civil War, edited by Diane Purkiss (Cambridge University Press, 2005).

James A. Sharpe, Instruments of Darkness: Witchcraft in England, 1550-1750 (Penguin, 1996).

Jim Sharpe, “The Devil in East Anglia: the Matthew Hopkins Trials Reconsidered” in New Perspectives on Witchcraft, Magic and Demonology, Volume 3: Witchcraft in the British Isles and New England, edited by Brian P. Levack (Routledge, 2001).

Written and recorded by: Kenyon Payne

Theme music: "Southern Gothic" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Outro music: “D´vil,” anrocomposer

Additional featured music

By Kevin MacLeod(incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/:

“Leaving Home”

“Mourning Song”

“String Impromptu Number 1”

“Blue Feather”

“Double Drift”

“Constance”

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What happens when someone claiming to be bewitched admits that it was all a lie? What also happens when that confession is made directly to a King? In this episode, Kenyon looks into a case of witchcraft accusations gone wrong. In a tale of feuding neighbors, feigned curses, and parental abuse, we follow the story of Anne Gunter, whose claims nearly brought three local women to the gallows. Instead, confessions of fictitious allegations turned this case of witchcraft into one of alarming manipulation and physical torment. How did this young woman end up making such damning claims against her neighbors? And why was her father so invested in winning this case that he appealed to the King of England himself?

Sources:

Megan Benson, “Anne Gunter,” in A Biographical Encyclopedia of Early Modern Englishwomen: Exemplary Lives and Memorable Acts, 1500-1650, edited by Carole Levin, Anna Riehl Bertolet, and Jo Eldridge Carney (2016).

James Sharpe, The Bewitching of Anne Gunter (Routledge, 2000).

Written and recorded by: Kenyon Payne

Theme music: "Southern Gothic" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Outro music: “D´vil,” anrocomposer

Additional featured music

By Kevin MacLeod(incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/:

“Vanishing”

“Morgana Rides”

“SCP-x1x”

“Interloper”

“Heavy Heart”

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Bad neighbors, demons named Snack, and a house full of possessed girls. Talk about a wild case to study. In fact, this one ranks among one of the more famous instances of witchcraft to come out of 16th century England: the Witches of Warboys. In this episode, we see how a household of young girls claimed to be bewitched by their older neighbor, Alice Samuel. Digging deeper, though, we see the numerous layers that appear before us, including a wealthy household that chose to use its power and influence to take control over the prosecution of the accusations, as well as the construction of the narrative that followed.

Did you hear the fun news at the end of the episode? This is one spoiler to share, but Outcasts of the Earth has its own website! You can visit it at: www.ootepod.com. Feel free to check it out!

Sources:

Anon., The Most Strange and Admirable Discoverie of the Three Witches of Warboys… (London: 1593).

Philip C. Almond, Demonic Possession and Exorcism in Early Modern England (Cambridge University Press, 2004).

Anne Reiber DeWindt, “Witchcraft and Conflicting Visions of the Ideal Village Community,” Journal of British Studies, Vol. 34, No. 4 (Oct., 1995), pp. 427-463.

Enid Porter, “Witchcraft in Warboys” Nov. (1968), 28-30.

Willow Winsham, “The Witches of Warboys and the Death of Lady Cromwell” (August 8, 2018).

Written and recorded by: Kenyon Payne

Theme music: "Southern Gothic" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Outro music: “D´vil,” anrocomposer

Additional featured music:

By Kevin MacLeod(incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/:

“Long Note Three”

“The Escalation”

“Krampus Workshop”

“Spacial Harvest”

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In this episode, we travel to Scotland to take a look at the first “panic year” of 1590-1591 that resulted in the first witch hunt in Scottish history. Looking specifically at the case of Agnes Sampson, who was known as the Wise Midwife of Keith, we see how this first hunt for witches captured the attention of the king himself, as James VI became convinced that witches directly threatened his life by conjuring a storm at sea. Because of this, King James brought all the more attention and credibility to this witch hunt as he personally sat in on the trials and participated in the questioning of the accused, including a respected old widow and midwife who spent her final days suffering horrific pain and humiliation under the scrutinizing eyes of her king.

Sources:

Ray J. Defalque and A.J. Wright, “In the Name of God: Why Agnes Sampson and Eufame McCalyean were burned at the stake,” Bulletin of Anesthesia History Vol. 22, Issue 3 (July 2004).

Julian Goodare, “Women and the Witch-Hunt in Scotland,” Social History, Vol. 23, No. 3 (Oct. 1998).

Brian P. Levack, ed., “The Trial of Agnes Sampson, 1591,” The Witchcraft Sourcebook, second edition (Routledge, 2015).

Michael Lynch, ed., “Witch-hunts,” The Oxford Companion to Scottish History (Oxford University Press, 2007).

Lois Martin, A Brief History of Witchcraft (Running Press, 2010).

Written and recorded by: Kenyon Payne

Theme music: "Southern Gothic" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Outro music: “D´vil,” anrocomposer

Additional featured music:

“Inside the Walls,” MeeGiStudio

“Dark Storytime,” JoelFazhari

“Dark Piano,” BrunoMagic

“Sinister Night,” SoulProdMusic

“Tragedy and Grief,” Ashot_Danielyan

By Kevin MacLeod(incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/:

“Skye Cuillin”

“Interloper”

“Invariance”

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In this episode, we discuss the rare story of a noble man who faced accusations of witchcraft on the faraway coast of South America. This is a story of a broken friendship, the abuse of power, and the exploitation of sailors' superstitions to levy accusations of witchcraft. When Sir Francis Drake departed on his infamous voyage that took him around the globe, his friend, Thomas Doughty, joined him on the journey. In the course of this expedition, everything fell apart between the two men, leading to claims of sorcery and an impromptu trial. This week, we dive into the topic of witchcraft during the Age of Exploration, and we consider the question: was anyone truly safe from facing accusations?

Sources:

David Hannay, “The Case of Mr. Doughty,” Blackwood’s Magazine (1898).

Harry Kelsey, Sir Francis Drake: The Queen’s Pirate (Yale University Press, 1998).

Francesca Loverci, “New Light on the Doughty Case: English Catholics during the Elizabethan Age,” Clio: Rivista di studi storici (September 1994).

Morgan, “10 Ancient Nautical Superstitions and Their Origins,” The Collector (January 14, 2026).

Parris, “The Assassination of Thomas Doughty by the Brigand Sir Francis Drake,” Crime Reads (December 9, 2019).

Written and recorded by: Kenyon Payne

Theme music: "Southern Gothic" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Outro music: “D´vil,” anrocomposer

Additional featured music:

Lightless Dawn

Folk Round

Netherworld Shanty

Crypto

Hitman

The Escalation

Fantastic Dim Bar

Interloper

Devastation and Revenge

SCP-x6x

Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we look at the bizarre case of the woman mistakenly remembered as the first witch executed in England. The story of Agnes Waterhouse features peculiar accusations, including a possessed cat who could turn into a toad, and a horned dog who threatened a young girl's life. In what was presented at the time as an entertaining and macabre story for the masses across England, at its heart we see the story of a woman offering her own life in order to try and save the life of her daughter.

Sources:

Anon., “The Examination and confession of certaine wytches at Chensforde in the countie of Essex : before the Quenes Maiesties judges, the xxvi daye of July, anno 1566, at the assise holden there as then, and one of them put to death for the same offence, as their examination declareth more at large” EEBO Lambeth Palace Library records.

Barbara Rosen, ed. Witchcraft, “English witchcraft statutes of 1542, 1563, and 1604.”

Marion Gibson, “The Trial of Agnes Waterhouse - Witchcraft in Essex, 1566” Essex Record Office blog (July 29, 2021).

Lois Martin, A Brief History of Witchcraft (Running Press, 2010).

Hugh Willmott, “The dissolution of the monasteries: mindless violence or planned precision?” History Extra ( Feb 1, 2021).

“Chelmsford: Memorial of first witchcraft execution considered,” BBC (February 24, 2022).

Rosemary Ellen Guiley, “Chelmsford Witches,” in The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft, and Wicca (2008): pp. 58-60.

Written and recorded by: Kenyon Payne

Theme music: "Southern Gothic" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Outro music: “D´vil,” anrocomposer

Additional featured music:

“Lord of the Land”

“Stay the Course”

“Night of Chaos”

“Evening of Chaos”

“Mesmerize”

All by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Outcasts of the Earth is taking a brief holiday break this week, but your host, Kenyon, will be back in two weeks with a new episode on the history of witchcraft. I took the opportunity this week to (re)introduce myself to any new listeners who may be tuning in since season one. Happy holidays to everyone who listens, and here's to a good start to 2026! Please let this new year be kind to us all... Take care, everybody!

Theme music: "Southern Gothic" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we explore the first large-scale witch hunt in European history. Occurring in the French-speaking region of Switzerland, the Valais Witch Trials led to the execution of 376 people, the majority of which were men. Tune in to hear how a coordinated effort to eliminate heretical sects in the region turned into a widespread hunt for witches accused flying through the night to plan their devilish deeds. This episode looks at the origins and deadly legacy of this witch hunt, as well as what separates the events that occurred in Valais from other witch hunts that followed.

Sources:

Hans Peter Broedel, “Fifteenth-century witch beliefs”/ in Brian P. Levack (ed.), The Oxford handbook of witchcraft in early modern Europe and colonial America, Oxford University Press, 2013.

Phil Carradice, Witches and Witch Hunts Through the Ages (Pen & Sword Books, 2024).

B.F. Cotterill, The Witch Hunts. In: Are Children Reliable Witnesses? (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022).

Richard Kieckhefer, "Mythologies of Witchcraft in the Fifteenth Century," Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft 1, no. 1 (2006): 79-108.

Lois Martin, A Brief History of Witchcraft (Running Press, 2010).

P. G. Maxwell-Stuart, Witch Beliefs and Witch Trials in the Middle Ages : Documents and Readings, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2011.

Kathrin Utz Tremp, The Heresy of Witchcraft in Western Switzerland and Dauphiné (Fifteenth Century) in Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft, Vol. 6, No. 1 (2011): 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1353/mrw.2011.0008

Written and recorded by: Kenyon Payne

Theme music: "Southern Gothic" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Outro music: “D´vil,” anrocomposer

Additional featured music:

The following songs are all by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

“Dragon and Toast”

“Ossuary 2 - Turn”

“The Other Side of the Door”

“Dark Standoff”

“Political Ad”

“Darkest Child”

“Ghost Processional”

“Morgana Rides”

“Thunder Dreams”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.