Sorcery in the Age of Exploration: the Captain General vs. the Gentleman Captain

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/

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