Witch Craft in England

Witchcraft became a crime in 1542 it was the punishment was death. Before this it was punished lightly as it was considerd as a crime against the church, therefore it was tried in a church court

A further law was passed in 1604 during the reign of James I who took a keen interest in demonology and even published a book on it.Called 'Demonology'

The 1562 and 1604 Acts transferred the trial of witches from the Church to the ordinary courts.  

Formal accusations against witches – who were usually poor, elderly women – reached a peak in the late 16th century, particularly in south-east England.  This could have been becuase of the patrearchel society at the time women were seen as a burden.

People such as the Witch Finder General also contirubuted…