The extent of the witchcraft phenomenon must not be exaggerated: there was no general witch-craze in England. The time consumed in trials of criminal activities between 1580 and 1709 in Cheshire, less than 1% were attributed to witch persecutions. Witchcraft prosecutions often peaked in times of poor harvest or political anxiety, as shown through the 1590s and 1640s. Essex is one of the richest areas in England to provide insight into witch persecutions and is heavily drawn upon in Macfarlane’s Witchcraft in Tudor and Stewart England: A Regional and Comparative Study. Macfarlane provides three interpretations that identifies witchcraft to be a product of: economic strain; local, social tensions between the richer and poorer classes and a cultural change resulting in the decline of charity.…show more content… The case study on Essex provided information that suggested that the prosecutions were a result of the collapse of older medieval notions of Christian charity in the face of economic strain on communities. With the decline of charity to the poor, it resulted in the cursing of their richer neighbours; women’s curses were seen to be exceptionally powerful. When analysing the rapport between citizens in villages it is focal for modern historians to look at the relationship between the two people rather than the accused crime. A 1646 case study in Norfolk sheds light on the accusations made by neighbours, providing understanding into the society’s relationship with
