Matthew Hopkins – The Witchfinder General

We explore Matthew Hopkins, self‑styled "Witchfinder General", who terrorised East Anglia during the English Civil War using brutal trials, financial incentives and propaganda. Drawing on court rolls and contemporary pamphlets, we separate the myth of a relentless villain from what contemporary sources show about his methods and reach. The episode shows how a wartime power vacuum enabled one man's witch hunts to shape communities long after he vanished. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices