In the aftermath of the Civil War, a remote corner of Essex witnessed the most brutally devastating witch-hunt in English history. A dangerous maverick Matthew Hopkins, 'the Witchfinder General', hunted down vulnerable people across East Anglia, exploiting the anxiety and lawlessness of the times. Between 1645 and 1647, over 300 suspects were interrogated and tortured; a third of them were hanged.

As our special series on witchcraft continues, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out more about Hopkins and his accomplice John Stearne from historian and author Malcolm Gaskill.

Presented by Professor Susannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, the audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast

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The names that spring first to mind in the Reformation of Christianity tend always to be male. But women were central to these extraordinary transformations in religious life in Europe and around the globe.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out more from Professor Merry Wiesner-Hanks, who has uncovered the stories of hundreds of women. As monarchs and mothers, migrants and martyrs, mystics and missionaries, women's influence and actions were crucial factors in the Reformation.

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, the editor is Amy Haddow, and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

If you enjoy this episode, you will be interested in these from our archive:

How Kateryn Parr Championed the Reformation: https://shows.acast.com/not-just-the-tudors/episodes/how-kateryn-parr-championed-the-reformation

The End of Monasteries: https://shows.acast.com/not-just-the-tudors/episodes/end-monasteries

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Join Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Professor Ronald Hutton as they explore the evolving definitions of witches, the global spread of witch beliefs, and their impact during the 16th and 17th century witch trials in Europe.

As part of our month-long series on witchcraft, we delve into the role of magic in different cultures, the forms persecution took and how anthropology, folklore, and history have shaped the modern understanding of witches.

Presented by Professor Susannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, audio editor Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast

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A pyrotechnic dragon roared flames into the river Thames during the coronation week of Elizabeth of York in 1487. These explosive displays were employed as a sign of might and majesty throughout the reign of Henry VIII, and Elizabeth I was the first English monarch to establish their own fire master. By the time of the Gunpowder Plot, fireworks were used not only to celebrate, but to commemorate and incite.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to John Withington about the remarkable development of pyrotechnics throughout the Tudor and Stuart eras.

Presented by Professor Susannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith. Edited and produced by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast

Related episode:

The Gunpowder Plot - The Tudor Origins >

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In 1609, some 80 people were executed for witchcraft in France's Basque region. It inspired a final push to eradicate witches by the Spanish Inquisition across the border. One of the judges, Pierre de Lancre, published a sensationalist book which has been the source of every subsequent account. But newly discovered evidence paints a very different picture.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out more from Dr. Jan Machielsen whose book The Basque Witch Hunt: A Secret History shows that almost everything historians thought they knew about this brutal episode is inaccurate.

Listen to our previous episode with Jan Machielsen, An Early Modern Teenage Werewolf >

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

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In the 1640s, Black communities existed in London and in most of England's port cities, communities from which men would fight and die throughout the English Civil War. There's still little evidence of the lives of these individuals. So what do we know of the Black men who took up arms during the Civil War? On which side did they fight? Were they free or enslaved? And what can this participation tell us about how race was perceived in the early modern period?

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out from Sophie Merrix, whose research is uncovering the lesser known racial diversity of the Civil War battlefields.

Presented by Professor Susannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, the audio editor is Max Carrey and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast

If you found this episode interesting, then do check out these past episodes:

Black Tudors >

How Shakespeare Depicted Race >

Legacy of the Mary Rose >

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The oldest surviving part of Hampton Court Palace is a series of chambers and closets built in the 1520s for Henry VIII's chief advisor and Lord Chancellor, Cardinal Wolsey. They are now the setting for a wonderful exhibition bringing together artworks created during Henry VIII's reign alongside some evocative 16th century objects and brilliant interactive displays.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb goes to Hampton Court to meet curator Brett Dolman and talk about the exhibition which takes visitors back into the Tudor world and the lives not just of the kings and queens, but of the ordinary people whose labour upheld the functioning and magnificence of the Tudor court.

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The audio editor is Ella Blaxill, the researcher is Alice Smith, and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

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In July 1588 the Spanish Armada set sail to conquer England. Three weeks later a fierce naval battle foiled the planned invasion. Many myths surround these events. The "genius" of Sir Francis Drake is exalted, while Spain’s efforts are belittled. But what really happened during that fateful encounter?

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb gets the fullest possible account from Professor Geoffrey Parker who co-wrote the definitive and authoritative history of the Spanish Armada in 1988. A new, much-expanded edition, titled Armada: The Spanish Enterprise and England's Deliverance in 1588, was published in 2023.

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The audio editor is Max Carrey, the researcher is Alice Smith, and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘TUDORS’

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Related episodes:

Francis Drake’s Discovery of West Coast America >

Walter Raleigh’s Quest for Eldorado >