By Pen and Penitence — An Account of Witchcraft in the Fens
Between the years of 1630 and 1650, three pivotal and yet seemingly unrelated events unfolded in British history. The English Civil War—the draining of the Fenlands—and the decline of witchcraft. To an outside observer, one might mistake these events as mere coincidences. However, beneath the surface of history lies a strange and bewildering truth: Witchcraft did not disappear solely due to persecution—though many were deterred by it—but surprisingly due to the inadvertent actions of two Dutch men, the Earl of Bedfordshire, and two locals who were in over their heads. A thick veil of fog had settled over the moor, and the sun had not yet risen. As far as the eye could see—which wasn’t far—mist seeped from the land like a bubbling brew. The cold was a damp, bone-deep chill—the kind that lingers at the end of winter, when the sun’s warmth has yet to return. Five men found themselves this day punting through this dense fog, drifting along the dark waters of the Great River Ouse. “Cou...
