FrontispieceofThe Discovery of Witches, 1647. Elizabeth Clarke appears on the right[1]
Elizabeth Clarke (c. 1565–1645), alias Bedinfield, was the first woman persecuted by the Witchfinder General, Matthew Hopkins in 1645 in Essex, England. At 80 years old, she was accused of witchcraft by local tailor John Rivet. Hopkins and John Stearne took on the role of investigators, stating that they had seen familiars while watching her. During the process, she was deprived of sleep for multiple nights before confessing and implicating other women in the local area. She was tried at Chelmsford assizes, before being hanged for witchcraft.
Elizabeth Clarke, also known as Bedinfield,[2] was accused of cursing the wife of Manningtree tailor, John Rivet during the winter of 1643.[3] A lynch mob brought her to Sir Harbottle Grimston, her landowner, who decided that she should be tried.[4] Matthew Hopkins, assisted by John Stearne and Mary Phillipps, took up the role of investigator and prosecutor, known as "Watcher".[5]
Although torture was illegal in England, suspected witches were subject to scrutiny by their Watchers. In Clarke's case, Hopkins and colleagues including John Stearne watched her for several days and nights without allowing her to sleep. After this treatment, Hopkins claimed to have witnessed Clarke summoning familiars, imps in animal form.[6] During this ordeal, Clarke implicated other women from Manningtree, Anne West and her daughter Rebecca, Anne Leech, Helen Clarke, and Elizabeth Gooding as well as women from other villages. Clarke stated that she had been brought into witchcraft by Anne West, who took pity on her due to her poverty and only having one leg.[2] The women discovered by Hopkins were tried at Chelmsfordassizes on 17 July 1645.[1]
Elizabeth then confessed due to the persuading, forcing and imprisonment, this led to 35 women who were accused and put to prison.
