The Torturous Acts Of England’s Most Notorious Witch Hunter

A period of internal warfare and a paranoid king paves the way for a vigilante to rise to power. Join Dominique as she examines the life of Matthew Hopkins, a self-proclaimed witch hunter who turned entire villages against those accused of witchcraft, before torturing and killing them for a profit.

MUSIC
Mystic Driving Tension_Full
Licensed via Warner Chappell Production Music Inc.
The Black Death_No Vocals
Licensed via Warner Chappell Production Music Inc.
Pandemic Gospel_Full Mix
Licensed via Warner Chappell Production Music Inc.
Rotting Fruits_Full Mix
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An Ordinary Street_Underscore
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Gruesome Discovery_Alternative
Licensed via Warner Chappell Production Music Inc.
Nearing The Light_Underscore
Licensed via Warner Chappell Production Music Inc.
Sing Their Hymn_No Vocals
Licensed via Warner Chappell Production Music Inc.

STILLS
Woman Wearing A Derbyshire Brank Or Muzzle In The 17Th Century
Universal History Archive/Getty Images
Two examples of Scold's bridles,probably dating from the 17th century. From The National and Domestic History of England by William Aubrey published London circa 1890...
UniversalImagesGroup/Getty Images
Title Page Of Daemonology
Bettmann/Getty Images
Scold's Bridle, late 16th century.
Heritage Images/Getty Images
The Hanging Of Four Witches
Fototeca Storica Nazionale./Getty Images
Woman Burned At Stake For Witchcraft
Kean Collection/Getty Images
Puritan satire on William Laud Archbishop of Canterbury.
Universal History Archive/Getty Images
A Dying Sinner Is Surrounded By His Family And Two Devils Whisper In His Ear
Universal History Archive/Getty Images
Woodcut Of A English Witch Hanging
Bettmann/Getty Images
Witch Hunting
Fototeca Storica Nazionale./Getty Images
The Duckingstool by Charles Stanley Reinhart
Bettmann/Getty Images
Witch Hunting
Fototeca Storica Nazionale./Getty Images
Witches Apprehended
Buyenlarge/Getty Images
The punishment of immersion
Bildagentur-online/Getty Images
Tradition in Toulouse: Punishments during Middle Ages.
Photo 12/Getty Images
Farmers In The Delivery Of Their Taxes To The Landlords
Heritage Images/Getty Images
Matthew Hopkins
Photo Researchers/Getty Images
Mother Shipton (1488-c1560) prophesying the death of Cardinal Wolsey.
Print Collector/Getty Images
Woodcut showing a witch shooting a man in the foot with an enchanted arrow made from a hazel wand
Photo 12/Getty Images
The Trial of a Witch, 17th century Puritan America. Illustration for the play Giles Corey, Yeoman by Mary E Wilkins (Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman), American novelist and playwright. Wood engraving 1892.
UniversalImagesGroup/Getty Images
Drowning as a form of punishment.
Universal History Archive/Getty Images
Waterboarding punishment.
Universal History Archive/Getty Images
An Arrest for Witchcraft in the Olden Time
WAVE: The Museums, Galleries and Archives of Wolverhampton/Getty Images

EXTERNAL CREDITS
Dominique Dibbell

[mikkomimii]

I learnt this previously in history and it still shocks me how men could just accuse women of being witches

[Everglade]

As a local to Manningtree, they still hold a festival every year dedicated to the victims of Hopkins and I can attest the spookiness of mistley and manningtree

[Cassafrass]

I love this host and the music was awesome! Great storytelling. I hope this show stays!

[krisfinley]

Thank you Dominique🙂 I really enjoy your vids, you have a beautiful well modulated voice, compelling and captivating to the viewers👏

[yea.whtvr]

Okay this was surreal. My heart goes out to everyone murdered through the hands of wicked men and women.

[WaldoBagelTopper]

Also, at 2:51- that was actually not a torture device for witches. I just happened to learn this very recently. That head trap was called a scold’s bridle. And it was something that courts could sentence women to wear. You see, in that time, men were able to take their wives to court- like legit take legal action, for “nagging” or scolding a man.

The husband would then walk her down the street while the cage is secured to her head and preventing her from speaking. She’s be chastised publicly.

[LucyLioness]

When I saw the title I had a feeling I knew who this would be about. If you want an interesting (mostly fictional take) on Matthew Hopkins, the great Vincent Price played him in “Witchfinder General”

[there-will-be-fish]

Love this host, glad to see this channel is still putting out quality content.

[echoingemotions]

Dominique, you're amazing! çç Looking gorgeous on this video! Love watching your content here!

[kbrock]

Yes! Another video with Dominique! Awesome. 👌

[eshanic]

Honestly, you should cover the Jillianwala Baugh incident.

[stuartdoig]

Goated host, one of the best on this channel

[karlakirkpatrick]

Anyone who showed any type of resistance you were a traitor and with women confidence and independence you were a witch or a harlot. They're were tame compared to the Spanish inquisition.

[MegaJesseman]

He may not have seen justice when he was alive- I hardly consider dying of tuberculosis just for what he did. But it brings a smile to my face that he is stuck on Earth as a ghost. He deserves to be tortured. And not being able to go to a better afterlife and be stuck on Earth is essentially a form of torture. Doomed to be bound to a piece of land- unable to leave. Unable to do anything fun. He just gets to sit there and think about what he did.

[emilymulcahy]

Keep this host and I'll watch more videos

[imaginegirl]

Can please explain about count of st germain the vampire of New Orleans

[francesbernard]

Beware of those who jump to negative conclusions while taking offense. With little to no evidence that their taking offense against someone is justified.

[owenw.]

fun that this came out soon after the owl house's season 2 finale

[cecilia-esph]

Wow I had no idea that Geillis Duncan (Outlander) was based on a real person!

[DizzybyNature]

scary how similar this all sounds compared to modern far right lunatics..