THE HISTORY OF WITCHCRAFT IN NORFOLK
Witchcraft trials were occurring all over Europe, so the events in Norfolk were not unique.
Matthew Hopkins was reputedly involved in trials that resulted in 300 deaths, which is bad enough, but when you consider that between 1400-1700 there was nearly 500 deaths resulting from witchcraft trials involving burnings and hangings, that means he was responsible for a huge percentage!
It is claimed that Hopkins was not an evil man by nature, but he did take to the trials with a fanatical zeal. It also didn’t hurt that he was paid on results, which probably increased his work rate.
Tests like tying the accused to a chair, and tossing them in water to see if they can swim back (doing that meant you were guilty! Drowning proved you were innocent). By 1645 this method had died out.
Sleep deprivation, cutting, and finding the ‘devils mark’ on the accused would also count against them.
Hopkins died in 1647, sparing more from a grisly fate.