ABSTRACT
Essex during our period was renowned for its radical religious tradition. It may, therefore, be wondered how far Essex witchcraft prosecutions reflected religious tensions, whether, as some have argued,1 witch-hunting was encouraged by Puritanism, and whether Roman Catholics were often the victims of witchcraft prosecutions. At this level a direct connexion between religious affiliations and those involved in witchcraft prosecutions is sought. In a subsequent chapter the broader links between religious change and witchcraft beliefs will be examined. The distinction is between the sociological analysis of those known to be involved, and a more philosophical analysis of the assumptions upon which witchcraft accusations were based.
