Fantastically researched and well-written book. This was so captivating and such a good read for a non-fiction book. I especially enjoyed the fact that Callow really, really dove into the records available to him and used those to really paint a picture of each woman. I typically read non-fiction so I am used to the "dry" parts you come to expect, but this entire book was written like a story. I am a lawyer so perhaps others would not find the trial parts as interesting as I did, but those were my favorite portions. The author's commentary on the social aspects of the accused (the single, poverty-stricken, family-less women) was incredibly tasteful, well done, and well-thought out. Overall, a fantastic book on a unique subject that I was very thankful to read.

I always find hard to read about witch hunt and the women who were victim of that crazyness.
This is a well researched, engrossing and well written historical book that makes you understand what happened and what were the supposed causes.
An excellent read, recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I wanted to like this book so badly. With the nights getting darker I like to read books about creepier subjects and I do love some historical non-fiction where I can learn some new things but this was absolutely not it. It was just so dry and I feel there was full chapters of unnecessary information, I felt the actual portions about witches and witchcraft was less than 50% of the book. It felt like the world's worst, most boring history class.

This book tells the story of the last 3 witches to be to be executed in England.
What attracted me to this book is that I’m from the town that the three women were executed, I have been to the castle where they were held and even seen the plaque that hangs on one of the castle walls but I never really knew the story.
John Callow has written a well researched book that not only tells the tale of the 3 women accused but paints a picture of what the residents of Biddeford did for a living, what families were poor or rich and what charity people received. He also writes about the religion of the time and how women were perceived if they were poor or did not attend church.
It also shows us why people accused of witchcraft sometimes confessed and why they were often convicted even if the evidence against them was weak.

The Bideford Witches - three women who had the misfortune to be labelled witches by their neighbours & became the last women hanged for the crime of witchcraft in 17th-century-England. In a time of political & religious turmoil, the unfortunate coincidences of a magpie tapping at the window, & a stray cat apparently stealing a child's toy were enough to raise the spectre of witchcraft. Although in 1682 they were the last to be hanged for the crime, the last of the witchcraft acts were not repealed until 1951. This book looks at how the women were caught up in a maelstrom of innuendo & class struggle from which there was little hope of escape for three poverty-stricken elderly women.

This was an informative read. The author argues from the position that the witch trials in England, & especially in these cases, were less a product of misogyny & more a reaction to the political & religious change over the previous century, alongside the huge divide between the better off & the poor. I found myself convinced by most of the arguments, but I believe that there were still definite elements of misogyny. Women grow up in the same societies as men, & they are just as capable of internalised misogyny which is then directed towards other women. One only has to think of how middle-aged & elderly women are treated online today, & I agree with the author that some of it seems to be rooted in the fear of seeing how you will eventually be treated yourself as you age. The book is an ultimately tragic tale of 3 elderly women who held very little power in society, & were easy scapegoats for its ills.

Thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Bloomsbury Academic, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

This incredibly interesting and painstakingly researched work tells the account of three poor women of Bideford who met an undeserved fate as a result of the social and cultural rhetoric of the times, which manifested itself in widespread fear, suspicion, ignorance, superstition and religious fervour.

This is not a superficial investigation of demonic pacts but rather a truly multi-dimensional work that offers substantial insight into society as a whole including (Atlantic) trade routes, conflict, plagues and commerce. The mis-characterization and discrimination of these ‘cunning women’ was made possible by appealing to the base instincts of the masses. The book shines a light on these practices and pulls back the veil on an irrational, violent, and demeaning ‘belief’ that has surprisingly gained traction within even contemporary educated circles.

My thanks to Bloomsbury Academic and NetGalley for granting me this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

John Callow The Last Witches of England A Tragedy of Sorcery and Superstition Bloomsbury Academic 2022

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

This is a well-designed narrative, following the steps by which the last witches in England became the victims of poverty and changing social and religious ideas. Both factors had an impact on the development of superstition in Bideford, England, where the women lived, and Callow's narrative makes this case well.

Each chapter adds a detailed and engrossing ‘block’ to the result, an adept building of events that lead to the acceptance that three women, Temperance Lloyd, Susanna Edwards and Mary Trembles were witches, and the punishment meted out. Although I did not find the strong feminist account that I had expected, and my reason for requesting this book, I was impressed by the enterprise with its sheer avalanche of detail of the lives and events following ‘The magpie at the window’ prologue. In relation to my expecting a feminist approach, Callow has reservations, and criticisms of 1970s and 1980s feminist accounts. Nevertheless, I found this an engrossing alternative view, with some understanding of women’s position, worth reading alongside more orthodox feminist readings of the events. Certainly, women’s involvement in the persecution of witches, recounted by Callow, is a good start to any debate. However, it is also imperative to remember that it was powerful men who managed the cases against the accused women. Again, Callow also draws attention to the way in which the various cases against the women were conducted, with a range of attitudes and outcomes for those involved. I would like to reiterate – a debate, of which this book is a worthy part.

It took me some time to develop a feeling for the amount of detail, at times I thought extraneous, with which each character and event is endowed. I was glad that I persevered, gradually recognising the flow of the narrative, moving slowly in some ways, towards a momentous conclusion. The result of this early reluctance is to encourage other readers who feel overwhelmed, to persevere. This is an academic book rather than a popular story about the way in which poverty, discrimination and fear led to horrendous results for three innocent women. It carries the weight of enlightening readers about the myriad of ideas and events that can lead to such a result. The painting of a picture that enlightens is not always easy, but Callow has achieved this in The Last Witches of England.

Chapter 6, ‘A fine gentleman dressed all in black’, provides a compelling journey through the case against Temperance Lloyd, with its blend of her insouciant acceptance of some of the charges; the irrationality of the accusations; the role of the person recording (and at times reinterpreting) the evidence; the aspirations of the accusers; the role of religious differences; the shortcomings of the medical profession; and the power of various men involved in decision-making. Chapter 7 extends the argument that evidence was manipulated (as were recorded conversations) to fit people’s understandings of witchcraft. This is an interesting discussion in itself, with its obvious application to the way in which contemporary irrational statements are couched to meet social understandings which may or may not be valid.

Callow also follows up ‘rational’ underpinnings of the arguments made on behalf of accusations of witchcraft – which, of course now seem hard to believe. However, with Callow’s attention to the historical setting of these cases, they complete the scenario that impacted the trials of the three women accused and found guilty of witchcraft.

The book is complete with illustrations, which are listed; an index; a large bibliography of secondary sources; primary sources including archival and printed material; and detailed endnotes for each chapter. There is a note on dating and terminology.

A dramatic and powerful fictionalised retelling of events surrounding the last witch trial in the 17th century. A fascinating and revealing glimpse into a dark chapter of British history.

John Callow's book was an interesting insight into (probably) the last three women to be found guilty of witchcraft in England. In more modern times, it might seem hard to believe that based on neighbours accusing the women of cursing them in various ways that they could end up being hanged. But these were different times and the lives of poor and single women were particularly vulnerable to false accusations.

The book also looks at why those accused of witchcraft sometimes confessed and also why the courts would sometimes choose to convict even if the evidence was rather weak. Callow explains the cultural and social context that enabled these miscarriages of justice and why over time, fortunately, the appetite to try and prosecute fell away.

“The Last Witches of England” paints a vivid picture of the climate of superstition that led to three unfortunate women in 17th century Bideford to be condemned as witches, seemingly due only to their poverty in a prosperous town. It’s hard to believe in our more enlightened times how a random magpie trying to steal a shiny object from a windowsill could lead to a witch-hunt, but these were different times indeed and John Callow’s diligently researched book tells the whole sorry story in a very readable way.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgelley

Such a wonderful informed history. I devourered every bit of it.

The Last Witches of England by John Callow.

A very interesting , well researched title. I enjoyed reading the book that gave us the history of these poor women who died as a result of a whim and the bad omen of a magpie trying to gain entry into a house.
A truly terrible time.