The Tudor Society

December 25 – Brian Darcy, magistrate and witch-hunter

On this day in Tudor history, 25th December 1587, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, Brian Darcy died.

Darcy was a magistrate, Sheriff of Essex, witch-hunter and contributor to the 1582 “A true and just recorde of the information, examination and confession of all the witches, taken at S Oses [St Osyth]”.

“A True and Just Recorde” argued for harsher punishments for those found guilty of witchcraft, and Darcy was personally responsible for a number of deaths of people accused of witchcraft.

Find out more about Brian Darcy...

The pamphlet containing his interrogations can be read at https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A14611.0001.001?view=toc

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December 25 – Brian Darcy, magistrate and witch-hunter