Agents of the Invisible World: Children and Witchcraft in England and New England, 1589-1692 (Routledge Studies in the History of Witchcraft, Demonology and Magic)

Agents of the Invisible World explores an underappreciated aspect of the well-researched early modern witchcraft trials: children.In particular, this work analyses the various roles children played in English and New English witchcraft trials between 1589-1692, seeking to understand not only how children became involved in witchcraft trials but why. Using primary sources, including legal documents, pamphlets and hitherto overlooked archival materials, this book reveals that children were not always passive accusers who identified witches, but could be aggressive in their denunciations, sometimes even being accused of witchcraft themselves.By once again allowing these children to take centre-stage, Northcott uncovers the haunting history behind children’s pervasive involvement in witchcraft trials on both sides of the Atlantic.Readers are guided through thirty-six case studies from England and New England, making this the most detailed work on the role of children in England and New Eng