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Year 12 and 13 History students had a fascinating trip to Manningtree in April.  

Following in the footsteps of the local Witchfinder Generals, Matthew Hopkins and John Stearne, the students were guided through the events of 1645 here in East Anglia that led to hundreds of people, mostly women being executed. Expertly led by our tour guide, Josie Watson, we discovered the stories of the women who were caught up in the chaos of England during a Civil War that led to neighbours turning on each other. In this climate of fear people began to accuse each other, encouraged by the charismatic characters of Hopkins and Stearne.  

Our students were interested to hear of the history of both men and the area in which they operated, even discovering links to other case studies we have studied in Salem. This reminding us how interconnected our world can be through the power of print and media even in the 17th century. Most enlightening and engaging was the opportunity to see sights these women would have seen daily, and also to visit the location of their execution.  

The students commented on how much they loved seeing ‘History in its real setting,’ and how this was ‘a great introduction to the hunt for year 12’s,’ as well as an ‘opportunity to consolidate what we learned in class,’ for year 13. Finally, we also had a chance to meet the (in)famous Manningtree swans who wanted to join our tour for a while!