From America to Bury St Edmunds: The Story Behind Madeline Martin’s A Time of Witches

Something magical this way comes… and if you haven’t booked yet, now is the time!

We’re delighted to welcome New York Times bestselling author Madeline Martin to Bury St Edmunds Literature Festival for the UK launch of her brand-new novel, A Time of Witches on October 8.

She will talk about the inspiration behind the novel, her research trip to Bury St Edmunds and why so much of this story belongs to Bury St Edmunds.

Already being described as perfect for fans of Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic, A Time of Witches is a spellbinding tale of family mysteries, fierce female bonds and a haunting journey through time.

Madeline travelled from the USA to research the 1645 witch trials here in Bury St Edmunds, with invaluable help from Bury St Edmunds Tour Guides and Moyse’s Hall Museum.

Now she’s flying back especially for the festival to bring the finished book to the place where so much of it began.

She’ll be in conversation with Lynn Whitehead, one of the Bury St Edmunds Tour Guides, exploring the history, research and inspiration behind this atmospheric story.

Guests will also have the opportunity to see A Tryal of Witches – the remarkable rare book linking the Bury St Edmunds witch trials with those later in Salem, Massachusetts. Originally published in the 1680s and reprinted in 1716 (the 1716 reprint is on display at Moyse's Hall Museum), the booklet gives a detailed account of the 1662 trial of Amy Denny (her surname is incorrectly recorded as Duny) and Rose Cullender, although the trial date is mistakenly given as 1664 in the booklet. 

In the years following the trial, clergyman John Hale recorded that those involved in the Salem proceedings had consulted precedents and writings on witchcraft, including Sir Matthew Hale’s A Tryal of Witches, the published account of the 1662 Bury St Edmunds trial.

As a teenager Madeline had a recurring nightmare when she was in high school that she was being burned alive at the stake as a witch. That dream kept percolating in the back of her mind for more than 25 years, and she knew there was a story in there.

When she began researching witch trials to use for her book, she discovered the 1645 trials in Bury St Edmunds and became fascinated by them.

During this period, Bury St Edmunds became the centre of one of the largest witch-hunts in English history. Around 140 people from across Suffolk were brought to the town for examination and trial, believed to be the largest witch trial in England, with 18 people executed on 27 August 1645.

The town's witch-trial history continued into the following decades. In 1662, Amy Denny and Rose Cullender, two women from Lowestoft, were tried at Bury St Edmunds. An account of their trial, A Tryal of Witches, was originally published in the 1680s and later reprinted in 1716. The book became part of the documented connection between the Bury St Edmunds witch trials and Salem.

It's this remarkable history that makes Bury St Edmunds such an important place to explore the story behind the witch trials — and explains why Madeline travelled from America to Suffolk to research it.

Madeline said: "When I began researching witch trials to use for this book, I discovered the 1645 trials in Bury St Edmunds and became fascinated by them. Matthew Hopkins, the self-proclaimed Witchfinder General, was involved in the persecution of women across East Anglia. What really drew me in, though, were the victims themselves. So many were ordinary people whose lives were destroyed by accusation, suspicion, and fear. I wanted to bring the humanity behind their names to life.

"The Bury St Edmunds Tour Guides were amazing and were integral to my research. I took some fascinating tours with John Saunders, Lynn Whitehead, Terry O’Donoghue, and Stephen Moody that were both entertaining and educational. I also truly appreciated my time at Moyse’s Hall Museum, where Daniel Clarke kindly shared his extensive knowledge with me. Additionally, Sue Thompson generously shared information about the area’s herbal history.

"It truly is such an honour to be invited to speak at the Bury St Edmunds Literature Festival. So much of this story belongs to Bury St Edmunds."

Thursday 8 October, 4.30pm
United Reformed Church, Bury St Edmunds
Tickets:  
£10 standard
£5 concessions
Free U18s

Tickets are already selling fast – don’t miss this very special event!

Book now at the Bury St Edmunds Literature Festival website.