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.

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.

The 300-year-old rare book 'A Tryal of Witches', giving an account of one of Bury St Edmunds’ infamous witch trials, is on display in the town’s Moyse's Hall Museum.

West Suffolk Council, which runs Moyse’s Hall Museum in the town, worked in partnership with the Bury Society, and the Friends of Moyse’s Hall Museum, to purchase 'A Tryal of Witches, At the Assizes Held at Bury St. Edmunds for the County of Suffolk'.

The book accounts for the 1662 trial of Rose Cullender and Amy Denny (listed in the book as Duny) - the trial which links Bury St Edmunds to the famous Salem Witch Trials.

It was originally printed in 1716, some 54 years after the trial, at a time of huge social change. It was the year in which the last execution in England of an assumed witch, is believed to have taken place - Mary Hick and her nine-year-old daughter, Elizabeth Hicks from Huntingdon were both found guilty of selling their souls to the devil and were hanged on 28 July.

But it was also the age of enlightenment, a time when people were growing more sceptical of witchcraft and instead were engaging in rational thought and debate.

Held at the Assize Court in the Shirehall at Bury St Edmunds over four days (March 10-13, 1662), the trial, on March 13th was presided over by Sir Matthew Hale, Lord Chief a Justice of the King’s Bench and Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer – the 2nd most senior judge in England.

Moyse’s Hall Museum has formed an international partnership with The Salem Witch Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, as part of a project to explore the shared history of the infamous witch trials and encourage US visitors to the town. Information on these connections will go on display at both the Salem Witch Museum and at Moyse’s Hall Museum this winter.