?MGC: [Note]: I am sending this incomplete/unfinished posting as is. http://books.google.co.za/books?id=w3rSUVOarfoC&pg=PA1&dq=Matthew+Hopkins+witch+finder&hl=en&ei=2L2nTOe1BtjPjAfH18TDDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CGUQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=Matthew%20Hopkins%20witch%20finder&f=false Read pages 1-6: What this story does not tell you here, is that the old Witch Finder General Matthew Hopkins later on was confronted himself. His one technique was to tie the supposed witch's right thumb to her left foot big toe, drag the person through a river with a rope, and see if they would float, if they floated, they were a wet witch, if they did not float, they were a dead wet witch. So they caught up with Matthew Hopkins and eventually did the same trick to him, he floated. Not sure, but he might have been executed (???). It seems many of these supposed witches apart from being old with the ''Gobber Tooth'', was the neighbourly arguments where one might want to report them as witches etc. http://blog.aurorahistoryboutique.com/matthew-hopkins-englands-witch-finder-general/ http://www.witchtrials.co.uk/matthew.html My identification of these Nathaniel Bacons Bramford + Ipswich area should be correct. You will note that Matthew Hopkins is the son of a vicar James Hopkins. The one pattern from the last url here, is that the vicar never mentions his son Matthew Hopkins (!!!). This must be intentional all round. In the first case, Matthew Hopkins was not born yet. But further much, it would seem that James Hopkins had disassociated himself from his son Matthew Hopkins some what. In James Hopkins will 1634, he makes no mention of his son Matthew Hopkins. Who does James Hopkins make his executors of his will: [Worthy frinds Mr John Gurden of Wenham aforesaid, & Mr Natthaniell Bacon]. I am thinking this might be the father Nathaniel + Mary Bacon ?. There is some grey area of where MH obtained education and might have been outside England. However: [The first factual and physical evidence that he was back and resident in England was found in the Suffolk Record Office, where a conveyance for a tenement in Bramford near Ipswich 1641]. So Matthew Hopkins actually has a piece of land right here in Bramford 1641 (!!!). I have just had to go back and my last post.... [Matthew Hopkins was also able to call on influential family friends to aid and pave the way for his future campaign. In his fathers will, one of the executors was a Nathaniel Bacon (1593-1660) the third son of Edward Bacon of Shrubland Hall. According to the 'Tendring Witchcraft Revelations', he was an extreme Puritan and violently anti-Catholic. In 1643, he was elected the Recorder of Ipswich, and later Recorder of Bury St Edmonds.]. OK, so this Nathaniel Bacon in the will is the NB 'Recorder of Ipswich' d:1660. So, it seems to me, anyway, that this NB 'Recorder' is connected/related, but clearly not the NB (+Mary) of Chattisham (!!!). So in this whole region outside and near to Ipswich, Matthew Hopkins is watching and waiting. Before I forget, the Thomas? Bacon who m. LORE, was her surname 'Clarke' ?. "Every old woman with a wrinkled face, a furrowed brow, a hairy lip, a gobber tooth, a squint eye, a squeaking voice or scolding tongue, having a rugged coat on her back, a skull-cap on her head, a spindle in her hand and a dog or cat by her side, is not only suspect but pronounced for a witch" - John Gaule in 'Select Cases of Conscience'. But Matthew Hopkins should have passed away: [''peacefully, after a long sicknesse of a Consumption'']. The names of the 'imps' were I suppose in many cases, the names of pet animals: [Her confession alledged that she kept and nourished five familiars, Holt - a white kitten, Jarmara - a fat spaniel, Sack and Sugar - a black rabbit, Newes - a polecat and Vinegar Tom - a long legged greyhound with a head like an ox, broad eyes and a long tail.]. I can only assume so far, that Hopkins must have been close to family members too, and some of them also became subsequent to his demise. I can only surmise Hopkins never liked his grandmother. But of good note: Nathaniel Bacon 'Recorder of Ipswich' father is Edward Bacon of Shrubland Hall. But Andrew Bacon uncle of the Nathaniel Bacon of Bramford etc., descend from Thomas Bacon of Bramford. It still seems to me that this Nathaniel Bacon ''of Bramford'', who must be living close to this unfortunate Matthew Hopkins, watching everybody, did a dirty to Nathaniel + Mary Bacon of Chattisham. The Nathaniel Bacon 'Recorder of Ipswich' is probably not the brother of Andrew Bacon of Bramford, but rather in the region of a first cousin or thereabouts. Andrew Bacon's brother might be [Nathaniel (+ Mary) Bacon of Chattisham] ?. Roughly 20 before 1600 the Vere and Bacon families were hugely connected to Earls Colne (Sir Nicholas Bacon). The one John Eldred??? m. a Harlakenden heiress ?. Abigail Collins m:1586 at Bramford to Samuel Bedle, he was the Vicar of Woolverstone. http://books.google.co.za/books?ei=fQKnTK32H9HPjAfbnNHbDA&ct=result&id=LO8QAAAAIAAJ&dq=Abigail+Wagger+Bramford&q=Bramford#search_anchor Is there some chance I can get at least a photo/picture/copy of the pages say from pg. 76-80 of this volume ?. The Daniel Markham's uncle Edward Collins in NE, to whom the Daniel Collins 'Merchant of London' mentions, are obviously related. It is only the John Collens father of Sibbel Colenes who needs to be better known. But more so if you can see it, most people connected to these people are landed up in Hadley CT etc. - S.K.M. - [!!!] =======================