Edmund Grindal, Witch-Hunter of Canterbury

Like John Jewel, Edmund Grindal had left England at the accession of Mary Tudor. While in exile, he lived amongst the "witch-hunting Calvinists of Strassbourg, Speier, and Frankfort." On April 17, 1561, well after his return to England, Grindal wrote to the Queen's Secretary Sir William Cecil regarding a matter of great import. Grindal enclosed a confession of "magic and Conjuration" made by a priest called John Coxe or Devon.

In the letter, Grindal begged the Council to offer "some extraordinary punishment for example. My Lord Chief Justice sayeth the temporal law will not meddle with them. Our ecclesiastical punishment is too slender for so grievous offences."

While Grindal headed the diocese of Canterbury, there were forty-eight recorded indictments and at least seven executions of witches (Davies 18).

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Edmund Grindal, Witch-Hunter of Canterbury copyrighted 1996-1998 to Shantell Powell.