10. You were guilty by association: If you knew or were related to a known ‘witch’, you might have found yourself hauled before a grand jury
According to the Malleus Malifcarum, the best-selling Medieval guide to identifying and then punishing witches, most witches were either born evil or were possessed by evil spirits from an early age. At the same time, however, it was also believed that women could train to become witches. As the noted witch-hunter William Perkins stated: “Witchcraft can be learned”. As such, simply being around someone accused of witchcraft, or being related to an alleged witch, might have been enough to ensure you were hauled before a grand jury at a sham witch trial yourself.
Guilt by association was a common theme at the infamous Salem Witch Trials. For instance, Dorothy Good was accused of being a witch even though she was only four years old; simply being the daughter of one of the main accused, Sarah Good, was enough. Sisters, friends and husbands of the initial accused were also brought before the court, often on the flimsiest of evidence. Notably, this led the New England authorities to issue advice, recommending that evidence needed to be more than simple hearsay or guilt by association – even if this was issued too late for several of the Salem villagers.