History remembers Agnes Waterhouse as one of the most influential witches of the Tudor period. Although the Inquisition in Europe started their trails and executions much earlier, Agnes was the first woman to be put to death for witchcraft in England - in 1566. In 1542, Henry VIII passed an act against witchcraft. It was already considered a problem in the 15th century, but King Henry opened the doors for trials on a larger scale. Some believed that he did it due to his belief that Anne Boleyn (beheaded in 1536) was a witch who manipulated him by her spells. Beware the Witch! When the law condemning witchcraft came into effect, Agnes was in her 40s. She may have been
