Witchfinder General

Witchfinder General was an English name given to Matthew Hopkins, a 17th-century witch-hunter active during the English Civil War. Operating between 1644 and 1647, he led a campaign to identify and prosecute supposed witches, often using dubious methods and instilling fear across the region. His activities resulted in numerous executions, highlighting a period of widespread superstition, social unrest, and judicial misconduct. The term has since come to symbolize those who pursue or promote moral or social crusades often based on fear, misinformation, or abuse of authority.