author
Wallace Notestein
1878–1969
A leading Yale historian of seventeenth-century England, he wrote with unusual clarity about Parliament, witchcraft, and everyday life in early modern Britain. His books helped bring complex English history within reach of general readers as well as scholars.
1 Audiobook
A History of Witchcraft in England from 1558 to 1718
by Wallace Notestein
About the author
Born in Wooster, Ohio, in 1878, Wallace Notestein became one of the best-known American historians of early modern England. He taught at Yale University and served as Sterling Professor of English History from 1928 to 1947, building a reputation for careful research and lucid storytelling.
His work focused especially on seventeenth-century England, including Parliament, political culture, and the history of witchcraft. Among his best-known books are A History of Witchcraft in England from 1558 to 1718 and The English People on the Eve of Colonization, 1603–1630, both of which reflect his gift for connecting big historical changes with ordinary life.
Notestein was also part of a remarkable academic partnership: he was married to Ada Comstock, the influential educator and president of Radcliffe College. He died in 1969, leaving behind a body of work still valued for its depth, balance, and readability.