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Recordist's notes
It was at this spot that the notorious self-styled Witchfinder General, Matthew Hopkins, probably in 1645, subjected women to ‘swimming tests’ in which they were thrown into the water tied to a chair to see if they would float or sink, floating confirming them as witches (as fresh flowing ‘baptismal’ water would abhor a witch), sinking (with probably drowning) confirming their innocence. The recording was made with two hydrophones by J. M. Bowers, assisted by Angela McLellan, Catherine Taylor and Robert Pacitti. www.jmbowers.net
About the place
Colchester is a city of about 130,245 people in England, United Kingdom. OttoAnna lists 21 field recordings from here.
Equipment mentioned: Hydrophones. Underwater microphones used for whales, fish, ice and the hidden sounds of rivers and ponds.
Recorded nearby
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Clacton-on-Sea, United Kingdom
Rhythmic train on Platform 4 in cold drizzle
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New Years Eve Ambience, 2018-19
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Harp Meadow Lane Colchester - Garden Birds at Home, Christmas Day
Colchester, United Kingdom
An hour in the life of a bird-feeder 2019
Colchester, United Kingdom
Listening to the wind through the tall grass
Clacton-on-Sea, United Kingdom
Sources & credits
- “The Hopping Bridge, Mistley, Essex, UK - Thou Shalt Not Suffer A Witchfinder to Live” by J. M. Bowers – CC BY-SA 3.0 · radio aporee ::: maps via Internet Archive
- Reverse geocoding: GeoNames – CC BY 4.0