Witch Trials of Jersey

Following the increasing interest and latest information surrounding the witch trials in Jersey the philatelic team within Jersey Post have issued Witch Trials in Jersey due to be available from Sunday 31^st August 2025. 

Known as the Atlantic capital of witch hunting due to the percentage of those accused in proportion to the amount of residents on the island, the stamp set sheds a small light on those accused of witchcraft and the various moments and elements of the trials. 

Illustrated by Petra Dufkova an award-winning Czech Republic artist each piece of artwork creates a haunting reflection of a darker element to the island’s past. The trials took place over a course of 160 years between 1500 to 1660 and resulted to over sixty trials, thirty-three executions and eight banishments.

A high number of accusations unsurprisingly appeared following life changing events such as the plague, Civil War and Puritan era. Of those accused of witchcraft over 80% of them were women. However, men weren’t completely safe from scrutiny as was the case for one such man highlighted within the issue. 

Interestingly, a Jersey-born man, Philip English (Philippe d’Anglois), became entangled in the Salem witch trials in America, highlighting a transatlantic thread in the broader witch-hunting phenomenon. As enlightenment ideals spread, scepticism toward witchcraft prosecutions grew, leading to their eventual decline.

Find out more about the trials and those accused in Witch Trials in Jersey available to purchase online at www.Jerseystamps.com. Additionally, the stamps can also be brought within Jersey’s local post offices, with accompanying products such as presentation packs and first day covers at Broad Street, St Helier. 

Technical details about the stamps: Stamps illustrations by Petra Dufokva. Stamp size: 30mm x 40mm. Printed in four colour process offset lithography by bpost, Belgium. Issue date: 31 August 2025