The Inquisition

It's not clear if the process against the Templars was initiated by the Inquisition or if the Inquisition was exploited by the king of France, Philip the Fair, but in 1307 the King ordered the arrest of all Knights Templar across Europe. Some fled to South West France, some to Italy and some to Scotland, and units of the King's army were dispatched to hunt them down and kill them if necessary.

The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition, commonly known as the Spanish Inquisition, was a tribunal established in 1480 by Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. It was intended to maintain Catholic orthodoxy in their kingdoms, ordering Jews and Muslims to convert or leave. It continued for nearly four hundred years.

England has a rich and bloody history when it comes to Religious Persecution. The religious persecutions started when Henry Vlll split with Rome in 1534 and started his own 'Church of England' with the King being its head. Suddenly, Catholics were persona non grata and arrested in large numbers, suspected of being behind 'Papist Plots' to bring down King Henry.

In the 17th Century across Britain, witches were heretics to Christianity, and the act of witchcraft was considered a crime so foul that all normal legal procedures were superseded, and because the Devil was not going to "confess", it was necessary to gain a confession from the human involved by any and all means necessary.