Date inconsistency 1644 or 1646 The intro to that article says Hopkins witch finding career began in March 1646 and lasted until his retirement in 1647 but later states He is believed to have been responsible for the deaths of 300 women between the years 1644 and 1646 and the body states Hopkins began his career as a witch finder after he overheard various women discussing their meetings with the Devil in March 1644 in Manningtree So which is correct