Love Spells and Lost Treasure: Service Magic in England from the Later Middle Ages to the Early Modern Era

Tabitha Stanmore examines practical magic in England between the 14th and 17th centuries, focusing on spells performed for useful purposes and often for payment. Drawing on many hundreds of recorded instances alongside imaginative and didactic literature, she traces how such services operated within everyday life before and during the age of the witch trials.

The study considers the relationships between practitioners, clients and neighbours, and shows that magical assistance was sought across the social hierarchy, from labourers to aristocrats. Its examples include attempts to heal illness, influence love, locate lost or stolen property, discover buried treasure and learn the future. Together, these accounts present service magic as an established part of premodern English society rather than a marginal practice.