ig ▁magn ate , ▁William ▁May n ard . ▁H utch inson ▁received ▁a ▁D . D . ▁from ▁Cambridge ▁in ▁ 1 6 9 8 . ▁ ▁B ury ▁St ▁Edmund s ▁and ▁An ▁Historical ▁Ess ay ▁Conc ern ing ▁W itch craft ▁ ▁S omet ime ▁before ▁ 1 6 9 2 , ▁H utch inson ▁became ▁a ▁minister ▁and ▁perpet ual ▁cur ate ▁at ▁St . ▁James ▁parish ▁in ▁B ury ▁St ▁Edmund s ▁and ▁this ▁may ▁have ▁led ▁to ▁an ▁interest ▁in ▁research ing ▁the ▁inf am ous ▁tri als ▁that ▁had ▁occurred ▁there . ▁In ▁ 1 7 0 0 , ▁a ▁ske pt ical ▁book ▁about ▁the ▁ 1 6 9 2 ▁S alem ▁w itch ▁tri als ▁by ▁Robert ▁C ale f ▁was ▁printed ▁in ▁London ▁and ▁in ▁his ▁own ▁book ▁H utch inson ▁pra ises ▁and ▁recomm ends ▁C ale f ' s ▁work , ▁providing ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁books eller ▁in ▁London . ▁C ale f ▁had ▁em igr ated ▁to ▁Boston ▁from ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Stan st ead , ▁only ▁eleven ▁miles ▁south ▁of ▁B ury . ▁By ▁ 1 7 0 6 , ▁H utch inson ▁was ▁passing ▁around ▁a ▁draft ▁of ▁a ▁book ▁that ▁would ▁come ▁to ▁be ▁called ▁An ▁Historical ▁Ess ay ▁Conc ern ing ▁W itch craft ▁but ▁was ▁disc ou rag ed ▁by ▁influ ential ▁friends ▁from ▁publishing . ▁In ▁ 1 7 1 2 , ▁H utch inson ▁experienced ▁the ▁local ▁trial ▁of ▁Jane ▁W en