By

Holly Williams

Senior Foreign Correspondent

Holly Williams is a CBS News senior foreign correspondent based in the network's CBS London bureau. Williams joined CBS News in July 2012, and has more than 25 years of experience covering major news events and international conflicts across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

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October 31, 2026 / 9:35 PM EDT / CBS News

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Just outside of London sits Maidstone, a quiet country town in a peaceful corner of southern England.

But around 400 years ago, Maidstone was the scene of witch hunts in the literal sense of the phrase.

Records show that more than 20 women convicted of witchcraft were hanged in Maidstone.…