--part1_47a29d94.249b2adf_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit --part1_47a29d94.249b2adf_boundary Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Disposition: inline Return-path: [email protected] From: [email protected] Full-name: Connjer Message-ID: <[email protected]> Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1999 01:56:11 EDT Subject: Salem Witches.....hehehe To: [email protected] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: AOL 4.0 for Windows 95 sub 13 The Witches at Salem 1692 by Dick Eastman CompuServe Genealogy Forum In the long and bitter winter of 1691-1692, several young girls frequently gathered at the parish house of Reverend Samuel Parris where they enjoyed the palmistry and black magic of a black servant woman named Tituba. She and her husband, John Indian, had been slaves who were bought by Rev. Parris while he was a merchant in the West Indies. These sessions apparently fired the imaginations of the girls, several of whom later started performing nightmarish fits and telling tales of witchcraft and of being possessed of evil spirits amongst them in Salem. The primary instigators were Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Parris, daughters of Rev. Parris, along with Ann Putnam, Elizabeth Hubbard, Mary Warren, Mercy Lewis, Mary Walcott, Elizabeth Booth and Susan Sheldon. Ann Putnam was 12 years old, the others were in their mid to late teens. By the time the hysteria had subsided, many of their neighbors had paid the ultimate price. The following is a list of those hanged at Gallows Hill, Salem, Massachusetts for witchcraft: Name/Village or Town/Date Bridget Bishop ---- Salem ---- June 10, 1692 Sarah Good ---- Salem Village (Danvers) ---- July 19, 1692 Susanna Martin ---- Amesbury ---- July 19, 1692 Elizabeth Howe ---- Ipswich ---- July 19, 1692 Rebecca Nurse (or Nourse) ---- Salem Village (Danvers) ---- July 19, 1692 Sarah Wildes ---- Topsfield ---- July 19, 1692 George Jacobs ---- Salem Village (Danvers) ---- Aug. 19, 1692 Martha Carrier ---- Andover ---- Aug. 19, 1692 Reverend George Burroughs ---- Wells, Maine ---- Aug. 19, 1692 John Proctor ---- Salem Village (Peabody) ---- Aug. 19, 1692 John Willard ---- Salem Village (Danvers) ---- Aug. 19, 1692 Martha Corey ---- Salem Village (Peabody) ---- Sep. 22, 1692 Mary Easty ---- Topsfield ---- Sep. 22, 1692 Alice Parker ---- Salem ---- Sep. 22, 1692 Mary Parker ---- Andover ---- Sep. 22, 1692 Ann Prudeater ---- Salem ---- Sep. 22, 1692 Wilmot Reed ---- Marblehead ---- Sep. 22, 1692 Margaret Scott ---- Rowley ---- Sep. 22, 1692 Samuel Wardwell ---- Andover ---- Sep. 22, 1692 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In addition, 80 year old Giles Corey was pressed to death on Sep. 19, 1692 for the "crime" of witchcraft. Giles Corey's execution was dictated because he stood mute in court. He refused to plead either innocent or guilty. He simply stood in silence. Many of Corey's friends believed he remained silent in court because, by doing so under English law, he could leave his property to whomever he pleased. Otherwise, the Sheriff would confiscate it. Giles reportedly was a stubborn, fiery man who realized that he would not get a fair trial. By not pleading one way or the other, English law dictated that a person could not be tried, but the penalty for standing mute was "slow crushing under weights" until a plea was forthcoming or the person died. On Monday, September 19, 1692, 80-year-old Giles Corey was led naked to a pit in the open field beside Salem Jail. He was made to lie down in the pit, then six men lifted heavy stones, placing them one by one, on his stomach and chest. Giles Corey did not cry out, which perplexed Sheriff Corwin whose duty it was to squeeze a confession from the old man. "Do you confess?" the Sheriff cried over and over. More and more rocks were piled onto him, and the Sheriff, from time to time, would stand on the boulders staring down at Corey's bulging eyes. Robert Calef, who was a witness along with other townsfolk, later said, "In the pressing, Giles Corey's tongue was pressed out of his mouth; the Sheriff, with his cane, forced it in again." Three mouthfuls of bread and water were fed to the old man during his many hours of pain. Finally, Giles Corey cried out at Sheriff Corwin, "Damn you. I curse you and Salem!" Giles Corey died a few seconds later. Giles' wife Martha was hung at Gallows Hill three days later. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In the spring of 1693, Sir William Phips, Governor of Massachusetts, liberated 168 people in Salem's Witch Dungeon who awaiting the hangman's noose. Several of these people died shortly thereafter from their neglect and abuse in the dungeon. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ While the term "Salem Witches" is common nowadays, it ignores the fact that most of the accused were not from Salem. The jail and site of executions were in Salem, but the accused were mostly from other towns and villages in the area. Only 10 the 134 who were accused and were held in Salem's Jail were from Salem Towne. The complete count was: Andover..........38 Boxford.............2 Boston...............1 Amesbury..........1 Billerica..............6 Beverly...............6 Charlestown.......3 Chelmsford.........1 Gloucester..........3 Haverhill.............3 Great Island........1 Marblehead........2 Lynn...................7 Malden................1 Reading...............4 Rowley................1 Romney Marsh (today called Revere)...............1 Salisbury.............1 Salem.................10 Salem Village (today this is part of Danvers and of Peabody).........30 Topsfield & Ipswich...7 Wells, Maine..........1 Woburn................3 In addition to the 134 above, another 34 were accused and in various jails awaiting trial when Governor Phips released all the prisoners. Part II ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Back To Family Treasure Time --part1_47a29d94.249b2adf_boundary--