Salem Witch Trials

"To the honorable judge and bench now sitting in judicature in Salem and the reverend ministers, humbly sheweth that whereas your humble poor petitioner being condemned to die doth humbly beg of you to take it into your judicious and pious consideration that your poor and humble petitioner, knowing my own innocency (blessed by the Lord for it) and seeing plainly the wiles and subtlety of my accusers by myself, cannot but judge charitably of others that are going the same way with myself if the Lord step not mightily in. I was confined a whole month on the same account that I am now condemned for, and then cleared by the afflicted persons, as some of your honors know. And in two days time f was cried out upon by them, and have been confined and am now condemned to die. The Lord above knows my innocency then and likewise doth now, as at the Great Day will be known to men and angels. I petition to your honors not for my own life, for I know I must die, and my appointed time is set. But the Lord He knows it is, if it be possible, that no more innocent blood be shed, which undoubtedly cannot be avoided in the way and course you go in. I question not but your honors do to the utmost of your powers in the discovery and detecting of witchcraft, and witches, and would not be guilty of innocent blood for the world. But by my own innocency I know you are in the wrong way. The Lord in his infinite mercy direct you in this great work, if it be His blessed will, that innocent blood be not shed. 

Excerpt from the petition of Mary Towne Easty/Esty, hanged Sept. 22, 1692, Salem, Massachusetts

The Salem Witch Trials of the 1690's were dealt with by a few stark paragraphs in American History class during my sophomore year in high school. I later read more about the events but only a few years ago did I learn that one of husband Jim's maternal lines descends directly from Mary Town Easty/Esty [there are various spellings] through her son Isaac Easty Jr. 

Perhaps in part for reparation of the infamous trials, hasty convictions and death decrees, the state of Massachusetts, as well as various historical societies and scholars have made available on the internet court transcripts, petitions and biographies.

Those researching the history agree that the accusations of witchcraft arose from long-simmering jealousies, controversies over land boundaries, malicious gossip. Such was the mood that even to speak out in support of a minister of the church disliked by one's neighbor was to invite the rumor that both minister and defender were "in league with the devil."

Mere ignorance or lack of education [if such can be cited] don't begin to excuse the torment, the imprisonment and wrongful deaths that poisoned that area for several years.

Mary Easty's elderly sister, Rebecca Towne Nurse, was also accused at age 71 in spite of a lifelong reputation as a 'pious' and kindly neighbor. Dragged before the court Rebecca answered the accusations simply and honestly, protesting her innocence. The 'jury' acquitted her, only to have the teenage girls who were the main perpetrators of the charges throw themselves into fits and contortions, shrieking that 'Goody Nurse' was afflicting them! 

Exhausted, hard of hearing, Rebecca Nurse threw her hands in the air declaring, " I have got nobody to look to but God."

Rebecca Towne Nurse, age 71, was hanged as a witch July 19, 1692.

The precocious Puritan theologian, Cotton Mather, concurred in allowing 'spectral evidence'--in other words, if a child sickened, a cow died, a crop withered, a building burned, those affected had only to cry that they had seen the 'shape' or the specter of the accused witch hovering about.

Strangely, if an accused witch would 'confess and repent'--rather than honestly protest innocence--her/his life might be spared!

As I have read through online documents and histories I have been convinced, as have others, that while evil was running rampant, those 'possessed' were not the women and few men who were tried and hanged, but the young girls who were soon notorious as 'witch-finders', trotted out to screech and writhe in the presence of those they accused.

Of the several young women actively involved in the witch hunts, only one, Ann Putnam, Jr [so called as her mother was also Ann] ever confessed to wrong-doing. 

Ann Putnam's Confession (1706)

"I desire to be humbled before God for that sad and humbling providence that befell my father's family in the year about '92; that I, then being in my childhood, should, by such a providence of God, be made an instrument for the accusing of several persons of a grievous crime, whereby their lives were taken away from them, whom now I have just grounds and good reason to believe they were innocent persons; and that it was a great delusion of Satan that deceived me in that sad time, whereby I justly fear I have been instrumental, with others, though ignorantly and unwittingly, to bring upon myself and this land the guilt of innocent blood; though what was said or done by me against any person I can truly and uprightly say, before God and man, I did it not out of any anger, malice, or ill-will to any person, for I had no such thing against one of them; but what I did was ignorantly, being deluded by Satan. And particularly, as I was a chief instrument of accusing of Goodwife Nurse and her two sisters, I desire to lie in the dust, and to be humbled for it, in that I was a cause, with others, of so sad a calamity to them and their families; for which cause I desire to lie in the dust, and earnestly beg forgiveness of God, and from all those unto whom I have given just cause of sorrow and offence, whose relations were taken away or accused.

[Signed]

"This confession was read before the congregation, together with her relation, Aug. 25, 1706; and she acknowledged it."

"J. Green, Pastor." 

Kathleen Kent, author of the two books shown at the top of this post, is also a descendent of a woman hung in Salem as a witch,

Martha Carrier, age 42, was dragged from prison and hung, August 19, 1692.

Three of her children had been incarcerated with her and tortured until, as their mother advised them hoping for leniency for them, they confessed to being practitioners of witchcraft. 

Children thrown into prison with condemned parents might be pardoned, but unless they had family who could produce bail money they languished there. 

Martha Carrier has come down in history as an outspoken and sharp-tongued woman, hard-working, honest, but not one to suffer fools gladly.

During her examination by the magistrates, as the 'afflicted' girls carried on their fits, she was asked if she could not see what she had 'done' to them.

Her caustic reply, recorded in transcripts, went to the heart of the matter. " It is a shameful thing that you should mind these folks that are out of their wits! You lie--I am wronged."

The month of August found me in the grip of the Salem Witch Trial history. Late into the night I traveled back in time via Kathleen Kent's well researched and vividly portrayed family story. I reached for a pen to underline the names of Rebecca Nurse and Mary Easty each time they figured  in the narrative.

We can read history books for the details of times and places, dates and names.

A well crafted historical narrative, describing the locale, the prevailing mode of thinking and doing, the conversations which must surely have discussed out-raged disbelief, fear, faith--bitter loss--these bring a reality, make 'history come alive.'