Witchcraft in Early North America - Alison Games [115]
Q. Did your mistress make you a witch in this country?
A. Yes, in this country mistress give Candy witch.
Q. What did your mistress do to make you a witch?
A. Mistress bring book and pen and ink, make Candy write in it.
Q. What did you write in it?—She took a pen and ink and upon a book or paper made a mark.
Q. How did you afflict or hurt these folks, where are the puppets you did it with?—She asked to go out of the room and she would shew or tell; upon which she had liberty, one going with her, and she presently brought in two clouts, one with two knots tied in it, the other one; which being seen by Mary Warren, Deliverance Hobbs and Abigail Hobbs, they were greatly affrighted and fell into violent fits, and all of them said that the black man and Mrs. Hawkes and the negro stood by the puppets or rags and pinched them, and then they were afflicted, and when the knots were untied yet they continued as aforesaid. A bit of one of the rags being set on fire, the afflicted all said they were burned, and cried out dreadfully. The rags being put into water, two of the aforenamed persons were in dreadful fits almost choaked, and the other was violently running down to the river, but was stopped.
Source: Thomas Hutchinson, The History of the province of Massachusetts-Bay, from the charter of King William and Queen Mary, in 1691, until the year 1750 (Boston: Jeremiah Condy, 1767), 33–34.
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22. The Petition of John Proctor, July 23, 1692
Immortalized in Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible (1953), John Proctor is one of the most familiar names associated with Salem witchcraft. His servant, Mary Warren, was one of the first possessed accusers, and the Proctors were named early in the proceedings. They were arrested in April. Both John and Elizabeth Proctor were found guilty of witchcraft. John petitioned several prominent ministers on July 23, and was executed on August 19. Elizabeth Proctor survived only because she was pregnant and the court would not hang her. Her son was born in prison in January 1693, and she was released in May. How did Proctor make sense of his plight? How did he explain his neighbors’ confessions?
SALEM-PRISON, July 23, 1692. Mr. Mather, Mr. Allen, Mr. Moody, Mr. Willard, and Mr. Bailey.
Reverend Gentlemen.
The innocency of our Case with the Enmity of our Accusers and our Judges, and Jury, whom nothing but our Innocent Blood will serve their turn, having Condemned us already before our Tryals, being so much incensed and engaged against us by the Devil, makes us bold to Beg and Implore your Favourable Assistance of this our Humble Petition to his Excellency, That if it be possible our Innocent Blood may be spared, which undoubtedly otherwise will be shed, if the Lord doth not mercifully step in. The Magistrates, Ministers, Jewries, and all the People in general, being so much inraged and incensed against us by the Delusion of the Devil, which we can term no other, by reason we know in our own Consciences, we are all Innocent Persons. Here are five Persons who have lately confessed themselves to be Witches, and do accuse some of us, of being along with them at a Sacrament, since we were committed into close Prison, which we know to be Lies. Two of the 5 are (Carriers Sons) Youngmen, who would not confess any thing till they tyed them Neck and Heels till the Blood was ready to come out of their Noses, and ‘tis credibly believed and reported this was the occasion of making them confess that they never did, by reason they said one had been a Witch a Month, and another five Weeks, and that their Mother had made them so, who has been confined here this nine Weeks. My son William Procter, when he was examin’d, because he would not confess that he was Guilty, when he was Innocent, they tyed him Neck and Heels till the Blood gushed out at his Nose, and would have kept him so 24 Hours, if one more Merciful than the rest, had not taken pity on him, and caused him to be unbound. These actions are very like the Popish Cruelties. They have already undone us in our Estates, and that