witchcraft trials

Salem witch trials - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Formal prosecution: The Courtroom of Oyer and Terminer

Leader Justice of the Peace William Stoughton (1631-1701)
The Court of Oyer and Terminer convened in Salem The town on June 2, 1692, with William Stoughton, the new Lieutenant Governor, as Chief Magistrate, Thomas Newton as the Crown's Attorney prosecuting the cases, and Stephen Sewall as clerk. Bridget Bishop's case was the first brought to the grand jury, who counseled the entire indictments against her. She went to trial the same day and was found guilty. On June 3, the grand jury endorsed indictments against Rebecca Nurse and John Willard, however it is not clear why they did not cross to trial instantly as well. Bridget Bishop was once performed via putting on June 10, 1692.
In June, extra people have been accused, arrested and tested, however now in Salem The city, by means of former native magistrates John Hathorne, Jonathan Corwin, and Bartholomew Gedney who had become judges of the Courtroom of Oyer and Terminer. Roger Toothaker died in jail on June 16, 1692.
At the finish of June and starting of July, grand juries endorsed indictments against Sarah Good, Elizabeth Howe, Susannah Martin, Elizabeth Proctor, John Proctor, Martha Service, Sarah Wilds, and Dorcas Hoar. Most effective Sarah Just right, Elizabeth Howe, Susannah Martin and Sarah Wildes, along with Rebecca Nurse, went on to trial at the moment, the place they were found in charge, and accomplished on July 19, 1692. In mid-July as well, the principle supply of accusations moved from Salem Village to Andover, while the constable there requested to have one of the most troubled girls in Salem Village visit with his spouse to take a glance at out to determine who caused her afflictions. Ann Foster, her daughter Mary Lacey Sr., and granddaughter Mary Lacey Jr. all confessed to being witches. Anthony Checkley was appointed via Governor Phips to exchange Thomas Newton as the Crown's Attorney whilst Newton took an appointment in New Hampshire.
In the beginning of August, grand juries indicted George Burroughs, Mary Eastey, Martha Corey, and George Jacobs, Sr., and trial juries convicted Martha Service, George Jacobs, Sr., George Burroughs, John Willard, Elizabeth Proctor, and John Proctor. Elizabeth Proctor used to be given a temporary stay of execution as a consequence of she used to be pregnant. Before being carried out, George Burroughs recited the Lord's Prayer completely, supposedly one thing that was once not possible for a witch, but Cotton Mather was once present and reminded the crowd that the person had been convicted earlier than a jury. On August 19, 1692, Martha Service, George Jacobs Sr., George Burroughs, John Willard, and John Proctor have been hanged.

Petition for bail of 11 accused folks from Ipswich, 1692
In September, grand juries indicted eighteen more people. The grand jury didn't indict William Proctor, who was re-arrested on new charges. On September 19, 1692, Giles Corey refused to plead at arraignment, and used to be subjected to peine strong point et dure, a type of torture through which the topic is pressed beneath an an increasing number of heavy load of stones, in an attempt to make him enter a plea. Four pleaded guilty and 11 others were attempted and located guilty. On September 22, 1692, eight of the ones convicted have been hanged, reportedly known as the "Eight firebrands of Hell" by approach of Salem minister Nicholas Noyes. Some of the convicted, Dorcas Hoar, was given a quick lived reprieve, with the make stronger of several ministers, to make her confession earlier than God. Aged Mary Bradbury escaped. Abigail Faulkner Sr. used to be pregnant and given a temporary reprieve (some reviews from that generation say that Abigail's reprieve later turned into a stay of fees, whilst the courts learned that sentencing Abigail to death would additionally kill her unborn child, which had dedicated no crime).
Mather was once requested through Governor Phips in September to write down in regards to the trials, and obtained access to the official information of the Salem trials from his loved one Stephen Sewall, clerk of the court, upon which his account of the affair, Wonders of the Invisible World, used to be based.
This courtroom used to be brushed aside in October through Governor Phips, even supposing this used to be now not the tip of the trials.
The Superior Court of Judicature, 1693

The private seal of William Stoughton at the warrant for the execution of Bridget Bishop
In January 1693, the emblem new Superior Court of Judicature, Courtroom of Assize and General Gaol Supply convened in Salem, Essex County, once more headed via William Stoughton, as Leader Justice, with Anthony Checkley continuing because the Lawyer Common, and Jonathan Elatson as Clerk of the Court. The first 5 instances attempted in January 1693 were of the 5 individuals who had been indicted but not attempted in September: Sarah Buckley, Margaret Jacobs, Rebecca Jacobs, Mary Whittredge, and Activity Tookey. All had been found not guilty. Grand juries have been held for many of those last in jail. Charges had been disregarded in competition to many, but sixteen extra folks were indicted and attempted, 3 of whom had been found accountable: Elizabeth Johnson Jr., Sarah Wardwell, and Mary Post. Whilst Stoughton wrote the warrants for the execution of those ladies and the others final from the former court docket, Governor Phips pardoned them, sparing their lives. In late January/early February, the Court docket sat again in Charlestown, Middlesex County, and held grand juries and attempted five folks: Sarah Cole (of Lynn), Lydia Dustin & Sarah Dustin, Mary Taylor , and Mary Toothaker. All had been found now not guilty, but weren't launched till they paid their jail fees. Lydia Dustin died in jail on March 10, 1693. At the finish of April, the Court docket convened in Boston, Suffolk County, and cleared Capt. John Alden by proclamation, and heard fees against a servant lady, Mary Watkins, for falsely accusing her mistress of witchcraft. In Would possibly, the Court convened in Ipswich, Essex County, held numerous grand juries who brushed aside charges in competition to all but five people. Susannah Submit, Eunice Frye, Mary Bridges Jr., Mary Barker, and William Barker Jr. had been all discovered no longer in charge at trial, striking an end to the episode.