Hung as a Witch! 435 &445

BRIEF SKETCH OF THE SALEM WITCHCRAFT

(Copied in part from 'History of Salem,' by C. B. Gillespie, and from records
of William B. Towne, of Milford, N. H., and Brookline, Mass.)

It seems to the compiler that a partial history of that terrible delusion known as the "Salem Witchcraft is entitled to a small space in this book, and will be of interest to its readers, from the fact that the family of our first ancestors in this country were great sufferers from it. Salem, the place of its origin in 1692, is the second oldest town in New England and the second to become a city in Massachusetts. In its early history it was called
the "City of Witches. Here more than one hundred and fifty persons (guilty of
nothing save being in advance of the age in which they lived) were accused as
witches, who were believed to be in league with Satan, and thrown into prison.
After brief trials, twenty-seven persons suffered death by hanging on what is
now known as 'Gallows Hill".
But let us go back to an earlier date. There is an old Roman maxim that
has been approvingly quoted through many centuries that the "voice of the
people is the will of God." Is it? Let us see. It was the voice of the people
which instigated and kept alive, in the fourteenth century, that "witchcraft
crusade" which continued through the next three centuries and caused the death
of thousands of innocent persons. This persecution was started by the most
reputable citizens. Its most zealous promoters were the highly educated men of
their time. In no city of Europe did the witch fires flame more fiercely than
at Bonn, the medieval seat of art and learning. There was a general feeling at
this time that in this movement the voice of the people was the voice of God,
and that he himself inspired these murderous moods and frenzies. Popular
superstition and ignorant fanaticism continued, with the highest intelligence
and the most fervent piety, to heighten this fearful storm. Its origin in this
country was in the family of the Rev. Mr. Parris, a clergyman of Salem, Mass.,
and it seemed likely at one time to be very destructive of human life. The
first suspicion or imagination of anything unusual was in the incantations
practiced by the two Indian servants of Rev. Mr. Parris, John and Tituba, in
connection with the opinion of a physician that they were bewitched; and at
the same time two little girls, a daughter and a niece of Mr. Parris, ten and
eleven years old, began to conduct themselves (as was imagined) in a singular
manner. The next question was who bewitched them. Tituba's incantations
rendered her an object of suspicion; and being accused, she was scourged by
her master until she acknowledged herself to be a witch.
The demon of superstition was now let loose, and accusations and
commitments followed each other in quick succession till more than one hundred
were in prison and in chains at one time, and room was wanted fro many more.
Those who confessed themselves witches remained in prison, while a special
court convened to try those who maintained their integrity and declared their
innocence, and among those who were brought to the bar not one escaped from
the scaffold. Knowing that there was but one way of escape, confessions became
numerous; and the larger the number of confessions, the greater the frenzy,
till it arrived at such a point of desperation that wives testified against
their husbands, children against their parents, the nearest and dearest
relations in life were severed, and one minister of the gospel, the Rev.
George Burroughs, was hurled into eternity through the influence of his fellow
minister, and he who questioned the propriety of what was transpiring speedily
prepared his neck for the gallows. Mr. Burroughs was carried through the
streets in a cart to execution. When upon the scaffold, he made a speech
declaring his innocence of any crime and concluded with a prayer of such
seriousness and fervency of spirit and so affecting that it drew tears from
many of the spectators, and it seemed at the time as though they might hinder
the execution. But Cotton Mather, who was present on a horse, addressed the
people, declaring that Mr. Burroughs was not an ordained minister, and that
the devil had often been transformed into an angel of light; and the people
were appeased and the execution went on.
Thus a delusion which common sense ought not to have heeded was warmed
into life by the superstition and willful, if not malicious, ignorance of Rev.
Mr. Parris, Cotton Mather, and their associates, till there was no safety in
the province for the person, property, or life of the most distinguished
individual; and not until it had entered their own firesides and the blaze of
their own fanning was likely to consume their own families did they seem
inclined to listen to reason or abate the work of judicial murder in which
they had lent their influence and aid.
John Willard, who had been employed as an officer to bring in the
accused, became dissatisfied with the actions of the people, declined further
service, and he was thereupon accused, but made his escape to Nashua, N. H.,
about forty miles from Salem, where he was overtaken, returned, and executed,
his trial being on the fifth of August and his execution on the nineteenth of
the same month. During this excitement the wife of the Rev. Mr. Hale, the
minister of Beverly, who had been engaged in promoting prosecutions, was
accused, but they made their escape to New York. The wife of Philip English,
the most wealthy merchant in the place, shared the fate of many others. Many
of the people fled for their lives.
Among the unfortunate who perished in this delusion were two daughters
of William Towne and Joanna Blessing, who were among the first settlers of
Salem. Usually we find only the ugly, the depraved, and the vicious of the
human family suspected and accused of crime; but in connection with this
delusion the condition is far otherwise, and it is a pleasure and satisfaction
to know that these were women of the most reputable lives and maintained their
integrity to the last, going on to the scaffold with a martyr's spirit, and
sufficient evidence is left on record to establish these facts beyond
controversy.
The first of these sufferers to be brought before the magistrates in the
meeting house, on the twenty-fourth of March, was Rebecca, the wife of Francis
Nourse. Rev. Mr. Hale, the minister of Beverly, opened the court with prayer,
after which the accusations were read, all of which she denied, earnestly
asserting her innocence of anything wrong; but, notwithstanding, she was
committed to prison, where she remained till June 30, when she was tried,
convicted, and executed July 19. At this execution the Rev. Mr. Noyes tried to
persuade a Mrs. Good to confess, by telling her she was a witch and that she
knew it, to which she replied, "You are a liar. I am no more a witch than you
are, and if you take my life God will give you blood to drink." Tradition says
the curse of this poor woman was verified, and that Mr. Noyes was actually
choked to death with his own blood. After the condemnation of Rebecca, the
governor saw cause to grant a reprieve, which, when known to her accusers,
they renewed their outcries against her insomuch that the governor was
prevailed upon by Salem gentlemen (said to be a committee whose business it
was to carry on prosecutions) to recall the reprieve, and she was executed
with the rest.
The communion day previous to her execution, she was taken in chains to
the meeting house and there formally excommunicated by her minister, Mr.
Noyes. "But (says a writer) her life and conversation had been such that the
remembrance thereof in a short time after wiped off all the reproach
occasioned by the civil and ecclesiastical sentence h to which she belonged
reversed its of her excommunication. that it might her children. her Christain
the reproach occasioned by against her," and in 1712 the church censure by
blotting out the record of her excommunication, that it might not be a
reproach to her memory and an occasion of grief to her children.
A Historical account of her says: "The testimonials of character and
behavior, both in her life and at her death, and her extraordinary care in the
education of her children and in setting them good examples, were so numerous
that for want of space they were omitted."
The other daughter of William Towne who suffered on the scaffold in the
perilous times before referred to was Mary, the wife of Isaac Estey. She was
arrested April 22, tried September 9, and executed September 22, and during
the five months that she was in prison her husband came from Topsfield twice
every week to render his injured but deserving companion the trifling comfort
his means would allow. Before their execution both sisters sent a petition to
the court. The one sent by Mary follows, which will be read with unqualified
admiration by every one who has sympathy for those in trouble. A modern writer
says: "Mary Esty was a woman of great strength of mind and sweetness of
disposition. After her condemnation she sent a petition to the court, which,
as an exhibition of the noblest fortitude, united the sweetness of temper,
dignity, and resignation, as well as of calmness toward those who had selected
so many from her family is rarely, if ever equaled. When it is remembered that
confession of sin or crime (or whatever it may be called) was the sure and
only means of obtaining favor of the court, this petition must be regarded as
a most affecting appeal by an humble and feeble woman, about to lay down her
life in the cause of truth and who, as a wife and mother in circumstances of
terrible trial, uttered no word of complaint, but met her fate with a calmness
and resignation which excites the wonder of all who read her story."

THE PETITION
To the honorable judge and bench now sitting in Salem, and the Rev Ministers,
this petition showeth that your humble, poor petitioner, being condemned to
die, cloth humbly beg of you to take it into your judicious and pious
consideration that your petitioner, knowing my innocence, and blessed by the
Lord for it, and seeing the wiles and subtlety of my accusers, by myself
cannot but judge charitably of others who are going the same way as myself, if
the Lord step not mightily in, I was confined a whole month on the same
account that I am now condemned, and then cleared, as your honor know, and in
two day's time I cried out upon again and have been confined and am now
condemned to die The Lord above knows my innocence then, and likewise does
now, as at the great day will be known by men and angels. I petition to your
honors not for my own life, for I know I must die, and the appointed time is
set, but if it be possible, that no more innocent blood be shed, which
undoubtly 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 detection of witchcraft and witches and would not be guilty of
innocent blood for the world, but my own innocence, I know you are in the
wrong way. The Lord in his infinite mercy direct you in this great work, that
innocent blood be not shed. I humbly beg of your honors that you would be
pleased to examine some of those afflicted persons and keep them a part
sometime, and likewise try some of those confessing witches, I being confident
several of them have belied themselves and others, as will appear, if not in
this world, in the world to come, whither I am going, and I question not but
your honors will see an alteration in these things.* They say myself and
others have made a league with the devil. We cannot confess.
I know and the Lord knows, as will shortly appear, that they belie me,
and I question not but they do others. The Lord above knows, who is the
searcher of all hearts, as I shall answer at the tribunal seat, that I know
not the least thing of witchcraft, therefore I cannot, I dare not belie my own
soul. I beg your honors not to deny this my humble petition from a poor,
dying, and innocent person, and I question not but the Lord will give a
blessing on your endeavors.

MARY ESTEY

The parting scene between this excellent woman and her husband,
children, and friends was, as is reported by those present, as serious,
religious and affectionate as could well be witnessed, drawing tears from the
eyes of all present. To complete this awful tragedy, Rev. Mr. Noyes alluded to
her body in connection with others as they hung upon the gallows as "fire
brands of hell."

*And they did "see an alteration in these things,' and bitter were
the lamentations of the community for their rashness and delusion. A
righteous indignation drove Parris from their midst. Noyes asked
forgiveness of all, and consecrated his life to deeds of charity and
mercy, and was forgiven.
Judge Sewall and the jurors circulated declarations of regret for
the part they had taken in these insane enormities. Another judge who
had condemned many to be hanged acknowledged his error and guilt, and
implored the pardon of God and man for his great sin. Sarah, another
sister, narrowly escaped death, but records do not state how.
It must be borne in mind, in justice to most of the Salem people,
that the judges who presided at the trials of the accused were acting
under English rule and English laws, and that but few who took an active
part in the trials were Salem people.
It is not generally known that a monument to the memory of these
two unfortunate women has been erected and dedicated near their old
homestead. It is eleven feet high and cut from Rockport and Quincy
granite, and finely lettered and polished.


She was hanged a witch in Salem MA in 1692 as was her sister Rebecca Nurse

Mary Towne was 58 years old when she was accused of witchcraft in Salem in 1692. Her older sister Rebecca Towne Nurse was accused and hanged. Her sister Sarah was imprisoned accused of witchcraft and subsequently escaped with the help of friends and relatives. Mary's impassioned plea to the general court shows her enormous courage and intelligence in the face of certain death.
It is unknown if this petition was written in her own hand or was written for her and if so by who.
"Your poor and humble petitioner, being condemned to die, do humbly beg of you to take it into your judicious and pious considerations that your poor and humble petitioner, knowing my own innocency, blessed be the Lord for it, and seeing plainly the wiles and subtleties of my accusers...cannot but judge charitably of others that are going the same way [as] myself...I petition to your honours not for my own life for I know I must die and my appointe time is set.
...I question not but your honours would not be guilty of innocent blood for the world but by my own innocency I know that 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 no more innocent blood be shed. I would humbly beg of you that your honours would be pleased to examine these afflicted persons strictly and keep them apart some time and likewise to try some of these confessing witches, I being confident there is several of them that has belied themselves and others as will appear if not in this world I am sure in the world to come whither I am going... The ord above who is the searcher of all hearts knows that as I shall answer it at the tribunal seat that I know not the least thing of witchcraft, therefore I cannot, I dare not, bely my own soul. I beg your honours not to deny this my humble petition from a poor dying innocent person and I question not but The Lord will give a blessing to your endeavors"

Mary was accused by children and servants of Ann Carr Putnam and Reverend Samuel Parris who were involved in a convoluted land disagreement with the Nurse family and were on opposite political sides in a controversy over the tenure of Reverend Parris in the Salem Church. There is some controversy over reasons for the Children's "affliction" from behavioral problems to moldy wheat. In reading the various sources this writer believes that the children exhibited behavoral disturbances associated today with abuse. The life style of the Puritan family in that time period seems to support this. There are many books written on this subject and the history of it is too lengthy to be adequately handled here.

Mary Eastey was born Mary Towne to William Towne and Joanna Towne (née Blessing) in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England. She was one of eight children, among them her sisters and fellow Salem defendants Rebecca Nurse and Sarah Cloyce. Mary Towne and her family moved to America around 1640. She married Isaac Estey, a farmer and barrel-maker, in 1655 in Topsfield, Massachusetts Bay Colony. Isaac was born in England on November 27, 1627; the couple had eleven children: Joseph (1657–1739), Sarah (1660–1749), John, Isaac (1662-1714), Hannah, Benjamin, Samuel, Jacob, Joshua, Jeffrey, and Mary. 446

"Petition of Mary Easty" 447

In November 1692, after Eastey had been put to death, Mary Herrick gave testimony about Eastey. Herrick testified that she was visited by Eastey's ghost, who told her she had been put to death wrongfully and was innocent of witchcraft, and that she had come to vindicate her cause. Eastey's family was compensated with 20 pounds from the government in 1711 for her wrongful execution. Her husband Isaac lived until June 11, 1712