They were accused of witchcraft based on spectral evidence, which meant the court accepted testimony that disembodied spirits, or specters, were sent through dreams or visions by the accused with the help of Satan to harm the victims by stabbing, choking, biting, and jabbing them with pins. Half sister of Jonathan Dodge, Sr. Elizabeth Woodbury was born 15 August 1654 in Salem. On March 23, 1692, a warrant was issued for the arrest of four-year-old Dorothy Good of Salem Village on "suspition of acts of Witchcraft." She was taken into custody the next day and jailed with her mother, Sarah, who had been accused of the same capital crime three weeks earlier. Edward Bishop and Sarah Bishop were arrested on April 21 of 1692 with Sarah's stepmother Sarah Wildes, William and Deliverance Hobbs, Nehemiah Abbott Jr., Mary Easty, Mary Black and Mary English. Seventeen-year-old Elizabeth was an orphan who worked as a maid in the household of her aunt, Rachel Griggs, and her husband, William Griggs, the doctor who first attended the afflicted girls in the Parris household. Beverly V.R. Traces of her history can be seen everywhere from the 17th-century buildings, the priceless items brought back from exotic ports by Salem ship captains, the extraordinary architecture and the multi-ethnic character of her streets. The museum is open year-round, every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Day and in January for several weeks as we close to paint, and prepare the museum for the upcoming season. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Greetings Phillip and all Balch family members! The Salem witch trials have gripped American imaginations ever since they occurred in 1692. (2020, August 26). About. The Salem Witch Trials (Graphic History) - Paperback By Martin, Michael J - GOOD . was taken into custody the next day and jailed with her mother, Sarah, who had been accused of the same capital crime three weeks earlier. The afflicted girls soon accused several local women of bewitching them, read more, In January 1692, a group of young girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts became consumed by disturbing fits accompanied by seizures, violent contortions and bloodcurdling screams. The Salem witch trials were done in 1692. Salem in Massachusetts is famous for the dark history which fell upon the city over 300 years ago when Puritans ruled the land with their strict authoritative rules. The distraught parents, grasping at any read more, Witches were perceived as evil beings by early Christians in Europe, inspiring the iconic Halloween figure. Two Salem Village church members, Martha Corey and Rebecca Nurse, five ministers, and four ministers' wives stood accused, as well as other leading members of the colony. The first provides an immersive look into the events of 1692. Over 150 people were arrested for allegedly using witchcraft to inflict harm on their fellow townspeople, resulting in the executions of 20 people and the prison deaths of five more. These trials were because of a group of young girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts that accused different people of practicing witchcraft. Did you know? Elizabeth Balch, along with her sister Abigail Walden, made testimony against Sarah Bishop and both signed their testimonies with the first letter of their first names. In 1706, while seeking to join the Salem Village church, Ann offered the only known apology of any of the Salem accusers, stating that she had been deluded by the devil, and that she desired to lie in the dust, and earnestly beg forgiveness from God and from all those unto whom I have given just cause of sorrow and offence. She was allowed to join the congregation, but died from unknown causes just nine years later. In May, the new Massachusetts governor, Sir William Phips, established a special court to try the witchcraft cases, presided over by William Stoughton. Though adult womenand a few menaccused their neighbors of witchcraft in 1692, the core group of accusers were girls. Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group/Getty Images. Co./George Eastman House/Getty Images. Sarah and Edward Bishop were theparents of twelve children. Abigail (4) Balch was born on 17 May 1682 in Beverly, Essex, MA and died on 12 May 1763 in Canterbury, Windham, CT. 163 F v. Elizabeth (4) Balch was born on 6 Jul 1688 in Beverly, Essex, MA. In January of 1692, the daughter and niece of Reverend Samuel Parris of Salem Village became ill. William Griggs, the village doctor, was called in when they failed to improve. The museum consists of two presentations. EXTRA 10% OFF 3+ ITEMS See all eligible items and terms. Beverly V.R. Trials ensued and, when the episode concluded in May 1693, fourteen women, five men, and two dogs had been executed for their supposed supernatural crimes. ), 1:83, Los Angeles Public Library, Gen 974.42 S16Pe. . Born: 13 August 1654, Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA These trials had a lasting effect on people's attitude towards separation of state and church, as historian George Lincoln Burr said, "the Salem witchcraft . The next two defendants were Rebecca Nurse, an ancestor of Burns, and Martha Cory, both fully covenanted church members and of high social standing. #33). About Elizabeth Balch Elizabeth Woodbury was born 15 August 1654 in Salem. After a local doctor, William Griggs, diagnosed bewitchment, other young girls in the community began to exhibit similar symptoms, including Ann Putnam Jr., Mercy Lewis, Elizabeth Hubbard, Mary Walcott and Mary Warren. Salem Witch Trials: The Hysteria Spreads Salem Witch Trials: Conclusion and Legacy The infamous Salem witch trials began during the spring of 1692, after a group of young girls in Salem. ), 1:75, Los Angeles Public Library, 929.2 D269. 161 M iii. In all, 19 were hanged, one pressed to death, and five others died in jail. She eventually accused nine people of witchcraft and testified in 16 cases, including that of Rev. Often referred to as the afflicted girls, they included members of prominent village families, as well as domestic servants and refugees of King Williams War, a long-running conflict that pitted English settlers against Wabanaki Native Americans and their French allies. Native History & Indigenous Acknowledgement, The Journey from 1692 to Salems Modern Witch Community. Elizabeth Balch, wife of Benjamin Balch Jr., and her sister, Abigail Walden, also testified against Sarah Bishop, claiming they heard Edward accuse Elizabeth of entertaining Satan at night. Salem, Massachusetts 01970. At the center of the Salem witch trials were a core group of accusers, all girls and young women ranging in age from nine to 20, who screamed, writhed, barked and displayed other horrifying symptoms they claimed were signs of Satanic possession. According to Mark Podvia (see Timeline, PDF), the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony adopted the following statute in 1641: "If any man or woman be a WITCH, that is, hath or consulteth with a familiar spirit, they shall be put to death. A third of those arrested confessed but were not necessarily given lighter sentences. The Dorchester Company established a fishing settlement on Cape Ann during the winter of 1623-24 under a charter with England. Salem witch trials, (June 1692-May 1693), in American history, a series of investigations and persecutions that caused 19 convicted "witches" to be hanged and many other suspects to be imprisoned in Salem Village in the Massachusetts Bay Colony (now Danvers, Massachusetts). Beverly V.R. She married Benjamin Balch (c. 1653 - Spring 1698) on October 11, 1674; he was the son of Benjamin Balch and Sarah Gardner. Lewis, Jone Johnson. Though popularly referred to as "the Salem witch trials," accusations had spread throughout Essex County and beyond. She is a former faculty member of the Humanist Institute. Title/Occupation: Granddaughter of "Old Planter" of Massachusetts Bay John Woodbury/Woodbery. . Website designed and developed by Sperling Interactive. Context & Origins of the Salem Witch Trials, Salem Witch Trials: Conclusion and Legacy, Before America Had Witch Trials, Europe Had Werewolf Trials. By September 1692, people were starting to think that the trials weren't fair. Whispers of the devil's presence spread like wildfire across the Massachusetts Bay village of Salem in the winter of 1692. The Salem witch trials marked a seven-month period of mass hysteria in 1692 Colonial America. After the trials, Hubbard disappears from the historical record. Visitors experience the drama of that dark time though thirteen life-size stage sets, figures, lighting and narration as they are witness to the web of lies and intrigue of the Salem witch-hunt. And then there is the 1692 Witch Trials. By the 20th- century Salem had grown from a colony struggling with crisis to a cosmopolitan city. At the end of the 17th century, after years of mostly resisting witch hunts and witch trial prosecutions, Puritans in New England suddenly found themselves facing a conspiracy of witches in a war against Satan and his minions. More than 200 accused witched occupied the local jail. A lot of people were against spectral evidence, so confessions were now the gold standard to find people guilty. Sarah Bishop apparently made no effort to defend herself against these allegations and Elizabeth evidently took this as an indication that the allegations were correct. The daughter and niece of the local minister, Samuel Parris, claimed to be afflicted by invisible forces who bit and pinched them, read more, In late March 1662, John and Bethia Kelly grieved over the body of their 8-year-old daughter inside their Hartford, Connecticut, home. Title page of A Modest Enquiry Into the Nature of Witchcraft, pub. Tituba confessed and identified more witches from Salem. The Balch House is not only the oldest house standing in Beverly, but the oldest part of it is among the oldest standing structures in Massachusetts. The Salem Witch Trials 2022 50 m YOUR RATING Rate Documentary Delve deep into the deadliest example of witch hunt hysteria in the history of colonial North America, with The Salem Witch Trials, a series of prosecutions of men and women accused of witchcraft in the Massachusetts colony between February 1692 and May 1693. 7Torrey, Clarence Almon, New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1985. The Salem witch trials of 1692 took place in Salem, Massachusetts. Presided over by Chief Justice William Stoughton, the court was made up of magistrates and jurors. of the sufferings of his family upon the account of supposed Witchcraft. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth Pub. Likely seeking to save herself from certain conviction by acting as an informer, she claimed there were other witches acting alongside her in service of the devil against the Puritans. She gave her last testimony before the court in early June 1692, and no record exists of her life after the trials. His claims were a portent of what was to come in 1692. The Walcotts lived next door to the Parrises, and Marys other aunt, Mary Sibley, had encouraged the baking of the witch cake that led to Betty and Abigails accusations against Tituba. Elizabeth (Woodbury) Balch (August 15, 1654 - c. 1698) was born in Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts to John and Elizabeth Woodbury. Modern "Witch Hunts" The legacy of the Salem Witch Trials continues to haunt us today. In his book A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trial and the American Experience, historian Emerson W. Baker argues that Lewis and other accusers may have been suffering from what we now recognize as post-traumatic stress syndrome, writes Baker. Jone Johnson Lewis is a women's history writer who has been involved with the women's movement since the late 1960s. All Rights Reserved. Abigail, on the other hand, played a prominent role in the Salem witch trials, accusing a total of 57 people of witchcraft. The records of the trials contain only two documents involving the Balchs. They escaped from the Boston jail for a short time. The witch trials in Salem in the year 1692 was a scowling time in American history. Geni requires JavaScript! ), p. 6, Los Angeles Public Library, 929.2 W881-2. s'd Bishop rideing in to the brooke pretty hastily she finding fault with his soe doing & said that he would throw her in to the water or words to that purpose s'd Bishop Answered her that it was noe matter if he Did or words to that Effect: & soe wee Rode along all together toward Beverly & she blamed her husband for Rideing soe fast & that he would Doe her a mischeife or words to that purpose & he Answered her that it was noe matter what was Done unto her or words to that purpose: And then s'd Bishop Directed his speech unto us as we Rode along & s'd that she had ben a bad wife unto him ever since they were marryed & reckoned up many of her miscarriages to- wards him but now of Late she was worse then Ever she had ben unto him before (and that the Devill Did Come bodyly unto her & that she was familiar with the Devill & that she sate up all the night Long with the Devill) or words to that purpose & with such kinde of Discourse he filled up the time untill we Came to s'd Bishops Dwelling house & this Deponant Did reproove s'd Bishop for speaking in such a manner unto his wife s'd Bishop Answered it was nothing but what was truth & s'd Bishops wife made very Little reply to all her husbands Discourse Dureing all the time we wer with them & farther said not 5 Notable Women Hanged in the Salem Witch Trials, How the Salem Witch Trials Influenced the American Legal System. Report scam, HUMANITIES, Winter 2022, Volume 43, Number 1, The National Endowment for the Humanities, issued for the arrest of four-year-old Dorothy Good of, Salem Village on suspition of acts of Witchcraft. She. A third of those arrested confessed but were not necessarily given lighter sentences. And its in your house! One of the accusers listed in the court documents of Sarah Good was her daughter, Dorothy, who was coerced during an interrogation. There were reasons why it was credible that there could be witches in Salem Village, says historian Margo Burns, the associate editor of Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt. READ MORE: Before America Had Witch Trials, Europe Had Werewolf Trials. You know a witch was arrested in Chelmsford and another up in Ipswich. It is hosted by the University of Virginia, but the Project Staff is international. Three Salem Women: The Stories of Alice Parker, Ann Pudeator and Bridget Bishop, Salem Witch Trials Weekly, produced by the Salem Witch Museum, Bewitchment in Salem, produced by the Salem Witch Museum in conjunction with SATV, The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siegeby Marilynne K. Roach (Jul 22, 2004), Cry Innocent: The People vs. Bridget Bishop, The Salem Witch Trials: Reckoning and Reclaiming at the Peabody Essex Museum. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. #33). Little is known about Elizabeth's life prior to her marriage to Benjamin Balch on October 11, 1674. ThoughtCo, Aug. 26, 2020, thoughtco.com/edward-and-sarah-bishop-biography-3530317. In May 1692, the newly appointed governor of Massachusetts, William Phips, ordered the establishment of a special Court of Oyer (to hear) and Terminer (to decide) on witchcraft cases for Suffolk, Essex and Middlesex counties. Historian Carol Karlsen has argued that Hubbard and some of the other accusers in similar circumstances may have wanted to "focus the communities' concern on their difficulties." Visitors can choose to mask or not. He outlined accusations from a neighbor of the Bishops that she "did entertain people in her house at unseasonable hours in the night to keep drinking and playing at shovel-board whereby discord did arise in other families and young people were in danger to be corrupted." The "Salem Witch Trials" is still remembered as one of the most notorious cases of mass hysteria. There were 156 official complaints and maybe 200 accused, along with 70 afflicted persons, nine judges, dozens of jurors and . The Salem Village Accusations Map shows the day-by-day accusations the month of March, 1692. But the truth is undoubtedly more complex, and impossible to know. Goodof the Damage Over the next year, more than 150 women, men, and children from Salem Village (present-day Danvers) and neighboring communities were formally accused of practicing witchcraft. By Amber C. Snider. The Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project consists of an electronic collection of primary source materials relating to the Salem witch trials of 1692 and a new transcription of the court records. Perhaps predictably, Mary Walcott joined the core group of accusers by March 1692, and went on to see numerous visions and suffer apparent afflictions at the hands of accused witches. Born in Salem on July 4, 1804, Nathaniel Hawthorne took inspiration from his native streets. The Salem witch trials was one of the most famous witch hunt in history. In June of 1692, the special Court of Oyer (to hear) and Terminer (to decide) sat in Salem to hear the cases of witchcraft. October 19, 2021. In effect, theSalem Witch Trialswere over. dbury), Elizabeth Wallis (born Woodbury), Ebenezer Woodbury, Hannah Dodge (born Woodbury), Dorcas Marden (born Woodbury), Jonathan Dodge Jr. Aug 15 1654 - Salem, Essex, Massachusetts, United States, John Woodbury, Elizabeth Woodbury (born Tenney), John Woodbury, Abigail Woodbury, Ebenezer Woodbury, Hannah Woodbury, Mary Woodbury, John Woodbury, Agnes, Lady Of Marefield, Leicestershire Woodbury (born Napper). READ MORE: Salem Witch Trials: Who Were the Accusers? 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