"Eliz. Hubbert sayd that Margret Scott: afflicted her : before ye grand Inquest: Sept: yo: 15: 1692. : : Jurat in Curia. "An: Putnam and Mary Warin affirmed to ye grand Inquest that they saw Margret: Scott: afflict: Frances Wycom in presence of ye grand Inquest: Sept": 15: 1692 upon their othes also yt sd Scott: afflicted: sd Frances Wycom : before in Salem. Jurat in Curia by Ma. Warrin. "The Deposition of Thomas Nellson, who saith, that, about six yeares ago the last winter, Margaret Scot, of Rowley, widow, desired me to bring her some wood, and spake to me seuerall times for wood, and I told her, that I owed her ten shillings and I would bring her wood for it, and she was not willing to set of that. Earnest she was for me to bring her wood: denied her; soon after this one of my cattell was dead in the stantiall, and stood up on his hind feet, and kneeled on his knees [afore], and little after this another of my cattell was ded in the yard, his neck under a plank at the barn side as if he were chok'd; and after this, and ever since, had hard thoughts of this woman and my neighbours told me, something more then ordinery that my cattell died so. And I do uerily believe that she is a witch. "Tho: Nelson, one of ye Grand Inquest gave in this evidence to y° grand Inquest, September 15, 1692. Jurat in Curia. "The Deposition of Sarah Coalman, who saith, about the fiuetenth of August last past that she was tormented three or four times by Marget Scot, of Rowly, or her apearance, by pricking, pinching, and choaking of me, and I do uerily believe that she is a witch. "Sarah Coleman affirmed before y° Grand Inquest, that the above written Evidence is truth, vppon her oath 15th September, 1692. 66 Phillip Nelson and Sarah, his wife, doe testifie and say, that, for two or three years before Robert Shilleto dyed, we have often heard him complaining of Margaret Scott for hurting of him, and often said that she was a witch, and so he continued complaining of Margaret Scott, saying he should never be well so long as Margaret Scott lived, and so he complained of Margaret Scott all times untill he dyed. Phillip Nelson and Sarah, his wife, affirmed, upon their oath, to ye Grand Inquest, that ye above written evidence is the truth. September 15, 1692. Jurat in Curia. "The deposission of Frances Wycom, who testifieth and saith, that, quickly after the first Court at Salem about witchcraft, Margerit Scott, whom I very well knew, or her appearance, came to me and did most grievously torment me by choaking and alsmost presing me to death; and so she did continue afflicting me by times till the 5th August, 1692, being the day of her examination ; also, during the time of her examination, Margret Scott did most grievously afflict me; and also several times sence; and I believe in my heart, that Margret Scott is a wich, and that she has often afflicted me by acts of wichcraft. "Frances Wycom owned to y° Grand Inquest, that the above written evidence is the truth upon oath. September 15th, 1692. Jurat in Curia." On the 27th of September, 1692, John Shepard, of Rowley, was bound over to Court for assisting to convey Mary Green, of Haverhill, a prisoner, charged with witchcraft, out of Ipswich jail. January 3 to 11, 1692-3. Several persons were tried for witchcraft. Elizabeth Johnson, of Andover, and Mary Post, of Rowley, were brought in guilty. The following is a true copy of such papers found, as relate to the trial of Mary Post. "Mary Post, of Rowley, in the County of Essex, single woman, being indicted by the Jurors for our Soveraigne Lord and Lady, the King and Queen, upon their oathes, by two several indictments, that is to say, 1st, "For that shee, the said Mary Post, of Rowley, in the County of Essex, single woman, about three years. agoe, in the town of Rowley aforesaid, wickedly, malitiously, and felloniously, a covenant with the Devill did make, and signed the Devil's book, and was baptized by the Devill, and renounced her former Christian baptisme, by which diabolicall covenant, with the Devill made, shee, the said Mary Post, is become a detestable witch, contrary to the peace of our Soveraigne Lord and Lady, the King and Queen, their crowne and dignity, and the lawes in that case made and provided. "2nd. For that shee, the said Mary Post, of Rowley, single woman, sometime in the month of July last, in the year 1692 aforesaid, and divers other dayes and times, as well before as after, certain detestable arts, called witchcrafts and sorceries, wickedly, malitiously, and felloniously, hath used, practised, and exercised, at and in the town of Andover, in the County of Essex aforesaid, upon and against one Timothy Swan, of Andover aforesaid, by which said wicked arts the said Timothy Swan, the day and year aforesaid, and divers other dayes and times, as well before as after, was and is tortured, afflicted, tormented, consumed, pined, and wasted, against the peace of our Soveraigne Lord and Lady, the King and Queen, their crowne and dignity, and against the lawes in that case made and provided. "Upon the aforesaid indictments, and each of them, the said Mary Post was, then and there, before the Justices of our Lord and Lady, the King and Queen aforesaid, arraigned, and, upon her arraignment, did, then and there, the day and year aforesaid, plead to them and each of them, not guilty, and put herself upon trial by God and her country. "A jury being called, Benayah Titcomb, Foreman, John Witt, Joseph Little, John Pickard, of [Rowley,] Edmund Gale, John Emerson, John Ordway, John Abby, Seth Story, John Hall, Nathanael Emerson, and Eleazer Gyles, and accordingly sworn, no exception being made by the prisoner, the said indictments, and each of them, being read, together with evidences and examinations, and the prisoner's defence being heard, the jury went out to agree on their verdict, who, returning, did then and there, in open Court, deliver their verdict, that the said Mary Post was guilty of covenanting with the Devill, for which she stood indicted in the second indictment. "The Court ordered the keeper of the Goale to take care of the prisoner according to law." She soon after this received sentence of death, but was finally reprieved. On the second Tuesday of May, 1693, the Court sits at Ipswich. They try and clear several persons accused of witchcraft. Soon after this, the Governor or dered all others accused of witchcraft, and not tried, to be discharged. And here ended the dreadful infatuations, which had possessed the minds of many in the county of Essex. Twenty had been put to death, eleven others condemned for witchcraft, and more than fifty had confessed themselves guilty, most of whom made recantations of their confessions, saying, that the confessions. they had made they were frightened into, and that they were not true. Many at that time seemed to believe, that the witches actually signed a material book, presented to them by the devil, and were baptized by him, in which ceremony the devil used these words; "Thou art mine, and I have a full power over thee!" "Afterwards communicating in an hellish bread and wine, administered unto them by the devil." This was denominated a witch sacrament. To which communions, the witches were supposed to meet upon the banks of Merrimack River, riding there upon poles through the air. INDIAN HOSTILITIES AND MILITARY AFFAIRS. September 1, 1642. By warrant to Ipswich, Rowley, and Newbury, to disarm Passaconamy, who lived near Merrimack River, they sent forth forty men, armed, the next day, it being Lord's day. But it rained all day, as it had done divers days before, and also after; so as they could not go to his wigwam, but they came to his son's, and took him, which they had warrant for. They, fearing the son's escape, led him in a line; but he, taking an opportunity, slipped his line, and escaped from them. The warrant was issued because there was suspicion of a general conspiracy of Indians against the |