USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Topsfield > History of Topsfield Massachusetts > Part 31
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John Wilds came to Ipswich in 1635 and probably removed to Topsfield at the time of his marriage with Priscilla Gould, which occurred about 1645. His house stood in the triangle between what is now Perkins street, Meeting House lane and the run of water, and a slight depression near the lane marks the spot. His first wife died in April, 1663, and in November, he married Sarah Averill, daughter of William Averill, of Ipswich, whose son William lived near John Wilds' home. John Wilds had eight children. His daughter Sarah, by his first wife, married Edward Bishop, while his son Ephraim, the constable of Topsfield in 1692, was the son of Sarah Averill, his second wife. After the marriage of John Wilds and Sarah Averill, there had been war between them and John Gould and Mary Reddington the brother and sister of Priscilla, the first wife. It has been supposed that the ill feeling was caused by the hasty second marriage, but that does not seem likely, for in those days eight months was a long time for a widower to remain single. But whatever the cause the effect was the same and cost Sarah Wilds her life. Four or five vears before
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THE HISTORY OF TOPSFIELD
the epidemic of witchcraft, Mary Reddington, who lived a short distance away to the south of Perkins street and near Snook's dam, told her neighbors that Sarah Wilds was a witch. The story spread and we may imagine how it grew as it passed from mouth to mouth till it finally became of such proportions that John Wilds threatened to prosecute John Reddington for his wife's action. Brother Averill also went to Mrs. Redding- ton, but to him she denied that she had ever believed harm of his sister. That some had believed is shown by the deposition of Ephraim Wilds. In the quaint phraseology of the time he said : "Four or five years ago there was some likelyhood of my having one of Goody Simonds' daughters as the maid told me her father and mother were willing I should have her, but after some time I had some hint that Goody Simonds had said that my mother had done her wrong." Then he goes on to say that he took Mark How with him and went to Mrs. Simonds and asked her what she meant by saying such things of his mother. She told him she never knew any harm of his mother except what was told her by Mrs. Reddington. Justly angry he left the house and went no more.
Now the Goulds were related to the Putnams of Salem Vil- lage, and it is probable that the accusations brought against Sarah Wilds by her Topsfield connection, were brought to willing ears in the Putnam family and led to her arrest. Sarah Wilds was considered a witch before 1692 and both her own and her husband's family were active in the boundary dispute, therefore it is most natural that she should be one of those accused by the Village girls. Many of the principal witnesses against her were in some way connected with the old dispute. Ephraim, her son, believed that the testimony of Deliverance Hobbs against his mother was from a spirit of revenge because as constable of Topsfield he had been obliged to arrest her.
The warrant for her arrest was issued April 21, 1692 and named not only her but her stepdaughter and son-in-law Ed- ward and Sarah Bishop of Salem Village, Mrs. Mary Easty, and William Hobbs and his wife. Thomas Putnam was the complainant, as usual. The next morning George Herrick, the marshall of Essex, arrived at the Wilds home. By the irony of fate, Ephraim Wilds, the only son of John and Sarah, was the constable of Topsfield that year, and the marshall brought the warrant to him. The young man not only found his mother's name in the warrant, but witnessed her arrest and sad departure from her home, never to return. He then was obliged by his office to go to the homes of the other Topsfield victims named in the warrant. Meanwhile marshall Herrick
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took Mrs. Wilds to the house of Deacon Nathaniel Ingersoll which formerly stood near the present First Parish Meeting house in Danvers Highlands. This house was not a tavern but was a large house and a place for common meetings in the neighborhood.
Judges John Hathorne and Jonathan Corwin of Salem opened this examination at ten o'clock. The accusing girls were present and fell into fits and convulsions, when their victims came into the room.
The examination by the Judges proceeded as follows :-
"Hath this woman hurt you?
Oh she is vpon the beam.
Goody Bibber that never saw her before said she saw her now upon the beam & then said Bibber fell into a fit.
What say you to this are you guilty or not ?
I am not guilty. Sir.
Is this ye woman ? speaking to ye afflicted.
Thay all, or most, said yes, & then fell into fits.
What do you say, are you guilty
I thank God. I am free.
Hear is a clear evidence that you have been not only a Tormentor but that you have caused one to signe the book, the night before last. What you say to this ?
I never saw the book in my life and I never saw these per- sons before.
Some of the afflicted fell into fits.
Do you, deny this thing that is [torn]
All fell into fits & confirmed that the accused hurt them Did you never consent that these should be hurt ?
never in my life.
She was charged by some with hurting John Herricks mother5
The accused denyed it.
Capt. How gave in a relation and conformation of the charge before made. she was ordered to be taken away & they all cryed out she was upon the Beam & fell into fits"
Essex Co. Court Records
The performance of the girls was sufficient to convince the two Judges and Mrs. Wilds was indicted as a witch and ordered taken to Salem jail. On May 2d she was taken to Boston jail, but afterwards transferred to Ipswich jail which then stood behind the meeting house. Her daughter-in-law,
5 Mrs. Mary Reddington, whose daughter Mary had married John Herrick.
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THE HISTORY OF TOPSFIELD
Phoebe Wilds, who had married in 1679, Timothy Day of Gloucester, was also accused of witchcraft and was taken to Ipswich jail, perhaps while Mrs. Wilds was there, and re- mained in jail until Sept. 24, 1692, when she was released on bonds for her reappearance. She apparently never was tried.
The indictment stated that "Sarah Willes wife of John Willes of Topsfield Husbandman the Twenty Second day of Aprill in the forth Year of the Reigne of our Sovereigne Lord and Lady William and Mary by the Grace of God of England Scottland France and Ireland King and Queen defenders of the Faith &c and divers other dayes and times as well before as after, certaine detestable Arts called Witchcrafts and Sorceries wickedly and Felloniously hath vsed Practised and Exercised at and within the Towneship of Salem in the County of Essex aforesaid in upon and against one Marcy Lewis of Salem Villiage Single Woman by which said wicked Acts the said Mercey Lewis the Twenty Second Day of Aprill aforesaid in the forth Year abovesd and divers other dayes and times as well before and after, was and is Tortured Afflicted Pined Consumed wasted & Tormented and also for Sundery orther Acts of Witchcraft by said Sarah Willes Committed and done before and since that time agt the Peace of our Sovereigne Lord & Lady the King and Queen, and agt the form of the statute in that Case made and Provided."-Essex Institute Mss. Coll.
Her trial took place in the Court House in Salem, on July 2. 1692. At the trial certain persons testified in Court and numerous depositions made out of Court were introduced. This evidence is here shown so that the present-day reader may judge upon what foundation the poor woman was sent to her ignominious death. What she suffered during the ten weeks while she was in jail must be left to the imagination. No food or bedding was supplied by the authorities and her family in Topsfield and relatives living in Ipswich were obliged to main- tain and care for her while in jail, at Salem, Boston and Ipswich.
"The Deposition of Ann putnam Junr who testifieth and saith I haue ben afflected euer sence the begi [n]ing of march with a woman that tould me hir name was willds and that she came from Topsfield but on the 22 April 1692 sarah willds did most greviously torment me dureing the time of hir Examina- tion and then I saw that sarah willds was that very woman that tould me hir name was willds and also on the day of hir Examination I saw sarah willds or hir Apperince most grev- iously tortor and afflect mary walcott, Mircy lewes and Abigail
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willia [ms] and seuerall times sence sarah willd or hirs Ap- perance has most greviously tortored and afflected me with variety of tortureses as by pricking and pinching me and almost choaking me to death."
Anne Putnam Junr declared : ye above written : evidence : to be truth: before ye Jury of inquest: June: 30th: 1692 upon oath .- Essex Institute Mss. Coll.
"The Deposistion of mary walcott aged about 17 years who testifieth and saith that in the begining of Appril 1692 there came to me a woman which I did not know and she did most greviously torment me by pricking and pinching me and she tould me that hir name was wilds and that she liued at Tops- feil and she continewed hurting me most greviously by times tell the day of hir Examination which was the 22 day of Appril 1692; and then I saw that sarah wildes was that very same woman that tould me hir name was wildes and sarah wilds did most greviously torment me dureing the time of hir Ex- amination for when euer she did but look upon me she would strick me down or almost Choak me to death : also on the day of hir Examination I saw sarah wilds or hir Apperance most greviously torment and affect mercy lewe [s], Abigaill Wil- liams and Ann putnam Jr, by stricking them down and almst Choaking them to death, also seuerall times sence sarah willds has most greviously tormented me with variety of tortor and I verily beleiue she is a most dreadful wicth."
Mary Walcot declared to ye Jury of inquest : that ye above written evidence is ye truth : upon oath: June 30th 1692 .- Essex Institute Mss. Coll.
"The Deposistion of Nathaniell Ingersoll agged about 58 years and Thomas putnam aged about 40 years who testifieth and saith that wee haueing benn conuersant with seuerall of the afflected parsons as namely mary walcott, mercy lewes, Abigaill williams and Ann putnam jr., we haue often seen them afflected and hard them say that one gooddy wilds of Topsfeild did tortor them : but on the 22 April 1692 being the day of the Examination of sarah wilds of Topsfeild : the affore mentioned parsons ware most greviously tortored dureing the time of hir Examination for if she did but look on them she would strick them down or allmost choak: them and if she did clinch hir hands or hold hir head asid the affected parsons aboue mentioned ware i [n] like maner tortured : and seuerall times sence wee haue seen th [e] aforementioned parsons tor- tured and haue seen the marke in ther flesh which they said sarah wilds did make by tortoring them and wee beleue that sarah wilds the prisoner att the barr has seuerall times Afflec-
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ted and tormented the afore named parsons by acts of wicth- craft."-Essex Institute Mss. Coll.
"John Wiells testifieth that he did hear yt Mary the wife of Jno Reddinton did raise a report yt my wife had bewitched her and I went to ye saide Jno Reddinton and told him I would arest him for his wife defaming of my wife but ye said Reddinton desired me not to doe it for it would but waste his estate and yt his wife would a done wth it in tyme and yt he knew nothing she had against mye wife-after this I got my brother Averell to goe to ye said Sarah Reddinton and my sd Bror told me yt he told ye said Sarah Reddinton yt if she had anything agst my wife yt he would be a means and would help her to bring my wife out: and yt ye said Sarah Reddinton replyed yt she knew no harm mye wife had done her : yt."- Essex Co. Court Records.
"The testimony of Ephraim Wildes aged about 27 or thea- bouts testifieth and saith that about fouer yers agoe there was som likly hode of my haueng one of Goodie Simonds dafter and as the maid towld me har mother and father were ueriey willing I should have hare but after some time I had a hint that Goodiey Simonds had formerly said she beleued my mother had done har wrong and I went to hare and tock Marke how that is now ded who dyed at the Estward : along with me and before both of us she denied that euer she had eniey grounds to think eniey harme of my mother only from what Goodiey Redington had saide and after wards I left the hous and went no mor and euer sence she bene ueriey angriey with me and now she will reward mee."-Essex Co. Court Records.
"This may inform this Honered Cort that I Ephraim Willdes being constabell for topfelld this yere and the Mar- shall of Sallem coming to fetch away my mother he then shued me a warant from athority derected to the constabel of tops- felld wherin was William Hobs and Deliveranc, his wife with manie others and the Marshall did then require me forth with to gow and aprehend, the bodies of William hobes and his wife which accordingly I ded: and I haue had serous thoughts maniey tims sence whether my sezing of them might not be some case of hare thus a cusing my mother there by in some mesure to be revenged of me the woman did show a ueriey bad sperit when I sezed : on might all most se revenge in har face she looked so malishesly on mee: as fore my mother I neuer saw anie harm by har upon aniey sutch acout naither in word nor action as she is now a cused for she hath awlwais instructed me well in the criestion religon and the wais of God
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ener sence I was abell to take instructions: and so I leve it all to this honred Cort to consider of it."
Ephraim Willdes Essex Co. Court Records
"The Depotion of Elizabath Symons 6 aged about 50 yeares. Whoe testifieth and saith that about twelue or thirteene yeares sence theire abouts being in Company With my Mother An- drous, after a Lecter in Topsfeild my mother and I ware agoe- ing to giue Goodwife Redington a Visiat and as wee went wee ouer tooke Goodwife Wilds and my mother fell into discourse about a syee that my Brother [s] John and Joseph Androus had borede of Goodman Wilds for one day : and my mother tould Goodwife Wilds how John and Joseph Androus ware trobled about gitting home a Load of hay then Good Wife Wilds replied and said all that might bee and I know nothing of it, then my mother replied and said to her whie did ye threaten them and tould them had better a Let it aLone then she did threaten my mother and tould her that she would make her proue it and then my mother Coaled to mee and bid mee bare Witnes Elizabath what she saith, and then she did Looke bake apon mee and Emedatly I did fale into such a trembling condition that I was as if all my joynts did knoke togather so that I could hardly goe aLong, and the night fal- ing after I was a bed I did see somthing stand betweene ye Wale and I. I did see somthing stand theire and I did Looke apon it a considradabell time so Long that I was afraid to Ly one that sid of ye bed and asked my husban to Let mee Ly one ye other sid of ye bed and he did, and then I did feele it come apon my feete as if it had bin a Cat and Crope vp t[o] my breast and Lay apon mee and then I Could not moue nether h [and] nor Foot nether could I speeake a word I did striue to cale to m[y] husban but I could not speake and so I Lay all night, and in ye moring I Could speeake and then I tould my husban thay talke of ye old w [torn] but I thinke she has ride mee all this night and then I tould [torn] [hus]ban [h]ow it had bin with mee all ye night, we had a Lec [torn] once a month in Topsfeild and ye next lectter day after ye first a [bove] named, as I was sitting in my seate Goodwife Wilds Coming by ye end of ye seeat I sat in I was Emedatly taken with such a pay[n] in my bake that I was not abell to bare it and fell doune in ye seea [t] and did not know wheaire
6 She was the wife of Samuel Symonds of Topsfield. Ephraim Wilds in his testimony alludes to her. His marriage engagement with her daughter had been broken when she believed the gossip circulated by Mary Reddington.
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I was and some pepall tooke me vp and Caried mee out of ye meeting house but I did not know nothing of i [t] tell after- wards when I Came to my selfe I did wonder how I Come theire vp to Mr Hubbord house and when I did Come to my selfe an [d] a great many pepall Come about mee to aske mee what was ye matter with mee Goodwife Wilds come and stood at ye End of ye tabell and I Replied and said theire she is and my mother bid mee goe and ser [torn] her but I Could not sture, and so I haue Contined at times Euer senc som times with paynes in one plase and som times in another plase soe as I haue not bin abell to doe any thing in my fameliey at seue [rall] times I haue bin at ye Docters but thay Cannot giue mee any thing that doe mee any good this is in short of what I Can say being heire in ye heart of what I Can speake too. I am verey Willing to Come and ateste to all aboue wrighteen and if ye Lord giue mee streanke but at present I am not abell to come."-Essex Institute Mss. Coll.
"The Depotion of John Gould aged about 56 yeares or theire about. Testifieth and saith that some time sence whether it be fivfteen or sixteene yeares agoe I am not sarting but it take it to be theire abouts sister Mary Redington tould mee as she was Coming from Salam with her Brother Redington that Goodwife Wilds did striue two or three times to pul her doune of her horse one time she did striue to pul her doune in a brooke but she did set her selfe with all her strenke she could and did git out of ye brook and soone after she was got out of ye brooke she said that Goodwife Wilds did pul her doune bakwords of her horse and held her doune so as she Could not helpe her selfe tell her Brother Redington and sargt Edmon Townes did come and helper, and my sister did desier mee to Come and Wright what she Could say how Goodwife Wilds did afflicte her for she would Leafe it in Wrighting so as it might be seene when she was dead and I did goe doune to wright it once or twise but when I was redy to wright it sister was taken so as she could not declare any thing. also sister Mary tould mee that when Johanthan Wilds was ele [ill] at her house in a straing maner so as he could goe out at ye Chimey tops into ye barne hed git her henes and put them in to his brich [es] and kiled them, sister Mary did aske Goodwife Wilds to take some of ye dead henes and Let her haue som Liueing henes and she did but sister said thay went moping about tell thay died and so shall I said sister Redington and ye Last words I herd sister Red- ington say was that it was Goodwife Wilds that brought her
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into yt condition, she did stand to it tell her death."-Essex Institute Mss. Coll.
"Forder I doe testifieth that as I was afeching two or three Load of hay for Zacheus perkins, ye sd perkins tould mee that I must Lay ye hay fast or else his ant Wilds would not Let mee Cary it for she was angrey with him and as I went with one Load it did slipe doune in plaine way and I Lay it up againe and then I came almost at home with it it fell doune againe and I went and feched him another Load and when I came wheare ye first Load sliped ye seckond did slipe doune then I got some of our friends to helpe me Vp with it and wee bound it with two Cart ropes but it did slipe Vp and downe so as I did neuer see hay doe soe in my Life and when I Came wheare I Left ye first Load ye hay went all of ye Cart apon ye ground and did bring ye Cart ouer and it was rising ground I did thinke that it was don by Wichcraft."
Zacheus Perkins made Oath to the latter part of this Eui- dence relating to ye Hay .- Essex Institute Mss. Coll.
"The Deposition of Thomas Dorman aged 53 yers saith goody wils was arnest with me to by one hiue of beese and sins good wife wils had thes beese I lost many Creturs and she Came to my hous one day and said She how doth your geese thriue and she went to the pen whare thay were fatting, and thay were uery fat and we kept them a grat while longer feeding them with Corne and thay pind away so as thay were good for little and I lost six braue Cattle Six yere agoe which was frozen to death in the midell of Jenewary, now sum time this summer my wif went to Salem uilidg and my wife tould me that an putnam the aflicted parsun tould hur that goodwif wils had whoried away my Cattell and I won- dred an putnam should know I lost my Cattle so long a goe." -Essex Institute Mss. Coll.
"ye deposition of humpry Clark aged about 21 yere, saith yt about a yere agoo I was asleep and about midnight ye bed Shook & I awaked and saw a woman stand by ye bed side which when I well Looked seemed to me to be goodwif Wills which jumpid to ye tother corner of ye house & then I saw hir no more."-Essex Institute Mss. Coll.
"The deposition of John Andrew aged about 37 years and Joseph Andrew agged about 33 years: both of Boxford who testifieth and saith that in the year 1674: we ware a mowing together and one of us broak our sith and not haueing opper- tunity jest then to mend that nor by another wee went to the house of John willes senr, of Topsfield to borow a sith : but when we came there there was no man att whom : but the said
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willes wife who is now Charged with acts of wicthcraf; was with in: and we asked hir to lend us a sith but she said they had noe siths to lend: but one of hir neighbors being also there said to us there is John willes junrs. sith hanging in that tree which stood by the house you may take that and spaake with him as you goe to your work for he is at worke neare the way as you goe along: and accordingly we took down the sith out of the tree and tould the old woman that we would ask leaue of John willes junr. for his sith before we used it but she was very angry and said it was a braue world that euery one did what they would howeuer we went away with the sith: but we had not been gon very fare from the house but a little lad came affter us whose name was Efraime willes: and tould us that his mother said we had best bring the sith back againe: or elce it should be a dear sith to us: howeuer we went on our way with the sith and asked the Right owner of it leaue for it before we used it and went to our work and cutt down as much grass that day as made about three load of hay: and Returned the sith to the owner: and after wards made up our hay: and afterwards went to carting of our hay and went into the meadow and loaded up one load very well and caried it whom: and went againe into the meadow and loaded a second load and [bound] it and went to Driue it whom: but when we came to driue our oxen we could not make them stire the load tho we had six good oxen and the Two foremost oxen ware on the upland and the meadow very firem where we carted constantly : but we striued awhile to make our oxen goe but could not git them along : att last one of our wheales fell in up to the stock altho the meadow was feirme: then we threw allmost all the hay from ofe our cart and thought to trie to git out the cart with sum hay upon it but we could not then we said one to another it was in vain to s[t]riue for we thought goddy Willes was in the cart and then we threw of all the hay and then we tried to make our oxen draw out the emty cart which at first they could not doe: but att last the whele jumpt up at once we knew not how almost redy to thro down our oxen on their knees then againe we loaded up our load of hay very well and bound it: and away wee went with it very well tell we came near to a very dangeros hill to goe down with a load of hay : and then I the said Joseph Andrew was by the fore- most oxen and saw sumthing about as bigge as a dogge glance from a stump or roof of a tree along by me, and the oxen began to jump: but I could not stire from the place for I know not how long: and I the said John Andrew being by
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the hindmost oxen saw nothing but the oxen begining to jump I cast hold of one of the oxen bowes as was caried down vio- lently that dangerouse hill I know not how: where was a brooke at the bottom of it with a bridge7 and a Ford: and the oxen ran into the ford and ouer thrue the load of hay their: and when I came to To understand where I was and saw the oxen ware all well I began to bethinke myself of my Brother Joseph : and immediatly called him but he gaue me no answer, and I began to be trobled for him and went back- ward to wards the place where the oxen were affrighted and called seuerall times but he gave me no answer att last I called and said the load is ouerthron then immediatly he answered me and came unto me: but how the load should keep upon the wheles runing so violently down that dangerous hill: & being ouer throne where it was we can giue no account unles it was don by summ diabolicall art: then againe we gott up our cart and loaded up our hay very firme resouling to gitt hom our load if we could tho it was night and wh[en] we had loaded we went to bind our load : but by all the Skill [and] strenth we had we could now waves bind our load with our Cart rope but it would hang lose on our load : howeuer we went away whom with our load and it laid very well for all it was night and [our] load unbound: also before we got whom many of our friends and neighbors meet us being con- sarned for us because we ware so latte & they also saw our cart Rope hang lose and tould us of it, and wee tould them what mishap we had that day : and they also tried to fasten the Rope but could not: all which made us then think and euer sence have thought: and still doe thinke that Gooddy willes who now stands charged with High suspition of seuerall acts of wicthcraft had a hand in our Mishap at that time."- Essex Institute Mss. Coll.
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