History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Vol. I, Part 13

Author: L.H. Everts & Co
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Philadelphia : Louis H. Everts
Number of Pages: 700

USA > Massachusetts > History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Vol. I > Part 13

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Books on sorcery, magic, witchcraft, and kindred subjects, were brought to this country by the early settlers, and taken with them to their lonely, secluded homes, in the dreary soli- tudes of the New World. These books, doubtless, were most attentively studied, and their contents eolored and enlarged upon by imaginations expanded into marvelous powers by the unseen terrors of the limitless wilderness,-the boundless extent of woods and waters and mountain chains, stretching off in infinite expanse on every hand, peopled, they knew, with savage beasts and still more savage men, and, for aught they knew, with countless ghosts, hobgoblins, nymphs, and fairies.

So the early settlers around Boston about 1630, and the early settlers of the Quin-nec-ti-cutt Valley, who came with William Pynchon to Ag-a-wam, now Springfield, in the spring of 1036, and the early settlers of Indian Non-o-tuck, now Northampton, in 1654, and of Indian Nol-wo-togg, now Had- ley, in 1661, had hardly got within the rude walls of their log cabins before the trouble of witchcraft began to haunt their firesides, like dim spectres of evil.

Yet so much prominence has been given to the so-called Salem witcheraft, which occurred as late as the year 1692, that the numerous cases which happened both before and since, in all parts of the country, have been quite overlooked by the general, and almost entirely passed over by the local, histo- rians of New England. " It can hardly be supposed, " says Samuel G. Drake, in his " Annals of Witchcraft in New Eng- land" published as No. VIII. of " Woodward's Historical Series," at Boston, in 1869, " that they purposely omit those Details with a Belief that they will be forgotten, and the Re- proach they occasion with them. This would be a short- sighted Decision indeed. But the Affair at Salem has not been omitted. That has been a Peg on which to hang Re- proaches against New England, early and late; as though it were the Corner-stone of all the Troubles of the kind which ever happened in the land."

EDWARD SEYMOUR'S PROPHECY IN 1637.

Dr. Cotton Mather, in his book called "The Wonders of the Invisible World," printed in Boston, in 1692, thus begins his first discourse, entitled " Enchantments Encountered."

" It was as long ago as the year 1687, that a faithful min- ister of the Church of England, whose name was Mr. Edward Seymour, did, in a sermon afterwards printed, thus express himself: 'At New England now the sun of comfort begins to appear, and the glorious day-star to show itself; Sed Venient

* Mass. Col. Rec., Vol. III., p. 1.il.

HISTORY OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY.

Annis Sicula Sceis, there will come times in after-ages when the clouds will orershadow and darken the sky there. Many now promise to themselves nothing but successive happiness there, which, for a time, through God's merey, they may en- joy, and I pray God they may a long time; but in this world there is no happiness perpetual.' An observation, or I had almost said an inspiration," continues Mather, "very dis- mally now verify'd upon us."

WITCHCRAFT DEFINED.

Edward Phillips, a nephew uf John Milton, was one of the earliest English lexicographers. The third edition of his work, "The New World of Words," was printed in 1671. In that he defines witchcraft to be "A certain evil Art whereby with the Assistance of the Devil, or evil Spirits, some Wonders may be wrought which exceed the common Apprehension of Men. It cometh from the Dutch Word Wiechelen,-that is, to divine or guess; it is called in Latin Tenoficiam ; in Greek, Pharmaceia,-i.c., the Art of making Poisons."

Dr. Ogilvie, in his "Imperial Dictionary," published in Glasgow in 1856-59, thus defines it :

" WITCHCRAFT : the practice of witches ; sorcery ; enchant- ments ; intercourse with the devil; a supernatural power persons were formerly supposed to obtain possession of which by entering into compact with the devil. Indeed, it was fully believed that they gave themselves up to him body and soul, while he engaged that they should want for nothing and be able to assume whatever shape they pleased, to visit and tor- ment their enemies, and accomplish their infernal purposes. As soon as the bargain was concluded, the devil was said to deliver to the witch an imp or familiar spirit, to be ready at call, and to do whatever it was directed. By the aid of this imp and the devil together, the witch, who was almost always an old woman, was enabled to transport herself through the air on a broomstick or a spit, and to transform herself into various shapes, particularly those of cats and hares ; to inflict diseases on whomsoever she pleased, and to punish her enemies in a variety of ways. The belief in witchcraft is very ancient. It was universally believed in Europe till the sixteenth cen- tury, and even maintained its ground with tolerable firmness till the middle of the seventeenth century. Vast numbers of reputed witches were condemned to be burned every year, so that in England alone it is computed that no fewer than thirty thonsand of them suffered at the stake."

The bargain between the witch and the devil was said to have been this : "The witch as a slave binds herself by vow to believe in the devil, and to give him either body or soul, or both, under his handwriting or some part of his blood. The devil promiseth to be ready at his vassal's command, to appear in the likeness of any creature, to consult and to aid him for the procuring of pleasure, honor, wealth, or prefer- ment ; to go for him, to carry him any whither, and to do any command."*

LAWS AGAINST WITCHCRAFT.

In the year 1636 the colony of Plymouth included in their summary of offenses " lyable to Death" a statement in these words : "Solemn Compaction, or conversing with the Divell by way of Witchcraft, Conjuration, or the like."

In 1641 the colony of Massachusetts Bay adopted their " Body of Liberties," in which they incorporated these words, drawn from the Bible: " If any Man or Woman be a Witch, that is, bath or consulteth with a familiar Spirit, they shall be put to death."

In 1642 Connectient also included witchcraft in her penal code as a crime subject to the death penalty.

In 1647 the General Court of Rhode Island, in the Acts of

May of that year, included this : " Witchcraft is forbidden by this present Assembly to be used in this Colonie; and the penalty imposed by the Authoritie that we are subject to is Felonie of Death."

II.

TRIALS FOR WITCHCRAFT.

In the year 1648, on the 15th of June, the first execution for witchcraft in the colony of Massachusetts took place at Boston.t The victims was Margaret Jones, wife of Thomas Jones, of Charlestown. She was a nurse and physician,-an employment common enough in those days among the mothers of the early settlements,-and literally went about doing good. But she was suspected of witchcraft, and " was found to have such a malignant touch as many persons were taken with deafness or vomiting, or other violent pains or sickness." Her accusers also said that " her medicines, though harmless in themselves, yet had extraordinary violent effects." It was further said that to those who refused her medicines "she would tell that they would never be healed, and accordingly their diseases and hurts continued with relapse against the ordinary course, and beyond the apprehension of all physi- cians and surgeons." It was proved in court against her that, as she lay in prison, " a little child was seen to run from her into another room, and, being followed by an officer, it was vanished." Other testimony, equally ridiculous, need not be recited. The poor forsaken woman was deserted by all those to whom she had shown nothing but kindness, and she per- ished miserably on the gallows, a victim to the infatuation of the hour.

WITCHCRAFT IN SPRINGFIELD.

Among the earliest trials for witchcraft which took place in the colony were those of Ilugh Parsons and Mary, his wife, of Springfield. Ilugh Parsons was one of the first settlers of Springfield. Ile probably went there in Mr. Pynchon's company in the year 1686, or very soon after. He was a labor- ing man, and a sawyer and brick-maker by occupation. On the 27th of October, 1645, he married a young woman, named Mary Lewis. The first child of this marriage of which there is any record was born the 4th of October, 1649. It was named Samuel, and lived but one year. On the 26th of October, 1650, their son Joshua was born. It was soon after the birth of this child that the charge of witchcraft was made against the father. The mother's sickness, joined with the exciting inci- dents of the blight upon her family, rendered her hopelessly insane. It was alleged her unhappy condition was brought about by witchcraft. In her ravings she accused both her husband and herself of witchcraft. Her second child, bereft of a mother's care, died on the Ist of March, 1651. She first ac- cused her husband of being the cause of its death, brought about by his league with the devil, and at last accused herself of murdering it under the same satanic influence.

Early in the year 1651, Hugh Parsons was apprehended, and a long and tedious examination of his case was had before Mr. William Pynchon, sitting as magistrate in Springfield. At the close of the examination he was sent to Boston for trial. At Boston a bill of indictment was found against him, as follows, to wit :

" The grand jury for this commonwealth present Hugh Parsons, of Springfield, not having the fear of God before his eyes, in or about March last, and divers times before and since at Springfield aforesaid (as they conceived), had familiar and wicked converse with the Devil, and did use divers devilish practices and witchcraft, to the hurt of divers persons, as by several witnesses and circumstances doth appear, and do leave him to the court for his further trial for life."

His trial came on. Witnesses were produced in court, and

* See Drake's Hist. Witchcraft Delusion in N. E., Vol. I., p. 18.

+ Drake's Annals of Witchcraft in New England, p. 58.

HISTORY OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY.

the testimony taken before Mr. Pynchon, at Springfield, was read to the jury. The verdict of the trial-jury was in writing, as follows :

" The jury of Life and Death finds against Hugh Parsons, by the testimony of such as appeared in court, so much as gives him grounds not to clear him; but considered with the testi- monies of divers that are at Springfield, whose testimonys were only sent in writing, as also the confession of Mary Parsons, and the impeachment of some of the bewitched persons of the said Hugh Parsons, and the impeachment of the bewitched persons, or other of them, and the testimonies that are in writ- ing, but appeared not in person,-authentic testimonies, ac- cording to law,-then the jury finds the said Hugh Parsons guilty of the sin of witchcraft.

"EDWARD HUTCHINSON, Foreman. " With the consent of the rest of the jury."

In the mean time the poor demented wife had confessed herself a witch, and that she had killed the child herself, whose death it had been alleged was caused by the practice of witchcraft in the husband. Mary Parsons was imprisoned upon the double charge of witchcraft and murder. Her case was presented to the grand jury, and two indictments found. She was tried, and found guilty of murder only. Her case was reviewed by the General Court, and on the 7th of May, 1651, the following opinion was recorded :

" Mary Parsons, of Springfield, having two Bills of Indict- ment framed against her, the one for having familiarity with the Devil, as a witch, to which she pleaded not guilty, and not sufficient evidence appearing to prove the same, she was ac- quitted of witchcraft. The second indietment was for willfully and most wickedly murdering her own child, to which she pleaded guilty ; consent the faet, and according to her deserts condemned to die."

This proceeding against the miserable wife changed the as- pect of the husband's case. His case was reviewed by the General Court on the 27th of May, 1651, and the following conclusion is recorded :

" The magistrate, not consenting to the verdict of the jury in the Parsons case, the cause coming legally to the General Court for issue, the court, on perusal of the evidence brought in against him for witchcraft, do judge that he is not legally guilty of witchcraft, so not to die by our law."

So ended the first trial for witchcraft in Springfield. The wife was doubtless hanged, and Parsons never returned to the valley of the Connecticut to live.

Capt. Edward Johnson, in his "Wonder-Working Provi- dence," published in 1654, says of Springfield, " There hath of late been moer than one or two in this town greatly suspected of witchcraft, yet they have used much diligence both for the finding them out and for the Lord's assisting them against their witchery ; yet have they, as is supposed, bewitched not a few persons, among whom two of the Reverend Elder's chil- dren." The Reverend Elder referred to was Mr. George Moxon, the first minister settled at Springfield, who went to England with Mr. Pynchon the year after.

To show the reader the flimsy and nonsensical nature of the evidence in such cases a part of the testimony addueed in this case is given below, that relating to the death of the child being omitted. The whole testimony is printed at length in the Ap- pendix to Drake's " Annals of Witchcraft in New England."

HIUGH PARSONS' EXAMINATION.

" All these testimonies now taken upon oath Before me. " WILLIAM PYNCHON.

" HUGH PARSONS-You are attached upon supposition of H'itcheraft.

" Feb. 25, 1650, George Lankton saith on oath that his wife made a pudding in a bag, and because my wife had the child, I took it and put it out of the bag at dinner this day fortnight

(which was the 11th of Feb.), and as it slipt out of the bag it fell into two pieces lengthwise, and in appearance it was cut straight along as smooth as if it had been cut with a knife. It was cut straight along almost the whole length ; it lacked but very little. Hannah, the wife of George Lankton, doth upon oath concur with her husband in the said testimony.

"Feb. 23, 1650-51, George Lankton and Hannah, his wife, jointly testify upon oath that they had another pudding in the former bag that was cut lengthwise, and as it was slipt out of the bag it fell into three parts, one piece being cut all along on the one side, and two pieces all along on the other side. Then they sent for some neighbors to see it.

" Roger Pritchard testified upon oath that he saw the said pudding, and it seemed to him to be cut all the three pieces as evident and as plain to him as that which George Lankton cut with his knife.

" These testimonies were all taken upon oath before me. " WILLIAM PYNCHON.

" George Lankton and Hannah, his wife, do jointly testify upon oath that on Friday last, being the 21 February, they had a pudding in the same bag, and that as soon as it was slipped out of the bag it was cut lengthwise like the former pudding and like another on the 23 Feb., as smooth as any knife could eut it, namely, one slice all along, wanting but very little from end to end.

" Also Hannah, the wife of George Lancton, saith upon oath that a neighbor came in and she showed it to him, and that neighbor took a piece of it and threw it into the fire ; and she saith that about an hour after, perhaps a little moer, she heard one mutter at the door ; then she asked Goody Sewell, who was then at her house (and near the door), who it was; she said it was Hugh Parsons, and that he asked whether Goodman Lank- ton were at home or no. I said no, and so he went away, but left not his errand.

" Deposed in court by Hannah.

" Hugh Parsons being asked what his answer was, he spake to other things and not to the question. Being asked the 2d time what his errand was, he spake again of other matters and not the question. Being asked the 3d time what his errand was, and charged to make a direct answer, then he said it was to get some hay of him. Being asked again whether he had propounded his errand since to Goodman Lankton, he said he never saw him since.

" Then one or two that weer present testified that they saw him meet Goodman Lankton next day below.

"Symon Bemon and Rice Bodorthe say upon oath, that the next day but one they saw Hugh Parsons meet Goodman Lankton accompanied with Thomas Sewell in the street, and they saw him speak to Goodman Lankton.

" George Lankton saith on oath that he never to this day asked him for any.

" When Hugh Parsons saw himself taken tardy in this put of, then he said that he did not ask him because John Lum- bard had told him that Goodman Lankton had sold more hay to Goodman Herman than he could spare. But after inquiry, John Lumbard saith upon oath, March 17, 1650-51, that the Wednesday before that llugh Parsons came to Goodman Lankton's House for hay ; that he had spoken to buy some hay of Goodman Lankton, namely, as he passed by, wheer he and Hugh Parsons were at work together, and had a denial. And then he told Hugh Parsons that Goodman Lankton could spare him no hay, for he had already sold more to Goodman Herman than he could spare, and said he should now want himself.

"John Lumbard also saith on oath, that the Friday after when the said Pudding was so strangely cut he told Hugh Parsons that Lankton had no hay to sell.

" Hugh Parsons not being able to reply any further, it is evident that his coming to the door of Goodman Lankton

HISTORY OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY.

presently after the burning of the pudding, which was the next day after John Lumbard had told him that he had no hay to spare, that his errand to get hay was no true cause of his coming thither, but rather that the Spirit that bewitched the pudding brought him thither.

" Mary Parsons being present at the 2d examination saith, one reason why I have suspected my husband to be a witch is because all that he sells to any body doth not prosper. I am sorry, said she, for that poor man Tho. Millar, for two days after my husband and he had bargained for a piece of ground Thomas Millar had that mischance of that cut in his leg.

" Thomas Millar being present saith upon oath, that he being in company with several other workman about timber trees in the woods, as we weer at dinner and merry together Ilugh Parsons sat on a bough somewhat higher than the rest. Then one of the company started this question : I wonder why he sits there? Thomas Miller saith he answered, To see what we have, and then I began to speak of the cutting of the pud- ding in town.

" Thomas Cooper being present with the said workmen saith, that he was much troubled in his mind because Thomas Mil- lar spake so plainly to Hugh Parsons least some evil event should follow.

" And both Tho. Cooper and Thomas Millar say upon oath, that Hugh Parsons was as merry and as pleasant before this speech about the pudding as any in the company, but after this he was wholy silent and spake not a word in reply about the pudding, but sat dumb. And Thomas Millar saith, that about half-a-quarter of an hour after, at his first setting to work, his leg was cut.

" April 3, 1651, Thomas Burnham saith upon oath, that he said to Hugh Parsons, a little before his apprehension, ' heer is strange doings in town, about cutting of puddings and whetting of saws in the night time.' Hugh Parsons heard these things mnuch agitated among divers then present, and was wholly silent, but at last he said, 'I never heard these things before this night.' Thomas Burnham saith he said to him that is strange that you should not hear of these things, and I, being but a stranger in town, do hear of it in all places, wherever I come. At this Hugh Parsons held down his head and was wholly silent, but he took occasion to speak of other by matters, as pleasantly as anybody else, but to the matter of the pudding he would say nothing ; and yet, saith Thomas Burnham, I spake to him of it several times, and of the whet- ting of saws, on purpose to see what Hugh Parsons would say to it, but still he continued silent, and would not speak any- thing about these things. Then Goodman Mann being present, said, I would that those who whet saws in the night time and on Lord's days were found out. Then saith Thomas Burn- ham, I said you sawyers you had need to look to it. Hugh Parsons being a sawyer, never returned any answer, but still continued silent. This matter about the pudding and whet- ting of saws was often tossed up and down between several persons, and many said they never heard the like. And Hugh Parsons was often spoken to in particular and asked if he ever heard the like, but still he continued wholy silent.

"Joane, the wife of William Warrence, and Abigall, the wife of Goodman Mann, being present when the said speeches were used, do acknowledge that they remember all things that have been related by Thomas Burnham, and that Hugh Par- sons was wholly silent, and do testify the same upon oath, the day and year above said.

"SECOND COUNT.

" Blanche Bodorthe saith on oath, Feb. 27, and March Ist, and March 18th, 1649, that about two years since, Hugh Par- sons being at our house, we had some speeches about a bargain with my husband about some bricks, and then Blanch Bo- dorthe saith that she spake something about the said bricks that did much displease Hugh Parsons; thereupon he said

unto me, Gammer, you needed not have said anything. I spake not to you, but I shall remember you when you little think on it. . . . Blanch Bodorthe doth testify upon oath, that soon after this threatening speech, as she was going to bed, and had put off her waistcoat made of red shag cotten, and as she was going to hang it up on a pin, she held it up between her hands, and then she saw a light, as it had been the light of a candle, crossing the back of her waistcoat on the inside, three times, one after another, at which she was amazed; and therefore she saith that after she had laid it down she took it up again, to try if the firelight might not be the cause of it, but she saith that the firelight being all one, as it was before, she could not perceive any such light by it, and besides, she saith it could not be the firelight, because there was a double Indian mat compassing the bed and the place where she was, so that it could not be the firelight, for this double mat was betwixt her and the fire; and she saith, moreover, that because this light was so strange to her, she took her waistcoat several other nights to try if the firelight would not give such a light as she saw first, and held it up the same way that she did at first, but she saith she could not perceive any such light afterward.

" 2dly. About a month after this she saith that when she was in child-bed, and as well as most women used to be and better than she used to be, yet at the week's end, being desirous to sleep, she lay still that she might sleep, and she did sleep. And yet about an hour or more after she awaked and felt a soreness about her heart, and this soreness increased more and more in three places, namely, under her left breast and on her left shoulder and in her neck: and in these three places the pain was so tedious that it was like the pricking of knives, so that I durst not lie down but was fain to be shored up with a bag of cotton-wool and with other things, and this extremity continued from Friday in the forenoon till Monday about noon, and then the extremity of the pain began to abate, and by Tuesday it was pretty well gone; and suddenly after my thoughts were that this evil might come upon me from the said threatening speech of Hugh Parsons.

" 3dly. Blanch Bodorthe saith, upon oath, that my child, being about two years old, as he was standing near to his father, did hastily run to him, and strived to get up upon his knees, and cryed, 'I am afraid of the dog!' and yet theer was no dog theer. His father asked him wbeer the dog was : he said it was gone under the bed. His father asked him whose dog it was. He said it was Lumbard's dog : his father said that Lumbard had no dog; then he said again it was Parsons' dog: but the child's meaning was at first that it was Parsons' dog. I know it by this, because when Parsons did after use to come to our house, he did often call him Lum- bard. And ever and anon he is much affrighted with this dog, and doth often speak of it, and yet Parsons hath no dog, neither was there any dog in the house; but the earnestness of the child, both then and since, doth make me conceive it might be some evil thing from Hugh Parsons.

" Hugh Parsons having heard all these testimonies, alleged stood still at his 2d examination, as at the first, and niade no answer.

" MR. MOXON'S CHILDREN.

" Your wife saith that she suspects you may be the eause of all the evil that is befallen to Mr. Moxon's children, because, when she hath spoken to you about the bargain of bricks that you undertook to make for Mr. Moxon's chimnies, and that she thought Mr. Moxon would expect the performance of the said bargain, thereupon you said if Mr. Moxon do force me to make bricks according to bargain I will be even with him, or he shall get nothing by it; for she saith that these two speeches are very usual with you when you are displeased with anybody.

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History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Vol. I, Part 13

Author: L.H. Everts & Co Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Philadelphia : Louis H. Everts Number of Pages: 700

Author: L.H. Everts & Co
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Philadelphia : Louis H. Everts
Number of Pages: 700