The Witchcraft Delusion in Colonial Connecticut (1647-1697)Taylor, John M. (John Metcalf)
History
The Witchcraft Delusion in Colonial Connecticut (1647-1697)
Taylor, John M. (John Metcalf)
Connecticut -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775; Witchcraft -- Connecticut -- History
"Thomas Halliberch ye jayle keeper aged 41 testifieth and saith yt this
morning ye date aboue Samull Smith junr. came to his house and sad
somthing to his wife somthing concerning Mercy and his wifes answer was
Oh poor creature upon yt Mercy mad answer & sd poor creature indeed & sd
shee had been tormented all night. Sd Halliberch answered her yt it was
ye devill her answer was she did beleue it was and allso yt she sed to
it in ye name of ye Father Son and Holy Gost also sd Halliberch saith
yt sd Mercy sd that her soul was damd for yesterdays worke. Mercy owned
before this court yt she did say to sd Halliberch that it was reuealled
to her yt shee wisht she had not damd her soule for yesterdays work and
also sad before this cort she belieued that there was a deuination in
all her trouble."
"Owned by the prisoner in court Sept. 15, 1692. attest John Allyn, Secy"
THOMAS BENIT, ELIZABETH BENIT--"_A birds taile"--A family
difference--"Ye Scripture words"--The lost "calues and lams_"
"Thos. Benit aged aboute 50 yrs testifieth yt Mercy Disbrow tould him yt
shee would make him as bare as a birds taile, which he saith was about
two or three yrs sine wch was before he lost any of his creatures."
"Elizabeth Benit aged about 20 yrs testifieth yt Mercy Disbrow did say
that it should be prest heeped and running ouer to her sd Elizabth; wch
was somtime last winter after som difference yt was aboute a sow of
Benje. Rumseyes."
"Mercy Disbrow owns yt she did say those words to sd Elizabeth & yt she
did tell her yt it was ye scripture words & named ye place of scripture
which was about a day after."
"The abousd Thos. Benit saith yt after ye sd Mercy had expressed herself
as above, he lost a couple of two yr old calues in a creek running by
Halls Islande, which catle he followed by ye track & founde them one
against a coue of ice & ye other about high water marke, & yt they went
into ye creek som distance from ye road where ye other catle went not, &
also yt he lost 30 lams wthin about a fortnights time after ye sd two
catle died som of sd lams about a week old & som a fortnight & in good
liueing case & allso saith yt som time after ye sd lams died he lost two
calues yt he fectht up ouer night & seemed to be well & wear dead before
ye next morning one of them about a fortnight old ye one a sucker & ye
other not."
HENRY GREY--_The roaring calfe--The mired cow--The heifer and cart
whip--Hard words--"Creeses in ye cetle"_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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