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
"Susan Lockwood, wife of Robert Lockwood, being sworne & examined saith
as foll, that she was at the execution of goodwife Knapp that was hanged
for a witch, and after the said Knapp was cut downe and brought to the
graue, goodwife Staplyes, wth other women, looked after the teates that
the women spake of appointed by the magistrats, and the said goodwife
Staplies was handling of her where the teates were, and the said
Staplies stood vp and called three or foure times and bid me come looke
of them, & asked her whether she would say they were teates, and she
made this answer, no matter whether there were teates or no, she had
teates and confessed she was a witch, that was sufficient; if these be
teates, here are no more teates then I myselfe haue, or any other women,
or you either if you would search yor body; this depont saith she said,
I know not what you haue, but for herselfe, if any finde any such things
aboute me, I deserved to be hanged as she was, and yet afterward she,
the said Staplyes, stooped downe againe and handled her, ye said Knapp,
verey much, about ye place where the teates were, and seuerall of ye
women cryed her downe, and said they were teates, and then she, the said
Staplyes, yeilded, & said verey like they might be teates.
"Thomas Sheruington & Christopher Combstocke & goodwife Baldwine were
all together at the prison house where goodwife Knapp was, and ye said
goodwife Baldwin asked her whether she, the said Knapp, knew of any
other, and she said there were some, or one, that had receiued Indian
gods that were very bright; the said Baldwin asked her how she could
tell, if she were not a witch herselfe, and she said the party told her
so, and her husband was witnes to it; and to this they were all sworne &
doe depose.
"Rebecka Hull, wife of Cornelius Hull, being sworne & examined, deposeth
& saith as followeth, that when goodwife Knapp was goeing to execution,
Mr. Ludlow, and her father Mr. Jones, pressing the said Knapp to confess
that she was a witch, vpon wch goodwife Staplies said, why should she,
the said Knapp, confess that wch she was not, and after she, the said
goodwife Staplyes, had said so, on that stood by, why should she say so,
she the said Staplyes replyed, she made no doubt if she the said Knapp
were one, she would confess it.
"Deborah Lockwood, of the age of 17 or thereaboute, sworne & examined,
saith as followeth, that she being present when goodwife Knapp was
goeing to execution, betweene Tryes & the mill, she heard goodwife
Staplyes say to goodwife Gould, she was pswaded goodwife Knapp was no
witch; goodwife Gould said, sister Staplyes, she is a witch, & hath
confessed had had familiarity wth the Deuill. Staplies replyed, I was
wth her yesterday, or last night, and she said no such thing as she
heard.
"Aprill 26th, 1654.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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