Testimony Against Bridget Bishop, 1692

Samuel Gray v. Bridget Bishop.

From Records of Salem Witchcraft, copied from the Original Documents, vol. I. Roxbury, Mass.: Privately Printed for W. Elliot Woodward, 1864. 152-157.

Samual Gray of Salem aged about 42 yeares Testifieth and sayth that aboute fourteen years agoe he goeing to bed one Lord's Day at night, and after he had beene asleep some time, he awakened and looking up, saw the house light as if a candle or candles were lighted in it and the dore locked and that little fire there was Raked up he did then see a woman standing betweene the cradle in the Roome and bed-side and seemed to look upon him so he did Rise up in his bed and it vanished or disappeared then he went to y^e dore and found it locked and unlocking and opening ye dore he went to ye entry dore and loacked out and then againe did see the same woman he had a little before seene in y^e Roome and in the same Garbe she was in before then he said to her in the name of God, what doe you Come for. Then she vanished away soe he locked y^e dore againe and went to bed and between sleepeing and waking he felt something Come to his mouth of lips cold and thereupon started and looked up and againe did see the same woman with something between both her hands holding before his mouth upon which she moved and the Child in the cradle gave a great screech out, as if it was greatly hurt and she disappeared. and takeing y^e child up could not quiett it in some howers from which tyme, the child y^e before was a very likely Thriveing child did pine away and was never well althow it Lived some months after, yet in a sad condition and soe dyed : some tyme after within a weeke or less he did see y^e same woman in y^e same Garbe and cloathes that appeared to him as aforesaid, and althow he knew not her nor her name before. Yett both by her Countenance and Garb doth testifie y^t it was the same woman y^t thay now call Bridget Bishop alias Oliver of Salem

Samuell Gray.

Sworn Salem May 30th 1692.

Before mee

John Hathorne Assist.

  John Hale v. Bridget Bishop, 1692

John Hale of Beverly aged about 56 years testifieth and saith that about 5 or 6 years agoe Christian y^e wife of John Trask (living in Salem bounds bordering on y^e abovesaid Beverly) being in full communion of o^r church came to me to defier y^r Goodwife Bishop her neighb^rr wife of Edw: Bishop ju might not be permitted to receive y^e Lord's Supper in our church till she had given her y^r said Trash satisfactioin for some offences y^t were against her: viz: because y^e said Bishop did entertaine certain people in her house at unseasonable hours in y^e night to keep drinking and playing at shovel board whereby discord did arise in other families and young people were in danger to be corrupted and y^t the sd Trask knew those things and has once gone into the fyre and had reproved y^e said Bishop for promoting such disorders But received no satisfaction from her about it. . . . I doe fear y^t if a stop had not been putt to those disorders Edward Bishop's house would have been a house of great prophainness and iniquity.

But as to Christian Trask y^e next news I heard of her was y^t she was distracted and asking her husband Trask when she was so taken, he told mee shee was taken distracted y^t night after shee came from my house when shee complained against Goody Bishop.

She continueing some time distracted wee Sought y^e Lord by fasting and prayer and ye Lord was pleased to restore y^e sd Trask to y^e use of her reason agen I was w^th her often in her distraction (and took it then to be only distraction y^t fearing sometimes some y^t worse) but since I have seen y^e fitts of those bewiched at Salem village I call to mind some of hers to be much like some of theirs.

The said Trask when recovered (as I understood it did manifest strong suspition y^t shee had been bewitched by y^e sd Bishop's wife and showed so much aversness from having any converse . . . her that I was then troubled . . . as hopeing better of Goody Bishop at that time. . . . At length said Christian Trask . . . was . . . agen in a distracted fit on a Sabbath day in y^e forenoon at ye publick meeting to a publick disturbance and so continued some times better sometimes worse unto her death manifesting y^t shee was under temptation to kill herselfe or somebody else. . . .

As to the wounds she dyed of I observed 3 deadly ones; a peice of her wind pipe cut out. And another wound above yt threw ye wind pipe and Gulle to y^e veine thay call jugular,, So that I then jugud and still doe apprehend it impossible for her w^th so short a pair of cissars to mangle herselfe so without some extraordinary work of the devill or witchcraft.

Signed 20. May 1692. By John Hale