The First Put to Rest
Bridget Bishop was a self asserted women who lived in the little Village of Salem back in the time of the Salem Witch Trials who was born between 1632 and 1637. Miss Bishop was married a total of three time in her life. Her first two husbands pasted away but the three and final marriage gave her last name. She married a sawyer by the name of Edward Bishop and she had no children with or any of her other husbands Thomas Oliver, Bridget's second husband claimed that she performed witch craft. "She was a bad wife. . . the devil had come bodily to her . . . and she sat up all night with the devil." Thomas Oliver said. This accusation was made in 1680 but later Bridget Bishop would be a arrested twelve years later in 1692.
John Hathorne and Jonathan Corwin presided over Bridget's examination on April 19, 1692. Bridget Bishop had many assucers in and out of the court room. Some of the names of the accuser were Elizabeth Hubbard, Ann Putnam, Abigail Williams, Mercy Lewis, and Mary Walcott. As the women entered the room the group of afflicted girl howled out in a fit.Judge Hathorne asked which witchcraft she was conversant in, to which Bridget said, "I take all this people to witness that I am clear." Judge Hawthorne asked the young ladies if they had been afflicted by Bishop with having hurt them in many ways and tempting them to write the names the book of the Satan. Ann Putnam,one of the girls, even went so far as to say that Bishop called the devil her God and worshiped him.
Bridget protested and said she was as "innocent as an unborn child." "Never saw these persons before, nor [ever] was in this place before." Bridget said trying to prove innocence.
Bishop was hung on June 10th in 1637.
John Hathorne and Jonathan Corwin presided over Bridget's examination on April 19, 1692. Bridget Bishop had many assucers in and out of the court room. Some of the names of the accuser were Elizabeth Hubbard, Ann Putnam, Abigail Williams, Mercy Lewis, and Mary Walcott. As the women entered the room the group of afflicted girl howled out in a fit.Judge Hathorne asked which witchcraft she was conversant in, to which Bridget said, "I take all this people to witness that I am clear." Judge Hawthorne asked the young ladies if they had been afflicted by Bishop with having hurt them in many ways and tempting them to write the names the book of the Satan. Ann Putnam,one of the girls, even went so far as to say that Bishop called the devil her God and worshiped him.
Bridget protested and said she was as "innocent as an unborn child." "Never saw these persons before, nor [ever] was in this place before." Bridget said trying to prove innocence.
Bishop was hung on June 10th in 1637.