(Sarah Bibber v.

John Proctor )
The Deposition of Sarah Vibber agged about 36 years who testifieth and saith that on the 3 june 1692.
Jno: protor. sen!r a"e to "e and did "ost gre#ious$y tor"ent "e by pinhing pri%ing and a$"ost
presing "e to death urging "e to drin%: drin% as &ed as b$ood whih ' refusing he did tortor "e with
#ariety of tortors and i""ediat$y he #anished away a$so on the sa"e day ' saw Jno: protor "ost
gre#ious$y tortor Susannah She$den by $aping his hands on hir throat and a$"ost hoa%ing hir. a$so
se#era$$ ti"es sene Jno: protor sen!r has "ost gre#ious$y tortored "e a grat "any ti"es with a #ariety
of tortors
Sarah #iber ownid this har testi"ony to be the truth on her oath before the Juriars of 'n(west this: 3).
of June 1692
Jurat in *uria
+&e#erse,Sarah Vibber
+ -sse. *ounty /rhi#es0 Sa$e" 11 2ithraft Vo$. 1 3age 14 ,
(Petition of John Proctor )
S/5-613&'S780 Ju$y 230 1692. 6r. 6ather0 6r. /$$en 0 6r. 6oody 0 6r. 2i$$ard 0 and 6r. 9ai$ey .
&e#erend :ent$e"en .
The innoeny of our *ase with the -n"ity of our /users and our Judges0 and Jury0 who" nothing
but our 'nnoent 9$ood wi$$ ser#e their turn0 ha#ing *onde"ned us a$ready before our Trya$s0 being so
"uh inensed and engaged against us by the De#i$0 "a%es us bo$d to 9eg and '"p$ore your
;a#ourab$e /ssistane of this our <u"b$e 3etition to his -.e$$eny0 That if it be possib$e our 'nnoent
9$ood "ay be spared0 whih undoubted$y otherwise wi$$ be shed0 if the 5ord doth not "erifu$$y step
in. The 6agistrates0 6inisters0 Jewries0 and a$$ the 3eop$e in genera$0 being so "uh inraged and
inensed against us by the De$usion of the De#i$0 whih we an ter" no other0 by reason we %now in
our own *onsienes0 we are a$$ 'nnoent 3ersons. <ere are fi#e 3ersons who ha#e $ate$y onfessed
the"se$#es to be 2ithes0 and do ause so"e of us0 of being a$ong with the" at a Sara"ent0 sine we
were o""itted into $ose 3rison0 whih we %now to be 5ies. Two of the 4 are +*arriers Sons,
=oung"en0 who wou$d not onfess any thing ti$$ they tyed the" 8e% and <ee$s ti$$ the 9$ood was
ready to o"e out of their 8oses0 and !tis redib$y be$ie#ed and reported this was the oasion of
"a%ing the" onfess that they ne#er did0 by reason they said one had been a 2ith a 6onth0 and
another fi#e 2ee%s0 and that their 6other had "ade the" so0 who has been onfined here this nine
2ee%s. 6y son 2i$$ia" 3roter 0 when he was e.a"in!d0 beause he wou$d not onfess that he was
:ui$ty0 when he was 'nnoent0 they tyed hi" 8e% and <ee$s ti$$ the 9$ood gushed out at his 8ose0 and
wou$d ha#e %ept hi" so 2> <ours0 if one "ore 6erifu$ than the rest0 had not ta%en pity on hi"0 and
aused hi" to be unbound. These ations are #ery $i%e the 3opish *rue$ties. They ha#e a$ready undone
us in our -states0 and that wi$$ not ser#e their turns0 without our 'nnoent 9$oods. 'f it annot be
granted that we an ha#e our Tria$s at 9oston0 we hu"b$y beg that you wou$d endea#our to ha#e these
6agistrates hanged0 and others in their roo"s0 begging a$so and beseehing you wou$d be p$eased to
be here0 if not a$$0 so"e of you at our Tria$s0 hoping thereby you "ay be the "eans of sa#ing the
sheeding our 'nnoent 9$oods0 desiring your 3rayers to the 5ord in our beha$f0 we rest your 3oor
/ff$ited Ser#ants0
J7<8 3&7*T-& 0 et.
+ &obert *a$ef 0 6ore 2onders of The 'n#isib$e 2or$d ? 5ondon0 1@)) A0 e.erpted in 9urr0 ed. 0
8arrati#es of the 2ithraft *ases0 pp. 362136> .,
http:BBsa$e".$ib.#irginia.eduBte.tsBteiB9oySa$*o"binedCdi#DidEn1)@
( Joseph Hutchinson v. Abigail Williams )
The deposition of Joseph <uthinson aged 49: year doe testifie as fourth
/bigai$$ 2i$$ia"s ' ha#e heard you spa%e often of a boo%e that ha#e bin offred to you. She Said that
thare was two 9oo%s one was a short thi%e boo% F the other was a 5ong boo%e: ' as%ed her w!h *o$er
the boo%e war of: she said the boo%es ware as rede as b$ode ' as%ed her if she had sene the boo%e
opned: shee said that shee had sen it opned "any ti"es: ' as%ed her if shee did see any ritinge in the
G?in theA boo%e: She said thar was "any $ines riten F at the end of -#ary $ine thar was a sea$$: ' as%ed
her whoe brought the boo%e to her: Shee tow$d "e that it was the b$a%e "an ' as%ed her whoe the
b$a%e "an was: Shee tow$e "ee it was the de#e$$: ' as%ed her if shee was not afraid to see the de#e$$
Shee said at the first shee was and did goe fro" hi" but now shee was not a fraid but *ou$d ta$%e with
hi" as we$$ as shee *ou$d with "ee
+ 6assahusetts <istoria$ Soiety ,
http:BBsa$e".$ib.#irginia.eduBte.tsBteiB9oySa$*o"binedCdi#DidEn13H
A Bill against Conjuration Witchcraft an! "ealing #ith $vil an! Wic%e! Spirits "ecember &'()
;or "ore partiu$ar diretion in the -.eution of the 5aw against 2ithraft.
G?;or -.p$anation of the 5aw against 2ithraft and "ore partiu$ar diretion therein the -.eution
thereof and for the better restraining the said 7ffenes0 and "ore se#ere punishing the sa"e0A 9e it
enated by the :o#ern!r *ouni$ and &epresentati#es in :enera$ *ourt /sse"b$ed and by the /uthority
of the sa"e0 That if any person or persons G?afterA sha$$ use0 pratie or -.erise any 'n#oation or
*onjuration of any e#i$ and wi%ed Spirit0 7r sha$$ onsu$t0 o#enant with -ntertain0 -"p$oy0 feed or
reward any e#i$ and wi%ed Spirit to or for any intent or purposeI 7r ta%e up any dead "an wo"an or
*hi$d0 out of his0 her0 or their gra#e0 or any other p$ae where the dead body resteth0 or the S%in0 bone
or any other part of any dead person to be -"p$oyed or used in any "anner of 2ithraft0 Sorery0
*har" or 'nhant"ent0 7r sha$$ use0 pratie or -.erise any 2ithraft0 'nhant"ent har" or
Sorery0 whereby any person sha$$ be %i$$ed0 destroyed0 wasted0 onsu"ed0 pined or $a"ed in his or her
body0 or any part thereof0 That then e#ery suh 7ffender or 7ffen1ders0 their /iders0 /betters0 and
*ounse$$ors being of any the said 7ffenes du$y and $awfu$$y on#ited and attainted0 sha$$ suffer pains
of death as a ;e$on or ;e$ons. /nd further to the intent that a$$ "anner of pratie0 use or e.erise of
withraft 'nhant"ent0 har" or Sorery0 shou$d be heneforth utter$y a#oided0 abo$ished and ta%en
away0 9e it -nated by the /uthority afores!d That if any person or persons sha$$ ta%e upon hi" or the"
by 2ithraft0 'noffending0 and being thereof $awfu$$y on#ited0 sha$$ for the said offene suffer
'"prison"ent by the spae of one who$e year without bai$ or "ainprise and one in e#ery Juarter of
the s!d year sha$$ in so"e Shire Town stand open$y upon the pi$$ory by the spae of Si. houres0 and
there sha$$ open$y onfess his or her -rror and offene0 whih said offene sha$$ be written in *apita$$
5etters F p$aed upon the breast of said offender /nd if any person or persons being one on#ited of
the sa"e 7ffene0 and sha$$ again o""it the $i%e 7ffene and being of any of the said 7ffenes the
seond ti"e $awfu$$y F due$y on#ited and attainted as is aforesaid sha$$ Suffer pains of death as a
fe$on or fe$ons.
K!br.1>.92 : This 9i$$ read order$y in This house of &epresentati#es and #oted passed in the /ffir"ati#e
F Sent to his -.e$$eny the :o#ernor F *ouni$$ for *onsent
L2i$$ia" 9ond spea%er
&ead se#era$ ti"es in *ouni$0 Voted0 7rdered to be -ngrossed and pass in to an /t0 die predit
/nd is onsented unto 3 L2i$$ia" 3hips
+ 6ass. /rhi#es Vo$. 134 8o. 6H F 69 ,
http:BBsa$e".$ib.#irginia.eduBte.tsBteiB9oySa$*o"binedCdi#DidEn1>1
*etters of +ov. William Phips (&'(),&'(-)
(*etter .o. &)
?MA ' was a$"ost the who$e ti"e of the proeeding abroad in the ser#ie of Their 6ajesties in the
-astern part of the *ounty and depended upon the Judg"ent of the *ourt as to a right "ethod of
proeeding in ases of 2ithraft but when ' a"e ho"e ' found "any persons in a strange fer"ent of
dissatisfation whih was inreased by so"e hott Spiritts that b$ew up the f$a"e0 but on en(uiring into
the "atter ' found that the De#i$$ had ta%en upon hi" the na"e and shape of se#era$$ persons who were
doubt$ess inoent and to "y ertain %now$edge of good reputation for whih ause ' ha#e now
forbidden the o""itting of any "ore that sha$$ be aused without una#oydab$e neessity0 and those
that ha#e been o""itted ' wou$d she$ter fro" any 3roeedings against the" wherein there "ay be the
$east suspition of any wrong to be done unto the 'nnoent. ?MA
2i$$ia" 3hips. Dated at 9oston the 12!th of otober 1692.
+:eorge 5ino$n 9urr0 ed.0 8arrati#es of the 2ithraft *ases0 16>H11@)6 ?8ew =or%0 *har$es
Sribner!s Sons0 191>A0 196119H. The $etter was addressed to 2i$$ia" 9$athwayt0 $er% of the 3ri#y
*ouni$0 and it is he who added the "e"orandu".,
http:BBsa$e".$ib.#irginia.eduBte.tsBteiB9oySa$*o"binedCdi#DidEn1>1
9ib$iografNa
</5-0 John. A modest inquiry into the nature of witchcraft0 1@)2. ?VersiOn en $Nnea:
http:BB.tf.$ib.#irginia.eduB.tfB#iewC
do'dE"odernDeng$ishBu#a:enTe.tBteiB9ur8arr.."$Ihun%.idEd1)@Ito.depthE1Ito.idEd1)@IbrandEd
efau$t0 aesado: 31B)HB13 2):3HA
-5'7T 67&'S780 Sa"ue$0 PThe 3uritan TraditionQ en -dward 8or"an Sa#eth +ed.,. Understanding
the american past: American history and its interpretation. 2nd ed.0 9oston0 5itt$e 9rown and
*o"pany0 1964. 626 p.
:7SS0 R. Da#id. The Salem Witch Trials. A Reference Guide. *onnetiut0 :reenwood 3ress0 2))H.
1H9 p.
R/&5S-80 *aro$ ;.0 PSa$e" &e#isitedQ0 The William and Mary uarterly0 Third Series0 Vo$. 640 8o. 3
+Ju$.0 2))H,0 pp. >H91>9>. 3ub$ished by: 7"ohundro 'nstitute of -ar$y /"erian <istory and *u$ture
?VersiOn en $Nnea: http:BBwww.jstor.orgBstab$eB24)96H1)0 aesado: 31B)HB2)13 19:43A
6'55-&0 /rthur. !as "ru#as de Salem $Teatro% y &l 'risol $Gui(n%. Trad. de JosS 5uis 5OpeT 6uUoT.
9are$ona0 Tus(uets -ditores0 2))4. +;Vbu$a, 263 p.
373R'80 <enry0 P/rthur 6i$$er!s WThe *ruib$eW Q0 'ollege &nglish0 Vo$. 260 8o. 2 +8o#.0 196>,0 pp.
13911>6. 3ub$ished by: 8ationa$ *ouni$ of Teahers of -ng$ish ?VersiOn en $Nnea:
http:BBwww.jstor.orgBstab$eB3@36640 aesado: 31B)HB2)13 2):22A