Salem Witch Trials This Case

Salem Witch Trials

This case involves a woman named Mary Parker who was accused of performing witchcraft upon several citizens within her community. The formal accusers, the ones who came forward and testified in court to the accusations against her, were Sarah Phelps, Hannah Bigsby, Martha Sprague, John Westgate, William Barker, Mercy Wardell, John Bullock, and Samuel Shattuck. There were several others who either witnessed or accused Mary Parker but did not testify in court. Their accusations and witness statements were part of the testimony of those who actually testified in court. These included Mercy Wardell, Sarah Churchill, William Barker, Timothy Swan, and Mary Warrin.

As for the charges against Mary Parker, she was "accused of acting witchcraft upon Martha Sprague and Sarah Phelps." Beside these two women, she was also accused of acting witchcraft upon Mercy Wardell, Timothy Swan, Mary Warrin, John Westgate, and John Bullock. Mary Parker was accused of using witchcraft to inflict painful fits upon, Martha Sprague, Sarah Phelps, Mercy Wardell, Sarah Churchill, Hanah Bigsby, and Mary Warrin. William Barker said that Mary Parker admitted to him she was in league with the devil, while John Westgate accused her of using witchcraft to send a "black hogge… with open mouth as though he would have devoured me at that instant…." When he fell while trying to run away, his injuries were blamed on Mary Parker's witchcraft skills. Samuel Shattuck accused her of bewitching his son, causing the boy to "shreek out as if he had bin tormented."

Witchcraft is currently not the usual subject of a American criminal case, but it is important to remember that in the 1690's, witchcraft was considered a real thing. That being said, a modern look at the case would indicate that she was not guilty of witchcraft, nor of any actions that may have contributed to the so-called fit's the victims said they were subjected to. The record indicated that one of the accusations against Mary Parker was that "she recovered all the afflicted out of their fitts by the touch of their hand." Modern science is extremely advanced, but even modern researchers have not discovered anyone who can inflict and take away fits of pain by the touch of a hand.

And their could be other, more personal reasons for the accusations. For instance, John Westgate's testimony includes a tale of how Mary Parker came to a tavern and chastised her husband for drinking. When John Westgate called her unseemly for coming to the tavern, as he himself testified, "she came up to me and called me rogue and bid me mind my owne busines…." Late 17th century men were not accustomed to being spoken to in this manner, especially by a woman. A public scolding from a woman could have embarrassed John Westgate to the point of holding a grudge; and later when he was frightened by a wild hog, fell and injured himself, it was easy for him to blame the woman he hated.