We whose Names are under written, Inhabitants of Andover, when as that
horrible and tremendous Judgment beginning at Salem-Village, in the Year 1692,
(by some) call'd Witchcraft, first breaking forth at Mr. Parris's House, several
Young persons being seemingly afflicted, did accuse several persons for afflicting
them, and many there believing it so to be; we being informed that if a person
were sick, that the afflicted persons could tell, what or who was the cause of that
sickness. Joseph Ballard of Andover (his Wife being sick at the same time) he
either from himself, or by the advice of others, fetch'd two of the persons call'd
the afflicted persons, from Salem-Village to Andover. Which was the beginning
of that dreadful Calamity that befel us in Andover. And the Authority in
Andover, believing the said Accusations to be true, sent for the said persons to
come together, to the Meeting-house in Andover (the afflicted persons
being there.) After Mr. Bernard
[302] had been at Prayer, we were blindfolded,
and our hands were laid upon the afflicted persons, they being in their Fits, and
falling into their Fits at our coming into their presence (as they said) and some
led us and laid our hands upon them, and then they said they were well, and that
we were guilty of afflicting of them; whereupon we were all seized as Prisoners,
by a Warrant from the Justice of the Peace, and forthwith carried to Salem. And
by reason of that suddain surprizal, we knowing our selves altogether Innocent
of that Crime, we were all exceedingly astonished and amazed, and consternated
and affrighted even out of our Reason; and our nearest and dearest Relations,
seeing us in that dreadful condition, and knowing our great danger, apprehending
that there was no other way to save our lives, as the case was then
circumstantiated, but by our confessing our selves to be such and such persons,
as the afflicted represented us to be, they out of tender love and pitty perswaded
us to confess what we did confess. And indeed that Confession, that is said we
made, was no other than what was suggested to us by some Gentlemen; they
telling us, that we were Witches, and they knew it, and we knew it, and they
knew that we knew it, which made us think that it was so; and our understanding,
our reason, and our faculties almost gone, we were not capable of judging our
condition; as also the hard measures they used with us, rendred us uncapable of
making our Defence; but said any thing and every thing which they desired, and
most of what we said, was but in effect a consenting to what they said. Sometime
after when we were better composed, they telling of us what we had confessed,
we did profess that we were Innocent, and Ignorant of such things. And we
hearing that Samuel Wardwell had renounced his Confession, and quickly after
Condemned and Executed, some of us were told that we were going after
Wardwell.
Mary Osgood, Mary Tiler, Deliv. Dane,
Abigail Barker, Sarah Wilson, Hannah Tiler.
[303]
