Tag Archives: Mary Bradbury

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Sep 10: An escape and a plea

Today in Salem: The jail keeper clenches his jaw and closes his eyes as the fire in the hearth gutters and flares. It’s nighttime, cool with an early autumn breeze, and while normally it would be a pleasant enough evening, the jail keeper is too distracted to notice.

Just yesterday, the 77-year-old Mary Bradbury was found guilty and condemned for witchcraft. But she is distinguished, and her husband’s family is connected to English royalty. Given her station, she was allowed to roam freely during the day, as long as she returned by night. Now it’s obvious she isn’t coming back. She’s escaped, disappeared, vanished like smoke from a fire.

Dorcas Hoar grasps at straws

In a basement cell, the fortuneteller and now shorn Dorcas Hoar cries and rubs her hand over her nearly shaved head. Lying is a terrible sin, and God will surely punish her for it. But confession is the only way she herself can escape the noose. So she asks to see the judges, and tells them that she does, indeed, practice witchcraft. What’s more, she can identify other witches. I can help you, she cries.

Her performance is less than convincing, though, and the judges leave her in her cell, condemned as before.

A list is finalized

In his rooms, Chief Justice Stoughton signs the death warrants for all six of the women tried this week: the gospel woman Martha Corey, the pious Mary Esty, the shrew Alice Parker, the nurse Ann Pudeator, the fortuneteller Dorcas Hoar, and the elderly and distinguished Mary Bradbury.

Tomorrow in Salem: The Gospel Woman is Excommunicated

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Sep 9: A nurse and a lady on trial

Today in Salem: Twenty jars of grease. Granted, they’re small jars. No one denies that. But it’s suspicious. What is the grease for? The nurse Ann Pudeator has already explained this once, back in July, during her hearing. It’s for soap, not ointments. Why is this coming up again?

It hardly matters. The court already has two other accusations of real-world evil. When her husband’s first wife died suddenly, Ann was suspected of killing her. Then he himself died, and left Ann with considerable property. Did she murder them both for money?

As for spectral evil, her neighbors testify that they’ve seen her specter, which has pinched someone until they’re black and blue.

Finally Mary Warren, a confessed witch, says that Ann had made a man fall out of a tree just by looking at him.

The judges find her guilty.

The distinguished Mary Bradbury’s trial

The distinguished Mary Bradbury stands tall before the court. She is 77 and frail, but no less regal in her bearing. Her husband is a leader in the colony. Not only that, but his great-uncle had been the Archbishop of Canterbury under Queen Elizabeth.

She and her husband are widely respected. In fact, the judges have several petitions in her favor, one of them signed by 115 people, including a minister and several magistrates. But they don’t outweigh testimony that her specter tormented a man who is loathed for his assaults on women. As much as people detest him, though, spectral torment is still evil.

Mary is also accused of selling butter that turned rancid, and causing the death of sheep, horses, and even men.

The judges have made up their minds, though. Even with her pedigree and wide support, the judges pronounce her guilty.

Later she will plead ”not guilty” in writing.

The Answer of Mary Bradbury in the charge of Witchcraft or familliarity with the Divell I doe plead not guilty.

I am wholly inocent of any such wickedness through the goodness of god that have kept mee hitherto) I am the servant of Jesus Christ & Have given my self up to him as my only lord & saviour: and to the dilligent attendance upon him in all his holy ordinances, in utter contempt & defiance of the divell, and all his works as horid & detestible; and accordingly have endevo’red to frame my life; & conversation according to the rules of his holy word, & in that faith & practise resolve by the help and assistance of god to contineu to my lifes end: for the truth of what I say as to matter of practiss I humbly refer my self to my brethren & neighbors that know mee and unto the searcher of all hearts for the truth & uprightness of my heart therein: (human frailties, & unavoydable infirmities excepted) of which i bitterly complayne every day:/ Mary Bradbury

The condemned

It’s close to nightfall as the court scribe puts his notes together. Five women have now been sentenced: the fortuneteller and now shorn Dorcas Hoar, the shrew Alice Parker, the pious Mary Esty, the nurse Ann Pudeator, and the distinguished Mary Bradbury.

Tomorrow in Salem: An escape and a plea

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July 22: 115 rays of light

Today in Salem: The quiet magistrate Jonathan Corwin is scowling and holding a parchment document close to his eyes. 115 people have signed a petition on behalf of the elderly Mary Bradbury, who will soon be tried in court.

“Shee was a lover of the ministrie in all appearance & a dilligent, attender upon gods holy ordinances … allways, readie & willing to doe for them w’t laye in her power …”

It’ll have to wait. Corwin sets the document to the side and taps it, once, with his finger, as if to nail it to the wooden table. Other documents are more pressing, and now he pulls them toward him as two teenage boys are escorted into the room. They are the sons of the outcast “queen of hell” Martha Carrier, who’s been in prison for seven weeks.

The younger boy, 16, is stuttering and stammering so badly that he can hardly be understood.

“No,” he says, over and over. “N-n-no.” He’s never signed the d-devil’s book, never tortured anyone.

His older brother, 18, speaks clearly but all in a rush, insisting that he’s innocent.

As their protests grow louder, the afflicted girls are more hysterical than ever, and when one of the girls begins to bleed from the mouth the two boys are sent to another room with the constable.

It doesn’t take long, though, before the boys return and confess to everything: consorting with the Devil, going to witch meetings, tormenting people, and more. They also accuse others of witchcraft – including their mother.

Even the afflicted girls are surprised. It’s a quick and remarkable turnabout. What changed their minds?

WHO was Mary Bradbury?

Age 77, née Perkins. Mary was an upper-class woman who was highly regarded as devoutly religious, loving to her family, and a pious and generous neighbor. her family was distinguished; her husband’s great-uncle had been the Archbishop of Canterbury under Queen Elizabeth I. Despite a petition signed by 115 supporters, Mary was tried, convicted, and sentenced to hang. With the help of her loved ones, though, she escaped from jail and lived in hiding until the Trials were over. She died eight years after the Trials, at age 85. Case files: Mary Bradbury

Mary Bradbury’s descendants include Ralph Waldo Emerson and Ray Bradbury.

Tomorrow in Salem: A resistance takes shape