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SWP No. 124: Mary Taylor

SWP No. 124.1

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(Examination of Mary Taylor )

[September 5, 1692]

Mary Tayler examined before their Majest's Justices: at Salem Sept'r 5'th 1692 Jno Hawthorn Esq'r & others
It was sayd to her: you are acused for afflicting M'rs Mary Marshall by by witch craft: but she s'd she knew nothing of it
Mrs. Marshall did you acuse this woman or do you acuse her for hurting you [by] by witchcraft: A. Yes. she has beat me & came to perswade me to worship her god: & told me my god could not save me & she has brought images to me

S'd Tayler Was bid to look on M'rs Mary Marshall: & did & s'd Marshall was struck Down by it & s'd when she could speak it was s'd Tayler that struck her down: Mary lascy s'd also that s'd Tayler was upon s'd Marshall Tayler was told she had a dangerous eye: that struck folk down: which gives ground to think she was a witch: but she s'd she was not sencible she was one S'd Tayler : look't on Hannah Post: & Mary Lascy: & they fell down & Susa'n Post s'd Tayler was upon them: Mary Warin fell down also when she was bid to look on: s'd whether Tayler hurt: Post & Lascy: s'd Tayler was asked how she kild w'm Hooper : but she disownd any knowledge of it: but Sam'll Wardwel asked her: if she never had fallen out with: his bro Hooper : Maj'r Swayn s'd her falling out with Hooper would easyly be proved: Wardwel s'd their falling out was becaus s'd Hooper took his child from s'd Tayler: that she had to suckle: Mary Waren fell into a fitt: & was helped up again: by a touch of Taylers hand: she was asked if she had bin babtized: she s'd the at Charlstown: when she was a child but ownd nothing of witchcraft exept: she had in a passion wished bad wishes becaus M'rs Marshall had complayned: of her.

Maj'r Swayn told her she had used thretning words both to his sister & others. s'd Tayler was asked about burning Hoopers hous: where the fire began first: but s'd knew nothing of it she was att home in her #(bed) hous: but Sam'll Wardwell told s'd Tayler: they had a meeting: in Tryumph after: the hous of Hoopers was burnt & drank the wine that was provided for Hoopers funerall: & that s'd Tayler & Jane Lilly was there: at the drinking of it & one from Billerica: Maj'r Swayne s'd the wine for the buriall of Hooper was drunk: Sam'll Wardwell told Tayler: she might remember the stroke & the stroke and the Double stroke: the troke was the killing: the man the other stroke was: the firing the hous: being asked what the duble stroke was s'd Wardwell knew not but that it might be the destroying the rest of Hoopers family: the Reddin Constable s'd that: s'd Tayler yesterday s'd who ever lived to se would finde M'rs Marshals cace like Mary Warins & that there was a hott pott now: & a hott'r pott preparing for her here & being asked what she ment by the hotter pott s'd that if M'rs Marshall wronged her hell would be prepared for her: but after ward she s'd she would tell: & desired prayers that she might tell the truth: but was much hindred: but was asked if the last sabath was seven night. was not the first time of her hurting Mary Marshall: which at last she in a manner owned: & she s'd to 'Mr Nois & M'r Keyzer. the Devill & goodi Dustin brought her a birch Rhine [=rind] which she signed to: she owned she had promised the devill to serv him #(worship) him & trust in him: & to give up soul & body to him but: the first of her being a witch was her frequenting: goodwife Dastins hous & goodwife Dastin had bin twice at her hous in the night to her: but she would not own that the devil had babtized her: nor that she Joyned in killing Hooper : nor burning his hous the time of her frequenting Dastins hous was the last winter she owned she had bent her fist & wished ill to M'rs Marshall: & that goodwife Dastin & her Daughter was with her: & it was at Jane Lillyes hous & she begd forgivn's of the afores'd.

this is the substance of what: Mary Tayler: s'd at her examination: & of what was s'd there. taken out of my characters:

*Simon Willard
I und'r writen: being appinted by Authority: to take. the above #(within) examination doe testifie upon oath taken in Court that this is a tru Coppy of the substance of it to the best of my knowledge: 5 Janu'y 1692/3
*Simon Willard

(Reverse) The within Mary Tayler was examined before
their Majestes Justice of the peace in Salem
atest *John Higginson Just'e peace
Owned before the Grand Jury
5 January 1692/3 *Robert Payne foreman

[This is Eved]
Maj'r Jeramiah Swaine #(in Court) and M'r
William Arnold Swoarn in Court to the
truth of the within Confession being present at her examination.
Test
*Jona' Elatson Cler
Mary Tayler of Reding in midlesex

( Suffolk Court Records Case No. 2710, p. 43, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, Judicial Archives, Massachusetts State Archives, Boston, MA. )

SWP No. 124.2

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(Statement of (John Parker and Josiah Eaton v. Mary Taylor )

[+ September 5, 1692]

Sworne in Court Jno Parker Josuah Eaton say that Mary Taylor threatened. them saying they were high but they should have a downefall and used other thretening words and allso thretened Goodwif Marshall saying shee was the Cause of her displeasure aginst them and they should see what would becom of her for her #[And parting] god would deceive her the said Parker said her god what do you mean by her god I doubt you have been somewhere to often / but afterward goeing home #(his sons) ward one came runing and sed his son was redy to dy and he was prest allmost Choked. and his wife s'd that if he the s'd Parker did not goe to Mary #(tootheaker) Taylor her husband would die #[he Imediately went and] & so soone as shee had nameded her s'd Parkers name his son became well Imideately and sundry times his son was #(sundry) strangly handled and was som times blind on one Ey and som times on the other Ey // And the s'd Eaton swears to all but what relates to s'd Parkers #(son) son.

(Suffolk Court Files vol. 32, docket 2710, p. 43, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, Judicial Archives, Massachusetts State Archives, Boston, MA. )

SWP No. 124.3

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(Indictment v. Mary Taylor, for Covenanting)

[January 31, 1693]

Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England ss ]
Att a Superio'r Court of Judicature held at Charlston Jan'ry 31'th 1692 Annoq RR's & Reginae & Gulielmi Mariae Angliae &c Quarto

The Juro's for o'r Sov'r lord & Lady the King & Queen p'sent -- That Mary Taylor of Reding Wife of Sebread Taylor of Reding aforsaid In#(On) or about the last Winter in the yeare 1691 at & in the Towne of Reding in the County of Midlesex aforesaid Wickedly mallitiously & felloniously A Covenant with the Devill did make, and made hir marke upon A Burch Ryne [birch rind] to Confirme the Said Covenant & promised the Devill to Serve him & trust in him & to give up hir Soule & body to him, By which diabollicall Covenant made with the Devill in maner & forme aforsaid the Said Mary Taylor is become a detestable witch Against the peace of o'r Sov'r Lord & Lady the King & Queen their Crowne & dignity & the laws in that Case made & provided ----

Billa Vera
Atest *Simon Stone foreman

(Reverse) Mary Taylor for Covenanting with the Devil
po: se.
Non Cull [not guilty]

( Suffolk Court Files, vol. 32, docket 2710, p. 43, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, Judicial Archives, Massachusetts State Archives, Boston, MA. )

Salem Witchcraft Papers