(Warrant for the apprehension of Rachel Clinton, and Summons for Witnesses v. Rachel Clinton, and Officer’s Return )

[March 29, 1692]

To the Constable of Ipswich --

Whereas There is Complaint Exhibbitted to the Honored Court now holden at Ipswich -- In Behalfe of their majesties. against Rachell -- Formerly the Wife of Lawrence Clenton of Ipswich on grounded Suspision of witchcraft, & whereas Recognizance is Enterd, for prosecution --

You are hereby Required in their Majesties names forthwith or as soon as may be to apprehend seize & bringe before the Honored Court to be holden at Ipswich the sayd Rachell Clenton on the next morrow morning at Eight a Clock In order to an orderly Examination, & Conviction & hereof fail not at Your perrill & for so doing this shall be your warrant of which you are to make a true returne as the Law derects:
P[er] Curiam *Tho's Wade Cler
Ipswich March 29'th 1692)

To the Constable of Ipswich
You are hereby required In their Majesties names to Sumons warne & Require to appeare at the Court to be holden at Ipswich on the morrow morning Viz't Mary Fuller sen'r & Mary fuller Junior & Allexsander Thomson jur & Richard fitts & Doct: John Bridgham & Thomas Maning & Nathaniel Burnam all of Ipswich & Thomas Knowlton jur & Mary Thorne To Give in their severall Evidences before the Court to Cleare up the Grounds of Suspition of Rachell Clenton Being a Witch & hereof faile not at Your perrill but make a true returne under Your hand as the Law Directs --

P[er]. Curiam *Thos Wade Cler.

(Reverse) I have served this warrant and read it to Rechell Clinton: this morning : and sezed hur Body: and Left hur in the hands of Samuell Ordeway: [to] have in the Court house Against your honoures shall Call for hur and I have Red the severeall warrants one the other sid written this morning save only Richard fitts and Mary Thorne and Richard fitts I could not find and Mary Thorne is not well:
as witness my hand

*Joseph Fuller , Constable of
Ipswich: Dated this 29'th March 1692

( Suffolk Court Files, vol. 31, docket 2660, p. 140. Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, Judicial Archives, Massachusetts State Archives. Boston, MA. )

(Summons for Witnesses to the Examination of Rachel Clinton, and Officer's Return )

[April 21, 1692 ]

To Sarje't John Choate, sen'r. To Jonas Gregory, To James Burnam, all of Ipswich, Mary Andrews, Sarah Rogors, Marguriet Lord, Sary Halwell you & each of you are hereby Required in thair majesties names To make Your personall apperance before ye Worshipfull Maj'r Sam'll Appleton Esq., & ye Clerk of ye Court to be at ye house of Mr. John Spark in Ipswich on ye 22d Day of This Instant aprile, at two o'clock afternoon. Then and There to Give in Your severall respective Evidences in behalf of their majesties concerning wch Clearing up of ye grounds of Suspission of Rachell Clentons being a witch, who is Then and Thair to be upon further Examination. Therefore So make Your apperance according to this Sumons fail nott at your perril.
Ipswich, Dated aprill 21st, 1692
Curiam Tho's Wade, Clerk.

Ye Constable of Ipswich is alike Required to Give notis to ye said person, & to make returne as ye Law Directs. Curr T. W. Clk.

According to this within written I haue Sumonsed and warned them: to Apere According to Time & Place by me William Baker, Constable.
Dated this 22d of april, 1692.

(Thomas Franklin Waters, Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay Colony (Ipswich, MA: Ipswich Historical Society, 1905): 461.)

( Deposition of Mary Fuller, Sr. , v. Rachel Clenton )

[+ March 30, 1692]

The Deposition of Mary fuller sen'or Aged About 41 years Saieth About the 23 or fouorth of Last March: 1691/2 About Tenn of the Clock Rachell Clenton cam to our house and Charged me with Raisen Lies of hur About my Daughter and Mary Thorne and whille she S'd Rachell was drawing: my Brother Joseph Fuller's boy Com in and said their Betty was fall Downe Ded and this was as shee S'd Rechell pased by: hur: A comming to our house and further Run up to my Brothers Joseph Fullers house for the space of Three hours with out any motission [motion] of Life. and before sd Betty or Elizabeth: Huching: Could #[I speke Deponent testifief] spake I Get hur hold up hur hand If S'd Rachell was the Caus of it and shee Ded: and when shee Could Speke shee s'd The wommon with A whit Cape pased by and struck hur: on the forehead:

( Suffolk Court Files, vol. 31, docket 2660, p. 140. Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, Judicial Archives, Massachusetts State Archives. Boston, MA. )

( Deposition of Thomas Knowlton Jr. v. Rachel Clinton

[+ March 30, 1692]

The Deposition of thomas Knoulton aged: 50 years saith that About
3 wekes agoo that Mr John Rogers and his wife were Gon to Bosto[n]
That Rechell ye wife of Laron Clinton: that is now surspected to be A wich; went to M
Rogers house and told m Rogers maid that she must haue sum meet and milk: & the sd Rechell
went into seueiell Rumes of the sd house: as m Rogerses maid told me; and
then sent for me this Diponant: to Geet hur away out of the hous and when I
Came into the house: ther was Rechell Clinton and whennshee sawe me Cum in
shee the sd Rachell went away: skoldi[ng] and Railing. Calling of me the sd
Thomas: hell howne: and whoremasterle Roog: and sd I was A Lim[b] of the Deuell:
and shee sai[d] shee had Reither see the Deuill then see me the said Thomas:
and that samuel Aires: and [Thomas smith](/tag/(smith_thomas.html) Tailer Can testifie to the same Langues that Rachell used or Cald the said Knolten: and after this the said Rachell took up a stone and Thrue it Towards me and it fell short three or four yeards of from me sd Knolten, an[d]
so Came Roling to me: and Gust Touched the Too of my sho[e]  And
presently my Grat Too was in at A Gret Reage as if the nail e  were hald up by a peir of
pinchers: up by the Roots: a

and further the said Thomas Knolton Testifieth and saith: that About 3 months Agoo: that my Daughter mary Ded[?]: and Cried out in a  Dredfull
mannor that shee was p[ricked?] of hur sid: with pins as shee thought: Being
asked whoe prick hur: shee sd shee Could not teell: and when shee was
out of hur fitts I this Deponant asked hur; whether shee Gaue Rech[el] any pines:
and shee said shee Gave Rachell: About seuen: & aftor this shee had one fitt mor of April 4, 1692
Being prickt: and then Ther Came in to our house Curnilius Kent
and [John Best](/tag/(best_john.html), an[d] saw mary Knolton in a solom Condition: Crying as if shee would be prickt to Dearth: and then said Kent and Best and my son Thomas went over and Threthen sd Rachell: That if Ever shee prickt sd [mary Knolton](/tag/(knolton_mary.html) againe thay would Knock out hur Brains: and Ever sence: my Gerill hath bin well:

( MS, Witchcraft Collection, no. 4620, Box 3, Folder 19. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library. )

( Deposition of Thomas Boarman v. Rachel Clenton )

[++ April 4, 1692 ]

This Deposition of Thomas Boarman sen'or aged 47 This Deponent testifieth and saith that som wimen of worth and quality: Desired me To Aquaint the seven men that Rachell Clinton was a great Dissturber unto them in the meten house in hunching them with hur Elboo: as they went by hur s'd Clinton, and then the same Day ther I the s'd Boarman : Desired the seven men to take som Cear the Rachell Clenton : might be forewarned: not to com in to Thoes wimens house, no more to Dissturbe them, and as I the s'd Boarman was Riding whom: that night after I had bin with the select men: I saw somthing appere at frenches Coue, Before me Like a Cat as I Apperprehended: and then I looked wishfully upon it; and it Semed to be sumething Like a Littell Doge: and then I pursued it: and it Kept the same Distance in the parth before me: all though I Road hoard after it I could not over take it, then I looked once [to] my right hand: and I saw a Grat surkle [= circle?]that moved as fast as I Roud along: and Then I thought of Rachell Clinton then the Littell Creatur andthe surkle vanished away: and further saith not.

( Suffolk Court Files, vol. 31, docket 2660, p. 140. Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, Judicial Archives, Massachusetts State Archives. Boston, MA. )

( Deposition William Baker v. Rachel Clenton )

[++ April 4, 1692 ]

The Deposion of William Baker Aged 36 years Saith: About 10 years Agoo: I living with my Master Rust: There was a Barrill of strong beer brewed & the Day it was Brewed Rachell Clinton came there, & was with sum small Thing: But what it was I can not tell: & the Day morning the Bere was put in to the Berrill: & that day said Rachell went bakwords and forrowords, 6 or 7 times: up & Dow the lane that Leds to our house & Did not com in to the house that Day: & that night following: hannah Rust: went Downe to see whether the Bere worked or no: & Puld out the tape & could find no Bere in the Barrel: neither was there any appearance of wet upon the flouer: and presently aftor we fild the Barril with worter and it was in A night and Day and Ded not Leke any of it out as we could see And after that we our folke Brued another Barrel of Bere and put it in the sam Barrill & it Did not Leke at all aftor that And further Saieth not:

( Suffolk Court Files, vol. 31 Docket No. 2660, p. 140, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, Judicial Archives, Massachusetts State Archives. Boston, MA. )

( Testimony of Mary Edwards v. Rachel Clenton )

[April 4, 1692 ]

Ipswich April the 4'th 1692

The testimony of Mary Edwards ageed about 52 yeres testifieth & Saith that abought the 27'th day: of: this Last Dissember 1691 that Rachell CLenton came to our houes & was very importinat with me the s'd Mary: to have Rome in our house to kepe share but I tould: har the s'd Rachell that there were no wages: provided to acommedat har tharfore she -- must Rest har seat contented:)& at: this time: I the s'd Mary was mackeing of BLood pudens: and she the above s'd Rachell siting by the fier) by: her discorse had a great dissire to have sum of that pudens: saying that it was very good foode: & that she loved it very: well: so I the s'd mary gave: her: the s'd Rachell one of the pudens: the which she Reseaved vary: Cornfully: & quickly after rose up: out of her seate & went a way: muttering but what she said I coulld not tell: but about the Latter end of Jinnywary: the s'd Edwards : had nine pigges: that ware a bout eight weckes oulld that ware: tacken suddenly: five of them: &: died & a bout a fortnight after that the s'd Edwards: had thre: yerelings tacken sudently that semed to be very harty: & was: in good: Case: but sudenly was tacken with unusuall fittes: Jumping & Roreing till thay tumbled downe with in a Littell tim after one another) as: to: the Latter part of this testymony Releating to the death of my pigges: & yearings I can attest two
John s edwards, sen'r his /// mark::

& furthermore mary: edwards: heard sum of her Children aske the s'd Reachell how har hands ceame so: be Scracht: & swelled so & she: made: This answar & said that she: had two or thre: Roges: catts: that when she put downe her hand would scratch it:

( MS Ch K 1.40, vol. 2, p. 60, Dept. of Rare Books and Manuscripts, Boston Publiv Library, Boston, MA. )

( James Fuller, Jr. v. Rachel Clenton )

[++ April 4, 1692 ]

The deposition of Jeams Fuller Junier aged about eighteen years saith that on the 15'th Day of march Last: 1692 or there a bouts: as to the Day: A bout 9 or 10: of the Clock: I was talking with Goodman Perry & telling him how the s'd mary Fuller my sister & Mary Thorn wer taken last night: & in the mene while, whilst he and I was talking Rachell Clinton Cam in to our house & sat Downe by the fier I asked hur what shee came bother for at this time of night, & shee said shee Came to see what Lies them were that we raisd of hur & I tould hur I Ded not know as I had Raisd Eny of hur: Presently my onkles Boy Cam in & told me that ther Betty was Ded, and as soon as Ever she s'd Rachall Herd them words: she run out of Dors: and I followed hur as herd as I could & when I Came to the Dore I could see nothing of hur: & it was a very Cler mone light night & I Run up to my onkles: Joseph fullers House: to see what the matter was: & ther I found the Gerle Dede as the boys told me; & s'd onkl fuller & I took hur up & Cerried hur in the house & so shee continued for the space of 3 or 4 hours: before ther was any Apperance of Life in hur; & the next Day I asked hur whot mad hur so Last night & she told me: She See Sumthing stare up at the Corner of the shope & Shee went a little way towards it & it Loced So Basly she turned About to Run a way from it & it followed her & Knocked hur Down

( MS Ch K 1.40, vol. 2, p. 68, Dept. of Rare Books and Manuscripts, Boston Public Library, Boston, MA. )

(Deposition of Thomas Burnam Jr. v. Rachel Clinton)

[+ March 30, 1692 ]

The Depsition of Thomas Burnam junr aged: 48: years who testifieth & saith yt som years sinc one sumer one of my Cows was very often milked & som times tow of them in my yard by my house: & thinking to Cach ye milker: I took paines & watched & one with me & thos nights yt I watched my Cowes were not milked & I arose one night a Litele before day: & stood in my indien Corn near whare my Cowes Lay & sone I saw a female stand in ye midele of ye yeard. whar ye cowes ware which by hear atier I thought was Rachell Hatfell Clenton which as I thought uanished a way: & another night I a rose before day & walked in ye street & just one ye breaking of day Came sudingly to my yeard wheare my Cowes Lay & that Cow that was most comonly milked stood & a parson a milking which presenly glanced from ye cow in ye Lickenesse of a gray Cat & run up ye back side of my house Scraching upon ye Shingells a bought fourty foot: & so ouer ye top of my house & further
saith not=

Except yt ye Spring following the same Cow was found dead on ye Common, not mired nor Cast. nor throw poverty, or any Disease yt we know of.

(Collection 77, Box 1, Folder 19, Maine Historical Society, Portland, ME.)