(Examination of Sarah Hawkes, Copy )

[September 1, 1692]

1 Sept'r .. 1692/ Before Maj'r Gidney Mr Hathorne Mr Corwin Jno Higginson Esq'r

The Examination & Confession of Sarah Hawks Daughter in law to Sam'll Wardwell of Andivor

After the afflicted p'rsons had accused her & the Rest of Her Comp'a w'th aflicting of them and perticularly making them daunce & Sing Several houres at Mr Tylers House And after her Stricking them dwone w'th the Glance of her Eyes in the Court & Recovering them again She Confesses as followes Viz That this last Spring after she had turned the Sive & [sissers] the Divel Came to her and gott a promise of her but She Never had any thing of him She Saith She went to Salem Village Metting of Witches w'th Good Carryer She promised to Serve the Divel 3 or 4 Years & to give him her Soul & body & that She signed a paper He offered to her by Making a black Scraule or Mark w'th a Stick as a Confermation of the Covenant & he promised She Should have w't She Wanted but never had any thing of him She Saith She Never afflicted till last night, when She afflicted Martha Sprauge & Rose fostter -- She Saith She knoweth that when She pulled of her Glove In Court She afflicted them -- Noate that Sarah Hawks in Recov'g Sprauge out of her fitt gript her wrist Soe hard that presently it Swelled & Sprauge Could not Stir it but upon Hawks laying her hand Gently upon it it was pr'sently wel again -- She Saith the paper She signed Seemed to her to hang Upon Nothing at the 1rst & 2nd aperance of the Divel he was like a man but the 3rd aperance was like a Shadow She Saith the Divel doth Carry Things out of her mind Strangly for when She Came Up Stairs She had amind to Confese but now Cannot -- She Saith further that Wm Barker was one of her Company when they Daunced at Mr Tylers house & that they Caused Ephraim fostter Wife to Daunce at home & Martha Sprauge Sung at Mr Tylers almost all day till She was almost killed. She Conffesses that Stephen Johnson Her father & Mother & her Sister Mercy ware of her Company She was baptized a little above a month a goe in five Mile pond & Renounced her former baptisime the Divel dipt her face in the Watt'r & he was then in the Shape of a black Man & has Seen him Several times Since - as to the Witch Metting at the Village She Saw there a doz'n of Strangers riding upon poles but knew them not, ther was aman or 2 the Rest ware Woemen one of the Men ware talle the other short & fatt Noate here that when She had Conffessed all as above, Except the Renounceing of her former baptizme She Could not Come Near any of the afflicted persons without Tormenting them w'th her Eyes but when She did Remember & Conffesed that She had Renounced her former baptiz'e then they ware are Reconciled & Could all take one another by the hand frely -

Sarah Hawks Signed & owned
the above S'd Examination &
Confession before - me *John Higginson
17 Sep'r 1692
The Mark
7 of
Sarah Hawks

( Essex Institute Collection, No. 24, 9v. Peabody Essex Museum, James Duncan Phillips Library, , Rowley, MA.)