Notes and Queries, Number 184, May 7, 1853 | Page 3

veiwing and searching y^e body of Sarah Cloice, there
was nothing unnaturall appeared on her.
3. Upon searching y^e body of Mrs. Bradbury, there was nothing
appeared unnaturall on her, {447} only her brest were biger than usuall,
and her nipples larger than one y^t did not give suck, though her body
was much pined and wasted, yet her brests seemed full.
4. Upon y^e searching y^e body of y^e wife of Giles Cory, there was
severall darke moulds, one of which was upon one of her buttocks, and
being pricked with a pin, it was without sence, and did not bleed.
5. Upon y^e searching y^e body of Widow Hoer, nothing appeared on
her unnaturall, only her body verry much scratched, and on her head a
strange lock of haire, verry long, and differing in color from y^e rest on
her head, and matted or tangled together, which she said was a widow's
lock, and said, if it were cutt off she should die.
6. Upon searching y^e body of Rachell Clenton, there was found an
unnaturall teat on one side, something lower than just under her arme,
which teat having a pin thrust throw it she was not senceable of, till by
scratching her side, pricked her fingers with y^e pin y^t was then in y^e
teat; neither did y^e teat bleed.

There was also ordered, with ye foresaid Doct^r, four other men, viz^t,
Mr. Har. Symonds, Samuel Graves, Sen^r, Thomas Knewlton, and
John Pinder, to search y^e body of Giles Cory, and they returned y^t
they, having searched him, found nothing unnaturall upon him.
The truth of which I heare attest. (Signed) THO^S WADE, J.P.
* * * * *
Province of Massachusettes Bay, New England, Essex.
Anno R. R. et Reginæ Gulielmi et Mariæ Angliæ, &c. quarto, annoqu
Dom. 1692.
The Jurors for our Sov^n Lord and Ladye the King and Queen present--
That Abigail Barker, wife of Ebenezer Barker of Andiver, in the
County of Essex aforesaid, about two years since, at and in the town of
Andiver aforesaid, wickedly, maliciously, and felloniously, a covenant
with the Devill did make, and signed the Devill's Booke, and by the
Devill was baptized, and renounced her former Christian baptism; and
gave herselfe up to the Devill to serve him, and for the Devill to be her
lord and master; by which wicked and diabollicall couvenant, shee the
said Abigaill Barker is become a detestable witch, contrary to the peace
of our Soveraigne Lord and Lady the King and Queene, their crowne
and dignity, and the law in that case made and provided.
Sep., '92. The examination and confession of Abigail Barker, taken
before John Hawthorn, Esq., and other their Majesties Justices:
Q. How long have you been in the snare of the Devil?
A. Not above two yeares and a half.
Q. At what place were you first overtaken?
A. I am at present very much bewildered.--But a little after she said as
followes:--About two yeare and a half agoe she was in great discontent
of mynd, her husband being abroad, and she at home alone; at which

tyme a black man appeared to her, and brought a book with him, to
which he put her finger and made a black mark. She saith, her memory
now failes her now more than ordinary; but said she gave herself up to
the Devil to serve him, and he was her lord and master; and the Devil
set a mark upon her legg, which mark is black and blue, and she
apprehends is a witch mark; and said that she is a witch, and thinks that
mark is the cause of her afflicting persons, though she thought nothing
of it then till afterwards she heard of others having a mark upon them.
She sayes, that some tyme after this the black man carryed her singly
upon a pole to 5-mile pond, and there were 4 persones more upon
another pole, viz. Mistriss Osgood, Goody Wilson, Goody Wardwell,
Goody Tyler, and Hanneh Tyler. And when she came to the pond the
Devil made a great light, and took her up and dypt her face in the pond,
and she felt the water, and the Devil told her he was her lord and master,
and she must serve him for ever. He made her renounce her former
baptisme, and carryed her back upon the pole. She confesses she has
afflicted the persones that accused her, viz. Sprague, Lester, and Sawdy,
both at home and in the way comeing downe. The manner thus:--The
Devil does it in her shape, and she consents unto, and clinches her
hands together, and sayes the Devil cannot doe it in her shape without
her consent. She sayes she was at a meeting at Moses Tyler's house, in
company