Editing Salem Trials - 17 May 1692

<b><center>Salem Trials - 17 May 1692</center></b>

<b>Statement of [[Susannah Sheldon]] v. Bridget Bishop, Mary English, Phillip English, Giles Corey, and Martha Corey</b>
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The complaint of [[Susannah Sheldon|Susanna Shelden]] <br>
against phillip english for the <br>
sd Susanah Shelden being at meeting <br>
on the sabboth day being the 24 of <br>
aprill shee beeing aflicted in a very <br>
sad manner she saw phillip english <br>
step over his pew and pinshed her <br>
and a womand which Came from <br>
boston wich saith her name is good nd<br>
when shee were coming home against <br>
william shaws house their met her <br>
phillip english and abblack man <br>
with a hy crouned hatt on his head<br>
and a book in hish hand houlding <br>
the book to her and phillip english <br>
told her that black man were her god <br>
and if shee would <s>thuch</s> touch that <br>
boock hee would not pinsh her <br>
no more nor no bodie els should <br>
on the next day phillip enlgish <br>
came again and pinshed her and told <br>
her that is shee would not toutch <br>
the book hee would kill her - -<br>
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<center><b>Page 2</b></center>
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on the second day at night apered <br>
to her two women and a man <br>
and brought their books and bid<br>
her touct them she told them shee <br>
would not she did not know wher <br> 
they lived on of them told her they <br>
lived at the village and held the <br>
book to her again and bid her touch<br>
it shee told her shee did not know <br>
their names on of them told her shee <br>
was old good man bucklyes wife and <br>
the other woman was her daughter <Br>
mary and bid her touch the book <br>
she told no shee had not told her <br>
hou long shee had beene a witch <br>
then she told her shee had been <br>
a witch ten years and then shee <br>
opened her brest and the black man <br>
gau her two litl things like yong <br>
cats and she pit them to her brest and <br>
suckled them they had no hair on <br>
them and had ears like a man <br>
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<center><b>Page 3</b></center>
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then they ofered her their books <br>
and she refused then then they pinsh <br>
her and the man struck her on the <br>
head and went away - - -<br>
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on the third day their apeared <br>
a woman without the dore sat lafe<br>
ing at her and came into the house <br>
and hoped upandoun and profer<br>
ed her the book and told her if shee <br>
would touch it shee would not pinch <br>
her shee told her s wud not she did <br>
not kno her she liueed s told her she <Br>
lieved at boston shee held her Book to <br>
he her again shee told her shee did <br>
not know her name shee told her <br>
her name was good wife whits<br>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -<br>
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the same day came goody buckle <br>
and her daughter and brought <br>
books i with them and told her if -<br>
shee would touch their books they <br>
would not pinsh her but shee <br>
refused then they pinshed her and <br>
went away.<br>
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<center><b>Page 4</b></center>
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then i was siting on the inside of <br>
the dore sill and goody buckly came <br>
and stopeed my mouth and Caried mee <br>
awai i know not how an near a mile <br>
and told mee that now shee had mee <br>
at her Command if i would not set <br>
my hand to her booke shee would <br>
kil mee then <s>she did bit mee</s> - - <br>
william shaw beeing plowing in <br>
his fathers feild heard a fearfull Cry <br>
in a thicket of yong wod went to <br>
it and found her in a terribl maner <br>
screaming and breacking of sticks<br>
and fighting in a violent manner<br>
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<center><b>Page 5</b></center>
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[This final portion transcribed from an earlier trasncription, the previous were transcribed from the original documents]<br>
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on the foarth day at night Came goody olliver and m'rs english and good man Cory and a blak man with a hicrouned hatt with books in their hands goody olliver bad mee touch her booke i would not i did not know her name shee told me her name was goody olliver and bid me touch her booke now i bid her tel mee how long shee had been a witch shee told mee shee told mee s[ ] had been a witch above twenti years then their Came a streked snake creeping over her shoulder and crep into her bosom mrs english had a yelo bird in her bosom and good man Core had two tircels hang to his Coat and hee opened his bosom and put his turcls to his brest and gave them suck then good man core and goody olliver kneeled doune beefoar the blak man and went to prayer and then the blak man told mee goody olliver had been a witch twenti years and a #[ ] half then they all set to biteing mee and so went away the next day Came good man Core mrs english in the morning and told mee i should not eat no vittals i took a spoon and put on spoonful in my mouth and good man Core gave mee a blow on the ear and allmoast choaked mee then he laughed at mee and told mee i would eat when he told mee i should not then he Clenched my hands that they Could not bee opened for more then a quarter of an our then Came phillip english and and told mee if i would touch his book hee would not bit mee but i refusid then hee did bite mee and went away

the sixth day at night Came goody olliver and mrs english good man Core and his wife goodwy Core s profered mee a book i refused it and asked her whear she lived she told mee she lived in boston prisson then shee puled out her brest and the blak man gave her a thing like a blake pig it had no haire on it and she put it to her brest and gave it suck and when it had sucked on brest shee put it the other and gave it suck their then shee gave it to the blak man then they went to praier to the blak man then goody olliver told me that shee had kiled foar women two of them wear the fosters wifes and john trasks wife and did not name the other then they did all bitt mee and went away

then the next day Cam goody Core Choaked mee and told mee i would not eat when my dame bid mee but now i should eat none

(Reverse) [[Susannah Sheldon|Susanna Sheldon]] ag't oliver Englis & his wife Core & his wife good bucklie & her daughter & boston woman

[Essex County Court Archives, Salem - Witchcraft. vol. 1, nos. 153, 154 & 168. Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, Judicial Archives, Massachusetts State Archives, Boston, MA]