The New World Times

     Mary Easty, witch, was convicted of witchcraft, released, returned to prison, and was eventually executed.

     When she was imprisoned earlier, she wrote a petition with the help of her sister, fellow inmate, Sarah Cloyce. This petition was written as an argument for their release. She said They were both imprisoned because of their relationship to another convicted witch, their sister Rebecca Nurse, who was hanged. Ms. Easty’s hanging date was set for September 22, 1692. When she returned to prison, she wrote another petition. This petition was not an argument for her own life, but for those of the future accused, asking that “no more innocent blood be shed”.  Ms. Easty also shared an interesting point of view on the confessors, saying “I would humbly beg of you that your honours would be pleased to examine these afflicted persons strictly and keep them apart some time and likewise to try some of these confessing witches. I am confident there is several of them has belied themselves”. What she is suggesting is that the court officials interrogate the girls without the person that they are accusing. She believes that their behaviour may not be related to those accused. Ms. Easty agreed to come in for an interview before her trial.

 

Q&A with Ms. Easty

 

Do you believe yourself to be guilty?

No. I am not a witch.  I know nothing about witchcraft. I have prayed against the devil all my days.

 

How long were you in prison, and why were you released?

I was accused and imprisoned in late April. They released me on May 18th. I thought that it was all over, but they brought me back to jail two days later. I will stay in prison until the 9 of September, the day of my trial. If my name is cleared, I will be released. If I am convicted, I will be hanged on September 22nd.

 

What inspired you to write your first petition?

I was incarcerated for a crime that I did not commit. My sister and I wanted our freedom. To win our trial, we needed the counsel of our judges.

 

Tell me more.

I wanted to be freed. There’s nothing more to it. I have a family and friends, and I have no desire to leave them.

 

Why did you write your second petition?

I wrote my second petition because I had little hope for my trial. I decided to try and prevent the deaths of my fellow “witches”.

 

So, in your petition, you said that you were writing so that “no more innocent blood be shed”. What did you mean by that?

I want to prevent the deaths of the innocents convicted. The Lord is on my side. He would not want the blood of His children spilled with no reason.

 

You also shared an interesting insight on the afflicted girls.  Care to elaborate on that?

I think that the girls’ behaviour may not be connected to the people we have blamed. If we keep them apart from the accused and ask them what is happening, we may find that the fits the girls have been throwing are disconnected from the people. There may be another factor that we do not know about.

 

How do you feel about your upcoming trial?

I am innocent. If it is the Lord’s wish for me to live, I will live. If He means for me to die, I accept my fate.

     Ms. Easty was tried and convicted on September 9th.  She was hanged on September 22nd at Gallows Hill. As Calef put it, "when she took her last farewell of her husband, children and friends, was, as is reported by them present, as serious, religious, distinct, and affectionate as could well be expressed, drawing tears from the eyes of almost all present." Ms. Easty tried and failed to save herself, but she didn’t give up. She kept going. She wouldn’t stay quiet.  She may have been killed, but she has opened the eyes of the people to the weakness of the court.