The First English Actresses: Women and Drama, 1660-1700

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When my wife came home, my wife told me that she was much startled to see Goody Howe [waiting at her house] but she took her by the hand and said ‘Goody Strafford, I believe that you are not ignorant of the great scandal that I lie under upon the evil report that is raised upon me about Samuel Perley’s child’ and other things Joseph Strafford saith that after this his wife was taken beyond reason and all persuasion to take the part of this woman…” Cotton Mather publishes "Memorable Providences, Relating to Witchcrafts and Possessions", [1] which includes his account of the Goodwins and Glover.

John Indian cryed out O she bites, & fell into a grevious fit, & so carried to her in his fir & was well upon her grasping him. Another witness, Edward Payson, testified that he was also present with Rev. Phillips during the conversation between Howe and Hannah Perley and confirmed that Hannah Perley stated Howe had never done anything to hurt her. Sir Richard has been an Epilepsy Society vice president since May 1995 and was formerly deputy chairman and then chairman of Glaxo Wellcome plc (until May 2002). He was rector of Imperial College London (from 2001 to 2008) and chairman of NHS London (from 2008 to 2010). Since 2010 he has been senior independent director of the Eurasian Natural Resources Company (ENRC) and chair of the Royal Institution of Great Britain. In 1994 he was awarded a knighthood for services to the pharmaceutical industry.

Angela and Richard Lascelles

January 14: The General Court declared a Day of Contrition for the hysteria and false accusations, for which there was fasting and praying for forgiveness. [11] [12] 1700 Ann Putnam Jr: She was the most active of the afflicted girls accusing Howe. Her name appeared over 400 times, and she would go on to accuse many more people, 19 of whom would be executed. Mary Walcott played a significant role in the Salem trials, being one of the original girls to become "afflicted". [4] Her name not only appeared on the arrest warrant served to Elizabeth Howe but appeared in one of two indictments. [2] Her cousin, Ann Putnam, Jr., was one of the most active accusers. [4] This event only strengthened the rumors that Howe was a witch and soon strange stories about Howe bewitching horses and farm animals began to circulate. Elizabeth Howe’s Arrest and Trial:

Her sister-in-law Leanne Alex, 38, yesterday appealed to Elizabeth on behalf of the family to come home and told how she had become religious since quitting her job with the police two years ago. Read More Related ArticlesPublic execution was considered the most severe punishment of the time in Puritan Massachusetts. [12] Convicted witches were hanged on Gallows Hill. [12] Elizabeth Howe was hanged on July 19, 1692, along with Rebecca Nurse, Sarah Good, Sarah Wildes and Susanna Martin. [8] May 10: Susannah Post, Eunice Frye, Mary Bridges Jr., Mary Barker, and William Barker Jr. are tried and found not guilty. Sarah Cole (of Salem), Dorothy Faulkner, Abigail Faulkner Jr., Martha Tyler, Johannah Tyler, Sarah Wilson Sr., and Sarah Wilson Jr. are cleared by proclamation. A grand jury fails to indict Tituba. Isaac Cummings, Sr, testified that eight years before, Howe had asked to borrow his horse, which he refused. The next day the horse seemed ill and wouldn’t eat. He stated his brother, Thomas Andrews, came to his house to help and decided the horse must have a stomach ache. George Lincoln Burr, Narratives of Witchcraft Cases 1648 - 1706, (USA:Barnes and Noble 1946, repr. 1963) January 12: Mary Post is tried and found guilty. Mary Bridges Sr., Hannah Post, Sarah Bridges, and Mary Osgood are tried and found not guilty. Thomas Farrar Sr. is cleared by proclamation.

Elizabeth Howe, 43, has been missing since Christmas Eve but her car was spotted in the Glencoe area on New Year’s Day, where she may have been travelling with her new boyfriend.

John Hirst

May 18: Mary Eastey is released from prison. Following protests by her accusers, she is re-arrested. Roger Toothaker is also arrested on charges of witchcraft. The Saturday after that my wife was taken after a raving frenzy manner expressing in a raging manner that Goody Howe must come into the church and that she was a precious saint and though she were condemned before men she was justified before God and continued in this frame for the space of three or four hours after that my wife fell into a kind of a trance for the space of two or three minutes. She then coming to herself opened her eye and said that ‘I was mistaken.’ No answer was made by the standards by and again she said ‘Ha! I was mistaken.’ Major Appleton’s wife standing by said ‘Wherein art mistaken?’‘I was mistaken,’ said she ‘For I thought Goody Howe had been a precious saint of God but now I see she is a witch for she hath bewitched me and my child and we shall never be well till there is testimony for her that she may be taken into the church’…”