Examination Paper
This is an examination paper from the Danvers Archival Center. Examiners would go by this to question the people who were being accused.
Death Warrant
This is Rebecca Nurse's death warrant. It reads:
To George Corevine Gentln. High Sheriff of _ County of __
Greeting
Whereas Sarah Good Wife of William Good of Salem Village Rebecka
Nurse wife of Francis Nurse of Salem Villiage Susanna Martin of Amesbury Widow
Elizabeth How wife of James How of Ipswich Sarah Wild Wife of John Wild of
Topsfield all of the County of Essex in their Maj'ts Province of ye
Massachusetts Bay in New England Att A Court of Oyer & Terminer held by
Adjournment for Our Soveraign Lord & Lady King William & Queen Mary for
ye said County of Essex at Salem in the s'd County on ye 29th day of June [torn]
were Severaly arraigned on Several Indictments for the horrible Crime of
Witchcraft by them practised & Committed On Severall persons and pleading
not guilty did for their Tryall put themselves on God & Thier Countrey
whereupon they were Each of them found & brought in Guilty by ye Jury that
passed On them according to their respective Indictments and Sentence of death
did then pass upon them as the Law directs Execution whereof yet remains to be
done:
Those are Therefore in thier Maj'ties name William & Mary now
King & Queen over England to will and Comand you that upon
Tuesday next being ye 19th day of [torn] Instant July between the houres of
Eight & [torn] in [torn] forenoon ye same day you Elizabeth How & Sarah
Wild From their Maj'ties Goal in Salem afores'd to the place of Execution &
there Cause them & Every of them to be hanged by the Neck untill they be
dead and of the doings herein make return to the Clerke of the said Court &
this precept and hereof you are not to fail at your perill and this Shall be
your Sufficient Warrant Given under my hand & seale at Boston the 12'th day
of July in ye fourth yeare of ye Reign of our Soveraigne Lord & Lady Wm
& Mary King & Queen.
Wm Stoughton
Anno Dom. 1692
To George Corevine Gentln. High Sheriff of _ County of __
Greeting
Whereas Sarah Good Wife of William Good of Salem Village Rebecka
Nurse wife of Francis Nurse of Salem Villiage Susanna Martin of Amesbury Widow
Elizabeth How wife of James How of Ipswich Sarah Wild Wife of John Wild of
Topsfield all of the County of Essex in their Maj'ts Province of ye
Massachusetts Bay in New England Att A Court of Oyer & Terminer held by
Adjournment for Our Soveraign Lord & Lady King William & Queen Mary for
ye said County of Essex at Salem in the s'd County on ye 29th day of June [torn]
were Severaly arraigned on Several Indictments for the horrible Crime of
Witchcraft by them practised & Committed On Severall persons and pleading
not guilty did for their Tryall put themselves on God & Thier Countrey
whereupon they were Each of them found & brought in Guilty by ye Jury that
passed On them according to their respective Indictments and Sentence of death
did then pass upon them as the Law directs Execution whereof yet remains to be
done:
Those are Therefore in thier Maj'ties name William & Mary now
King & Queen over England to will and Comand you that upon
Tuesday next being ye 19th day of [torn] Instant July between the houres of
Eight & [torn] in [torn] forenoon ye same day you Elizabeth How & Sarah
Wild From their Maj'ties Goal in Salem afores'd to the place of Execution &
there Cause them & Every of them to be hanged by the Neck untill they be
dead and of the doings herein make return to the Clerke of the said Court &
this precept and hereof you are not to fail at your perill and this Shall be
your Sufficient Warrant Given under my hand & seale at Boston the 12'th day
of July in ye fourth yeare of ye Reign of our Soveraigne Lord & Lady Wm
& Mary King & Queen.
Wm Stoughton
Anno Dom. 1692
Decline and Closure of Salem Witch Trials
Later in 1692, the witch hunt began to die down. More people started to believe that so many people could be witches. The people began to demand the court to not admit spectral evidence and to rely on a clear testimony and confession. The people who were in prison, during the end of the year, were released out of prison by January of 1693.