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Martha Corey & Giles Cory

Martha Corey

Martha Corey, unlike some of the others accused was a respected member of the community of more than "average judgement and discretion," and a member of the Village church. [Nevins]].

Prior to being named, she had steadfastly refused to give any credence to the witchcraft accusations, and when accused consistently denied any such associations.  

Although her age is unknown, she was the third wife of Giles, and likely somewhat younger than he, but possibly more than sixty years of age at the time of the trials.  Giles was eighty years of age at the time.

Giles, at first taken up in the fury, appears to given a statement that might have contributed to his wife's discomfort.  [Nevins, p. 162] It was the testimony of others, however, that seems to have fully sealed her doom.

She was first examined in March,  convicted on September 10, 1692 and hanged on September 22.

Giles Cory:

This poor man was soon to fall into the ugly cauldron inhabited by his wife and so many others.  

His history indicates that earlier in life he was prosperous, somewhat irascible, and lacked consideration for others in the community. He became involved in lawsuits and was presented in court upon suspicion of "abusing the body of Jacob Goodell," who worked for him. [Nevins, pp.109, footnote 9]

He was arrested on a warrant issued April 18th, examined on the 19th and committed to jail.  Testimony was given in September at the grand inquest.  He was brought before the court to plead to his indictment for witchcraft, but refused to do so, or stood "mute." 

Unfortunately, in the early days, one had necessarily to plead guilty or innocent -- or suffer the consequences of "pain ofrtdure," or "piene forte et dure" --  in simple terms suffer being pressed to death.  

According to Nevins, his choice of  this venue was perhaps more shrewd than one might think.  Pleading would have resulted in the forfeiture of his property upon conviction.  While in jail he drew up and executed a paper  which he intended should operate as a will, but which in reality was a deed of conveyance to his sons-in-law, William Cleeves and John Moulton. [Nevins, p.107-8]  

In any event, poor Giles was, indeed, pressed to death.  Exactly where this event took place is unknown, but tradition has it that he was taken to an open field within the town.  At least one record left by Judge Sewall recounts, "Monday, September 19, 1692.  About noon at Salem, Giles Corey was pressed to death for standing Mute; much pains was used with him two days, one after another, by the court and Capt. Gardner of Nantucket who had been of his acquaintance, but all in vain."  [Nevins, p. 107, Sewall Papers, I., 364] 

According to Perley, Giles Cory was pressed to death in the field corner of St. Peters and Brown Streets opposite the jail then on Church Street, corner of St. Peters Street, Salem. And according to all traditions, Corey requested that they place the weights more quickly, the sooner one supposes -- to die. He thus predeceased his wife by several days.