Bathseba Folger Pope [see the
Pitcher line] was an adamant accuser of witches in the hysteria that started in Salem.
It seems she was a fanatic who ranted and raved at those accused
in many of the court proceedings. She was very disturbing in the courtroom.
Bethsua's name is shown in several variations including Bathsheba, however the
Flint Genealogical Register of 1860 and Early Settlers of Nantucket of 1901 show
her name as Bethsua.
This page provides this
and more information about her.
In Martha H. Willoughby's
"Patronage in Early Salem: The Symonds Shops and Their Customers" she
says: A recently discovered cabinet (fig. 3) has the initials of Joseph Pope
(1650–1712) and Bathsheba Folger (1652–1726), whose identities were
uncovered by their late-twentieth-century descendants, the last family members
to own the piece... The cabinet illustrated in figure 3 commemorates the 1679
marriage of Joseph Pope, Jr., and Bathsheba Folger, daughter of Nantucket Quaker
Peter Folger.
Witch Hysteria 1692 -Local Resources
MILL HAUNTED BY WITCHES ?
by S.M. Smoller
Was it witches that stopped the steady rhythm of the waterwheel at Pope's saw
mill on Norris Brook in West Peabody? That's what the miller told the
court during the witch hunt of 1692, when the area around Crystal Lake was owned
by two families intimately involved in the witch hysteria - one, the
accuser, and the other, the accused.
"The miller here in 1692 was
afflicted by the prevailing witchcraft," wrote John Wells in The Peabody
Story. "He testified that his mill wheel was unaccountably stopped
and 'would not go', and no reason could be assigned except the demonical malice
and power of some witch."
The haunted mill may have
been owned by the family of one of the persons afflicted by witchcraft,
42-year-old Bathshua Pope. She married Joseph Pope, Jr. in 1649 and was
living with her widowed mother-in-law, Gertrude Pope, within the immediate
vicinity of the farm of victims and martyrs Martha and Giles Corey.
Bathshua Pope, a member of the
Folger family from Nantucket, was the aunt of American patriot
Benjamin Franklin. She and Joseph had eight children. According to
the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, when Joseph died in 1712,
he named all his children in his will, except for the first two, "and notes
that the eldest daughter was infirm of mind, as probably had been her mother; at
least, she was much afflicted in the witchcraft days."
The localized witchcraft outbreak
took on hysterical proportions by the fall of 1692, with more than 150 people
examined and sent to prison. Nearly 50 people falsely confessed to being
witches who had made a covenant with the devil to assist in assaulting people in
the area. Nineteen persons who maintained their innocence, including the
three accused by Bathshua Pope, were tried, found guilty and hanged.
"Mrs. Pope" accused
Martha Corey, as well as Rebecca Nurse and John Proctor, of inflicting pain upon
her body through witchcraft. At the trial of Martha Corey in March 1692,
she joined with other afflicted women in calling Martha "a gospel
witch". Marion Starkey, author of The Devil in Massachusetts, wrote,
"Even while Martha proclaimed her innocence her devils had not been able to
resist devising new tortures for the girls. What Martha did, now they all
did. If she shifted her feet, they did so too, and fell to stamping with
such forces as to rock the meeting house. If she bit her lips, they yelled
that she had bitten theirs, and came running up to the magistrates to show how
they bled."
Richard Trask in The Devil Hath
Been Raised, A Documentary History of the Salem Village Witchcraft Outbreak,
writes, "After that, it was observed, that if she did but lean her Breast,
against the Seat, in the Meeting House, (being the Barr at which she stood,)
they were afflicted. Particularly Mrs. Pope complained of grievous torment
in her Bowels as if they were torn out. She vehemently accused said C.
(Corey) as the instrument, and first threw her Muff at her; but that flying not
home, she got off her Shoe, and hit Goodwife C. on the head with it."
The following month, Rebecca Nurse was arrested and tried. During the
examination, several afflicted persons reported seeing "a black man"
whispering in Nurse's ear. The judge stated, "What a sad thing it is
that a church member here and now ..should be thus accused and charged."
At which point, "Mrs. Pope fell into a grievous fit and cryed out a sad
thing sure enough; And then many more fell into lamentable fits."
Also in April, Elizabeth Proctor,
the pregnant wife of John, was accused. At her trial, John Proctor
was accused as well. "There is Goodman Proctor going to Mrs.
Pope", said Abigail Williams. Chadwick Hansen in Witchcraft in Salem
reported "immediately Goodwife Pope fell into a fit."
Earlier this century, two
postcards depicting the "haunted mill" were published. A color
postcard prepared by D.F. Bresnahan of Peabody shows two wood-frame structures,
2-l/2 stories each, located on either side of a 10 to 12 foot wide stream with a
catwalk bridge connecting the two buildings.
One card also includes the
following statement, "Site of Giles Coveys [sic] Mill who was pressed to
death for refusing to plead in his trial for Witchcraft in 1692." Today at Crystal Lake, a city conservation area, there are two stones which were
placed in remembrance of Martha and Giles Corey during the witchcraft
tercentenary three years ago.
City planner Judy Otto researched
the history of Crystal Lake to find out more about an icehouse purported to have
stood on the shores of Crystal Lake at one time. She examined the
"Map of Salem Village 1692" published by Charles Upham in 1866 and
town records of 1681, and determined that Joseph Pope owned the sawmill at
the westernmost point of the lake, at the outfall to Norris Brook. North
of Lowell Street on the east side of Norris Brook, which today would be on the
east side of Hoover Terrace at Lowell Street, was the dwelling of Gertrude Pope,
widow of Joseph. However, Otto does not think the Pope sawmill
was the haunted mill.
She wrote, "At the head of
Crystal Lake, at Goodale Street on the west side, lived Captain Thomas Flint.
The house was contained on the farm of Giles Corey, according to the boundaries
shown on the map. Giles himself lived further away on the other side of
the property, on what is now Johnson Street, near Oak Grove Cemetery.
These two (Flint and Pope) were the only dwellings shown in the vicinity of
Crystal Lake."
Flint's mill was built after the
Pope Mill by Thomas Flint on the opposite side of Lowell Street and closer to
the pond. This mill, which existed until the 20th century, is the mill
Otto believes is the haunted mil pictured in a black and white post card that
was printed by the Peabody Historical Society in 1905. It is titled
"Haunted Mill near Phelps' Station, Lowell St., West Peabody, Mass."
Interestingly, Joseph Pope Jr.'s sister Gertrude married Eben Flint, a son of
Thomas Flint.
In testifying against Martha Corey, Edward
Putnam and Ezekiel Cheever claimed "mistress
Pope was greatly afflicted by great
pressure upon her stomack"
During cross examination of Rebecca Nurse,
"Mrs Pope ll
into a grevious fit, & cryed out a sad thing sure enough: And then many more
fell into lamentable fits."
Q. Ann Putman! who hurt you? A. Goodman
Procter and his wife too. -- Afterwards some of the afflicted cried, there is
Procter going to take up Mrs. Pope's feet. --
And her feet were immediately taken up. -- Q. What do you say Goodman Proctor to
these things? A. I know not, I am innocent. -- Abigail Williams cried out, there
is Goodman Procter going to Mrs. Pope , and
immediately, said Pope fell into a fit. -- You see the devil will deceive you;
the children could see what you was going to do before the woman was hurt. I
would advise you to repentance, for the devil is bringing you out.
And John procter of Salem farmes being
then personally present was by Abigail Williams and Anna putnam Charged with
severall acts of Witchcraft by him Committed on the person of Mrs
pope the wife of mr Joseph pope and Others, who ware at s'd tyme
accordingly afflicted apparent to all, likewise marcy Lewis and [] cott charged
s'd John procter at s'd tyme upon w'ch s'd Jno proctor & his wife and Sarah
Cloyce ware all Committed to prison per advise of the Councill
Ann Putnam Jr said "also on the II'th
April it being the day of the examination of Elizabeth proctor I saw the
Apperishtion of Elizabeth proctor goe and afflect the bodys of Mistris
pope Mary walcott Mircy lewes Abigail Williams and also all the time
of hir examination she and hir: Husband and Sarah Cloys did most greviously
afflect Elizabeth Hubboard and would not let hir spake a word as I herd"
The Deposition of Sam: Parris aged
about.39.years, & Nathanael Ingersol aged about fifty & eight year,
& Thomas Putnam aged about fourty years all of Salem -- testifyeth &
saith that John Indian , Ann Putman & Abigail Williams & others of the
bewitched persons were severall times & greivously tortured at the
Examination of Elizabeth Proctor wife to John Proctor of Salem Farmes before the
Honoured Magistrates the. II'th April. 1692 . & particularly that Eliz:
Hubbard was in a Trance during the whole examination unable to speak a word tho
often called upon by s'd Magistrates, & also the said Abigail Williams &
Ann Putman then testifyed that they saw this Eliz: Proctor & her husband
John Proctor severall times afflicting of Bathshua Pope the
wife of Joseph Pope of Salem Yeoman, at which times the said Bathshua
Pope was seized with violent fits: & farther that the said
Abigail Williams & Ann Putnam , both of them made offer to strike at said
Eliz. Proctor , but when said Abigails hand came near to said Eliz: Proctor it
opend (whereas it was made up into a fist before) & came down exceeding
lightly as it drew near to said Proctor , & at length with open &
extended fingers touche said Proctors hood very lightly, & immediately said
Abigail cryed out, Oh! my fingers, my fingers, my fingers burne, & Ann
Putman took on most greviously of her head, & sunk down, as far as she could
being held up by such as tended her.
The Deposistion of Ann putnam Jun'r who
testifieth and saith I have often seen the Apperishtion of Jno procktor senr.
amongst the wicthes but he did not doe me much hurt tell a little before his
examination which was on the IIth of April 1692 and then he sett upon me most
grevi#[vi] ously and did tortor me most dreadfully also in the time of his
examination he afflected me very much: and severall times sence the Apperishtion
of John procktor senr, has most greviously tortored me by pinching and allmost
choaking me urging me vehemently to writ in his book also on the day of his
examination I saw the Apperishtion of Jno: proctor senr goe and afflect and most
greviously tortor the bodys of Mistris pope mary
walcott Mircy lewes . Abigail williams and Jno: Indian. and he and his wife and
Sarah
The deposition of Sam: Parris aged
about. 39. years and Nathanael Ingersoll aged about fifty & eight years
& also Thomas Putman aged about fourty years all of Salem -- testifieth
& saith that divers of the afflicted by Witchcraft were much tortured at the
examination of John Proctor of Salem Farmes before the honoured Magistrates the
II'th April. 1692 . & particularly when Mr Joseph Popes
wife was severall times afflicted, Ann Putman jun'r & Abigail
Williams testified that it was by John Proctor aforesaid & his wife
Elizabeth , & also when Mercy Lewes was much afflicted at the same
examination said Ann witnessed that it was by said Proctor & his wife &
Goody Cloyse , also when Goody Bibber was much afflicted, Abig: Williams just
before cryed out there is Goodman Proctor going to hurt Goody Bibber, & also
said Abigail cryed out there is Goodman Proctor going to hurt Mary Walcot ,
& imediately Mary Walcot was seized with a violent fit
The deposition of mary warrin aged 20 y'rs ho
testifieth I have seen the apparition of John procter sen'r among the wiches and
he hath often tortored me by penching me and biting me and Choakeing me and
presing me one my Stomack tell the blood came out of my mouth and all so I saw
him tortor Mes poap
and marcey lues and John Indian a pon the day of his examination and he hath
allso temted me to right in his book and to eat bread which he brought to me
which I Refuseing to doe: Jno proctor did most greviously tortor me with variety
of torturs all most Redy to kill me.
Examination of Mary Warren , April 19,
1692: "Now they were all but John Indian grievously afflicted, & Mrs
Pope also, who was not afflicted before hitherto this day: &
after a few moments John Indian fell into a violent fit also."
On March 19th, 1692, less than
three weeks after the accusations began, Samuel Parris and the Salem magistrates
invited the former Village minister, the Reverend Deodat Lawson, to observe the
situation and preach to the Village congregation. Lawson, hearing that the
"the first Person Afflicted was in the minister's Family," wrote that
he was deeply concerned because his own wife and daughter, who had died when he
was minster in the Village, were now rumored to have been killed by witchcraft.
Upon his arrival in the Village, Mary Walcott and Abigail Williams, both
children of church member families, confronted Lawson with their “grievous
fits” and demonstrated their afflictions. Walcott screamed in pain that she
was being bitten on the wrist, and Williams almost burned herself while
"flying" uncontrollably into Parris's fireplace, while calling out
against Rebecca Nurse.
The next day, Lawson began the
Sunday worship service with a prayer, but he was immediately interrupted. As if
to demonstrate that the devil’s aggression was aimed at the church, the
afflicted girls and a village matron stopped Lawson’s opening prayer with
their "sore fits." Two of the girls, Abigail Williams and Ann Putnam,
Jr., then became possessed and spoke sharply to the astonished Lawson, attacking
his ministerial authority. Speaking in bold voices, which were understood to be
inspired by the devil, the two girls reprimanded Lawson in a spectacular display
of gender misconduct and Satanic assault on the clergy. “After Psalm was
sung,” Lawson reported, “Abigail Williams said to me, ‘Now stand up and
Name your Text’: and after it was read, she said, 'it is a long text'.” As
he began to preach, the respected middle-aged Bathshua Pope, entranced by
the devil, disrupted his sermon, saying outrageously “Now there is enough of
that.” At the afternoon service, Abigail Williams again spoke up while
possessed and attacked Lawson by questioning his authority to preach: “I know
no Doctrine you had, If you did name one, I have forgot it.” Ann Putnam chimed
in and accused Lawson of having a “Yellow-bird,” a witch-familiar spirit,
perched on his hat, thus implying that he was an agent of the Devil. In these
performances, the afflicted showed Lawson that more was at stake than just a few
troubled girls: the church itself was being threatened. The ministry was being
attacked, as Parris had proclaimed, and godly women and children of the
congregation were being transformed into agents of Satan.
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