[Front]
Province of the Anno Regni Anna Reginae Decimo.
Massachusets Bay.
An Act to reverse the attainders of George
Burroughs and others for Witchcraft
Forasmuch as in the year of our Lord One Thousand Six hundred Ninety
two. Several Towns within this Province were Infested with a horrible
Witchcraft or Possession of devils; And at a Special Court of Oyer and
Terminer holden at Salem in the County of Essex in the same year
1692. George Burroughs of Wells, John Procter, George Jacobs, John
Willard, Giles Core and [ ]his wife, Rebecca Nurse, and Sarah
Good all of Salem aforesaid. Elizabeth How of Ipswich, Mary Eastey,
Sarah Wild and Abigail Hobbs all of Topsfield, Samuel Wardell, Mary
Parker, Martha Carrier, Abigail Falkner, Anne Foster, Rebecca
Eames, Mary Post and Mary Lacey all of Andover, Mary Bradbury
of Salisbury, and Dorcas Hoar of Beverly Were severally Indicted
convicted and attainted of Witchcraft, and some of them put to death, others
lying still under the like Sentance of the said Court, and liable to have
Executed upon them.
The Influence and Energy of the Evil Spirits so great at
that time acting in and upon those who were the principal Accusers
and Witnesses proceeding so far as to cause a Prosecution to be had of
persons of known and good Reputation; which caused a great Disatisfaction
and a Stop to be put thereunto until their Majesty's pleasure should be
known therein.
And upon a Representation thereof accordingly made
Her late Majesty Queen Mary the Second of blessed Memory by
Her Royal Letter given at Her Court at Whitehall the fifteenth of
April 1693. was Graciously pleased to approve the care and Circum-
spection therein; and to Will and require that in all proceedings agt
persons Accused for Witchcraft, or being possessed by the devil, the
greatest Moderation and all due Circumspection be used, so far as
the same ^{may be} without Impediment to the Ordinary Course of Justice.
And
[Reverse]
And Some of the principal Accusers and Witnesses in those dark and Severe prosecutions have since discovered themselves to be persons of profligate and vicious conversation.
Upon the humble Petition and Suit of several of the sd persons and of the Children of others of them whose Parents were Executed.
Be it Declared and Enacted by his Excellency the GovernE<s>
Council and Representatives in General Court assembled and by
the Authority of the same That the several Convictions Judgment<s>
and Attainders against the said George Borroughs, John Procter,
George Jacob, John Willard, Giles Core and [ ] Core, Rebecc[Lost] [=Rebecca]
Nurse, Sarah Good, Elizabeth How, Mary Easty, Sarah W[Lost] [= Wild]
Abigail Hobbs, Samuel Wardell, Mary Parker, Martha
Carrier, Abigail Falkner, Anne Foster, Rebecca Eame[Lost] [=Eames]
Mary Post, Mary Lacey, Mary Bradbury, and Dorcas <H>[Lost] [= Hoar]
and every of them Be and hereby are Reversed made an<d> [Lost] [=declared?]
to be Null and void to all Intents, Constructions and purposes wh[Lost]
ever [= whatsoever?], as if no such Convictions, Judgments or Attainders had ever [Lost] [= been?]
had or given. And that no penalties or fforfeitures of Goods or
Chattels be by the said Judgments and Attainders or either of them had
or Incurr’d.
Any Law Usage or Custom to the contrary notwithstanding
And that no Sheriffe, Constable Goaler or other Officer shall be
Liable to any prosecution in the Law for anything they then Legally
did in the Execution of their Respective Offices.
Made and Pass’d by the Great and General Court
or Assembly of her Majesty’s Province of the
Massachusetts Bay in New England held at Boston
the 17th day of October. 1711.
An act to reverse the attainders of George Burroughs, et al. for witchcraft, October 17, 1711, Phillips Library, on deposit from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives, DEP 01, box 12, folder 30