06/02/2026
Deposition of Samuel Perley & Ruth Perley v. Elizabeth How, and List of Witnesses v. Elizabeth How
"The first of June 1692 The deposition of Samuel Perley and his wife, aged about 52 and his wife about 46 years of age. We, having a daughter about ten years of age, being in a sorrowful condition, this being soon after a falling out that had been between James How and his wife and myself. Our daughter told us that it was James How's wife that afflicted her both night and day, sometimes complaining of being pricked with pins and sometimes falling down into dreadful fits and often say I could never afflict a dog as Goody How afflicts me. My wife and I did often chide her for naming Goody How, being loathe her name should be defamed, but our daughter would tell us that though we would not believe her now, yet you will know it one day. We went to several doctors. and they told us that she was under an evil hand. Our daughter told us that when she came near the fire or water, this witch pulls me in, and was often sorely burned, and she would tell us what clothes she wore and would say there she goes and there she goes and now she is gone into the oven, and at these sights falling down into dreadful fits, and thus our daughter, continuing about two or three years, constantly affirming to the last that this Goody How that is now seized was the cause of her sorrows and so pined away to skin and bone and ended her sorrowful life, and this we can attest upon oath. Ruth Perley's mark. Samuel Perley and his wife declared the above-written to be the truth upon oath. After this, the above-said Goody How had a mind to join to Ipswich Church, that being unsatisfied, sent to us to bring in what we had against her, and when we had declared to them what we know they see cause to put a stop to her coming into the church. Within a few days after I had a cow well in the morning, as far as we know, this cow was taken strangely, running about like a mad thing a little while, and then ran into a great pond and drowned herself, and as soon as she was dead, my sons and myself towed her to the shore, and she stank so that we had much ado to flea her. Samuel Perley declared to the jury of inquest that all the above-written is the truth, upon oath, June 30, '92 (margin) As for the time of our daughter's being taken ill, it was in the year of our lord, 1692."
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