4/1/2017 Testimony against Accused Witch Bridget Bishop, 1692 Bridgett Bishop, a married, middle-aged woman, was the first colonist to be tried in the Salem Witch trials, found guilty and hung for practicing witchcraft in June 1692. Bishop was widowed twice and on her third marriage during the witch trials. According to Rebecca Beatrice Brooks, in her article Bridget Bishop: Witch or Easy Target, states that Bishop’s second husband was Thomas Oliver, who had children from a previous marriage. Bishop was no stranger to the courts. According to Brooks, Bishop and her husband frequently argued and were even brought to court for fighting. A neighbor testified, that Bishop’s face had been bloodied and bruise on more than one occasion. She had …show more content…
They appeared to be inflicted with pain when Bishop would shake her head or roll her eyes. She would cause the inflicted to faint, just by looking at them. They would immediately regain consciousness by the touch of only, Bishop’s hand. According to the testimony of confessed witch Deliverance Hobbs, Bishop had beaten her with iron rod, trying to force her to deny her confession of witchery and sign the book, again. Hobbs accused Bishop of attending and taking part in the meeting of the witches. John Cook testified that approximately six year earlier, Bishop had assaulted him with a blow to the head and on a separate occasion, made an apple that he was holding, fly out of his hand just by walking into the room. Another testified, fourteens years previously, while sleeping, he was awaken to Bishop in his bedroom, even though his doors were locked. She was standing next to a cradle where his child was lying. He testified that Bishop vanished but came back later and assaulted him. After the assault, it was said the child, who prior to this was in healthy condition, had a failure to thrive and died several months later. He testified that he didn't know Bishop or who she was, but recognize her face and knew that she was the reason for his