The Bridget Bishop witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions that took place in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692. Bridget Bishop was the first person to be tried and executed during the Salem witch trials. Bridget Bishop was living in Salem Town at the time of the trials, and she was known for her unconventional lifestyle. She was married three times and did not conform to the strict Puritan expectations of the time. She was also a tavern owner, which made her an easy target for accusations of witchcraft. The trials in Salem began when a group of young girls claimed to be possessed by witches.
On the same day, Richard Coman swore that Bridget Bishop had suffocated him while he slept. She had appeared in her “red paragon bodice,” then “lay upon [his] breast or body and so oppressed him that he could not speak nor stir.” Corman’s wife lay beside him, unafflicted and unaware. Why couldn’t Corman’s wife see Bridget’s specter? Did she ask why her husband dreamed of Bridget Bishop?
She kept a house of refreshment for travellers, and a shovel-board for the entertainment of her guests, and generally seems to have countenanced amusements and gayeties to an extent that exposed her to some scandal. Bishop was brought to trial for witchcraft once again in 1692 after Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Parris named her as one of the reasons behind their mysterious illnesses.
The trials in Salem began when a group of young girls claimed to be possessed by witches. They accused various individuals in the community of practicing witchcraft, including Bridget Bishop. Bishop was brought before the court and faced a barrage of accusations.
The Witchcraft Trial of Bridget Bishop
Bishop, whose maiden name was Playfer, was born sometime between 1632 and 1635 in England.
In 1660, she married her first husband, Samuel Wasselby, in England and moved to the Massachusetts Bay Colony around the same time.
After Wasselby died in 1664, Bridget married her second husband in 1666, a widower named Thomas Oliver who already had children from his previous marriage. Bridget and Thomas Oliver had one child together, a daughter named Christian who was born in Salem on May 8, 1667.
Bridget and Thomas Oliver had a troubled relationship. The couple quarreled often and were even brought to court for fighting in 1670, during which their neighbor, Mary Ropes, testified that Bridget’s face was bloodied and bruised on a number of occasions, according to the book Salem-Village Witchcraft: A Documentary Record of Local Conflict in Colonial New England:
“Mary Ropes, aged about fifty years, deposed that she had several times been called to her neighbor Thomas Oliver’s, by himself, but mostly by his wife, to hear their complaints one of the other, and they both acknowledged that they had been fighting together. Further she saw Goodwife Oliver’s face at one time bloody and at other times black and blue, and the said Oliver complained that his wife had given him several blows.”
Bridget and Thomas Oliver were fined and ordered to be whipped if they did not pay their fine on time.
In 1678, Bridget was brought to court for using foul language against her husband, as described in the book Salem-Village Witchcraft:
“Bridget, wife of Thomas Oliver, presented for calling her husband many opprobrious names, as old rogue and old devil, on Lord’s day, was ordered to stand with her husband, back to back, on a lecture day in the public market place, both gagged, for about an hour, with a paper fastened to each others foreheads upon which their offense should be fairly written.”
After Oliver died of an illness in 1679, Bridget inherited his estate, which consisted of a house worth £45, ten acres of land worth £25, a variety of household goods and two pigs. Oliver’s two sons and the couple’s daughter only received twenty shillings each.
“Execution of Bridget Bishop at Salem, 1692,” illustration by Joseph Boggs Beale, circa 1885Just three months after receiving her inheritance in November, Bridget’s stepchildren accused her of bewitching Oliver to death. A lack of evidence prevented the case from going to trial and it was speculated that the stepchildren’s accusation was an attempt to get their hands on the property she inherited from their father.
In 1687, Bridget was then accused of stealing brass from a local mill by the mill owner, Thomas Stacy, and arrested. Bridget claimed she didn’t steal the brass, but found it on her property and had no idea how it got there.
She also stated that she sent her daughter into town with the brass to discover what it was, not to sell it, as Thomas Stacy accused her of doing. Unfortunately, there are no surviving records indicating the outcome of this trial.
After Oliver’s death, Bridget Bishop married Edward Bishop, a well-respected sawyer (woodcutter). Bridget Bishop’s life at this time is sometimes difficult to trace because many historians, including Charles Upham in his 1867 book Salem Witchcraft, have confused her with Sarah Bishop, who was also accused of witchcraft and was married to Bridget Bishop’s step-son, who was also named Edward Bishop, according to the book Salem Story:
“As the first person to be executed in the Salem Witch Trials, Bridget Bishop has received plenty of attention from Salem’s historians, amateur and professional. She has served as a paradigm of the executed person as social deviant, the outsider who falls prey to a community devouring the eccentric on its margin. This is a version of Salem’s story codified in 1867 by Charles Upham, who in his Salem Witchcraft told the story of Bridget Bishop as a singular character, not easily described. ‘She kept a house of refreshment for travellers, and a shovel-board for the entertainment of her guests, and generally seems to have countenanced amusements and gayeties to an extent that exposed her to some scandal. She is described as wearing ‘a black cap and black hat, and a red paragon bodice,’ bordered and looped with different colors. This would appear to have been a rather showy costume for the times. Her freedom from the austerity of Puritan manners, and disregard of conventional decorum in her conversation and conduct, brought her into disrepute; and the tongue of gossip was generally loosened against her.’ Upham had made a mistake. Although he correctly identified Bridget Bishop as a woman who previously been charged with witchcraft, he conflated two people into one, inaccurately identifying her as living just outside of Salem Village, rather than in Salem [town] where she did live, and of being a rather colorful tavern keeper, which she was not. Upham’s mistake was understandable, since the confusion as to her identity actually goes back to 1692, and only some brilliant detective work by David L. Greene in 1981 brought clarity to the matter; still, some scholars have continued to make the misidentification.”
The mistake originates from Reverend John Hale‘s testimony against Sarah Bishop on May 22, which many historians have misidentified as testimony against Bridget Bishop because during the testimony Hale merely refers to the accused as “Goodwife Bishop…wife of Edward Bishop Jun’r.”
Since Bridget and Sarah Bishop were both accused of witchcraft and were both married to men named Edward Bishop, it’s easy to see how the two became mixed up over time.
Bridget Bishop’s Memorial Marker, Salem Witch Trials Memorial, Salem Mass, November 2015. Photo Credit: Rebecca Brooks
She was described as having a dark and sinister appearance and was believed to have made a pact with the devil. During her trial, several witnesses testified against Bishop, claiming that she had bewitched them or caused them harm. One witness testified that Bishop had tried to drown her, while another claimed that Bishop had cursed her family's crops. These testimonies were taken seriously, and Bishop was ultimately found guilty of witchcraft. On June 10, 1692, Bridget Bishop was hanged at Proctor's Ledge, a location in Salem where many other accused witches would also meet their fate. Bishop's execution would set the precedent for the many other trials and executions that would follow in the months to come. The Bridget Bishop witch trials were a dark chapter in American history. They demonstrated the extreme paranoia and fear that gripped the community of Salem during this time. Many innocent people were accused and executed based on unfounded accusations and superstitions. The trials serve as a reminder of the dangers of hysteria and the importance of due process and evidence in the legal system..
Reviews for "The Trials and Tribulations of Bridget Bishop: A Story of Injustice"
1. Sarah - 2/5 stars
I was quite disappointed with "Bridget Bishop Witch Trials." While I was initially intrigued by the premise, I found the execution to be lacking. The characters felt underdeveloped and their motivations were unclear, making it difficult for me to truly connect with them. Additionally, the pacing was slow and inconsistent, with some scenes dragging on for far too long while others felt rushed. Overall, I just didn't find it to be a compelling or engaging read.
2. Michael - 1/5 stars
I have to say, "Bridget Bishop Witch Trials" was one of the worst books I've read in recent memory. The story was incredibly confusing and disjointed, with no clear plot or structure. The writing itself was also subpar, filled with grammatical errors and awkward sentence structures. It felt like the author was trying too hard to be overly descriptive, resulting in a convoluted mess of flowery language. I struggled to get through the book and ultimately felt like it was a waste of my time.
3. Emily - 2/5 stars
I had high hopes for "Bridget Bishop Witch Trials," but unfortunately, it fell flat for me. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked depth, making it difficult to invest in their struggles. The dialogue also felt forced and unnatural, which made it hard for me to engage with the story. Additionally, the historical aspect of the book felt underdeveloped, with little attention to detail and a lack of meaningful historical context. Overall, I found it to be a forgettable and uninspired read.
4. David - 1/5 stars
I really didn't enjoy "Bridget Bishop Witch Trials" at all. The writing style was overly pretentious and verbose, making it a chore to read. The author seemed more concerned with showcasing their command of the English language than telling a cohesive and compelling story. The characters were also unlikable and unrelatable, leaving me with no emotional investment. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone looking for an enjoyable and immersive reading experience.
5. Jessica - 2/5 stars
I had such high expectations for "Bridget Bishop Witch Trials," but unfortunately, it let me down. The plot felt messy and disorganized, with no clear direction or resolution. The pacing was also off, with some parts dragging on while others were rushed and glossed over. Additionally, the writing style was overly flowery and convoluted, making it hard for me to follow along. Overall, I felt like this book had potential but failed to live up to it.