Giles Corey
Giles Corey was an English immigrant who settled in Salem Village, Massachusetts, around 1659. He was a successful farmer who had multiple marriages, with his last wife being Martha Panon. Their lives were overshadowed by the Salem witch trials, a period of mass hysteria in 1692 fueled by fears of witchcraft, following a series of unexplained illnesses among local children. Corey's wife was arrested for witchcraft after expressing skepticism about the trials, and he initially testified against her. However, shortly after, he was himself accused of witchcraft, with allegations potentially tied to his controversial past.
During his trial, Corey refused to enter a plea, which led to his brutal punishment known as "peine forte et dure," where he was pressed to death with heavy stones for two days. His defiance during this extreme torture became a significant turning point in public sentiment regarding the witch trials. Following the trials, the Massachusetts legislature eventually exonerated Corey and his wife, acknowledging the injustices they faced. Corey's legacy lives on, inspiring various fictional works, including Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible," which explores the themes of fear and persecution that characterized this dark chapter in American history.
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Subject Terms
Giles Corey
Farmer, victim of Salem witch trials
- Born: c. 1611
- Birthplace: Northampton, England
- Died: September 19, 1692
- Place of death: Salem, Massachusetts
Significance: The Salem witch trials of the late seventeenth century represented a time of superstition and mass hysteria that resulted in the deaths of several people suspected of practicing witchcraft. One victim of the trials, a farmer named Giles Corey, was tortured to death by being crushed under rocks because he refused to enter a plea of guilty or innocent.
Background
Giles Corey was born in England sometime around 1611. It is unclear when Corey immigrated to America, but by 1659 he and his wife, Margaret, whom he married in England, were living in Salem Village in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Margaret died a short time after they moved to the village. Corey remarried Mary Brite, an immigrant from England, on April 11, 1664. Mary died in 1684, and Corey married for a third time in 1690, to a widow named Martha Panon. They both were active members in the local church, which required people to be accepted into its membership.
Although Corey was a successful farmer, he was the subject of some controversy. One of his farmhands, Jacob Goodale, was found beaten to death in 1676, and Corey was charged with the crime. Despite a witness that testified Corey admitted to the crime, the only punishment meted out was a fine. Neighbors suspected Corey had bribed officials to receive the light sentence. This would later play a role in Corey's ultimate fate.
Accused of Witchcraft
In the late seventeenth century, there were two nearby communities named Salem in Massachusetts. Salem Town, where Corey lived briefly before moving to the village, was a wealthier community with businesses. It eventually became known simply as Salem. Salem Village was a rural farming community in what became Danvers, Massachusetts. Both communities were coping with the aftermath of British and French fighting in the area, unsettled relationships with nearby Native Americans, and a recent smallpox epidemic.
These circumstances made neighbor fear neighbor and stirred superstitions as people tried to understand why so many unsettling things were happening. In the midst of this, several children began having seizure-like fits in January 1692. The girls, who were nine and eleven years old, were the daughter and niece of the Salem Village minister. Centuries later, explanations for these fits have ranged from a grain supply that was poisoned by the fungi ergot to epilepsy. At the time, however, the physician who examined the girls said they were "bewitched."
After the doctor made this claim, numerous other young girls also began having similar fits. Some contemporary experts believe this was mass hysteria or bids for attention. In 1692, a time when people firmly believed in the devil's ability to control people and in witchcraft, the people of both Salem towns readily believed that witches were causing the girls' symptoms. Pressed to say who bewitched them, the girls began naming various local people as the witches responsible for their fits. Authorities quickly began what became known as the Salem witch trials.
On March 21, 1692, Corey's wife, Martha, was arrested and charged as being one of the witches. This apparently happened because she began to express doubt about the trials that were going on and the claims being made against local women and men. She tried to prevent Corey from going to the trials, which reportedly fueled suspicion against her.
According to some accounts, Corey originally believed the claims of witchcraft against his wife. On March 24, he testified against her and told the court that he suspected her in the sudden illness of a pet cat and an ox. However, on April 18, Corey himself was charged with being a witch. It appeared his past crime against Goodale played a role in the accusations.
During the examination to determine if he was a witch, the girls who accused him exhibited fits and twitches. If he moved his hand or his head, the girls' hands or heads also moved, and they claimed he was forcing them to move. As the examination went on, Corey was asked to provide more testimony against his wife. This was a common way that accused witches escaped extreme punishment: by naming others as witches. But Corey refused.
Corey also refused to enter a plea as to his own guilt or innocence. According to the law of the time, the trial could not continue if the defendant refused to enter a plea. The practice was known as standing mute. The law also allowed for the defendant to be tortured until he entered a plea. The practice was known as peine forte et dure, or "strong and harsh punishment." This practice was commonly used in Europe but was not legal in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
The judge, Samuel Sewall, may have been inspired by a letter he received from Thomas Putnam, the father of one of the girls who was bewitched. Putnam's letter recounted a dream his daughter had about Goodale, the man Corey was accused of killing. The dream depicted Corey crushing Goodale with his feet. Sewall ordered that Corey be pressed with rocks until he entered a plea.
Corey was stripped naked, placed flat on a board, and had another large board placed on his body. Heavy stones were then placed on the board. All of this was in a public location near the courthouse. Over the course of two days, more stones were added. Corey refused to offer a plea and after being asked once again to do so, reportedly asked for more weight to be added.
Corey was crushed to death on September 19, 1692. Martha Corey and seven others were hanged on September 22.
Impact
The brutality of Corey's death changed public opinion about the trials. His refusal to enter a plea and his defiance under torture are seen by many historians as acts of protest against the methods used by special legal bodies seated to hear the witch trials. In 1711, the legislature of Massachusetts cleared the names of many of the accused witches, including Corey and his wife. Restitution was paid to their heirs. Corey would be the inspiration for characters in several fictionalized accounts of the witch trials, including The Crucible, a 1953 play by Arthur Miller.
Bibliography
Blumberg, Jess. "A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials." Smithsonian, 23 Oct. 2007, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-brief-history-of-the-salem-witch-trials-175162489/. Accessed 23 Jan. 2018.
Brooks, Rebecca Beatrice. "The Curse of Giles Corey." History of Massachusetts, 12 Oct. 2011, historyofmassachusetts.org/the-curse-of-giles-corey/. Accessed 23 Jan. 2018.
DeCosta-Klipa, Nik. "The Theory That May Explain What Was Tormenting the Afflicted in Salem's Witch Trials." Boston Globe, 31 Oct. 2017, www.boston.com/news/history/2017/10/31/the-theory-that-may-explain-what-was-tormenting-the-afflicted-in-salems-witch-trials. Accessed 23 Jan. 2018.
Pavlac, Brian Alexander. Witch Hunts in the Western World: Persecution and Punishment from the Inquisition through the Salem Trials. ABC-CLIO, 2009.
Rintoul, Douglas. "The Crucible: The Perfect Play for Our Post-Truth Times." Guardian, 14 Feb. 2017, www.theguardian.com/stage/2017/feb/14/the-crucible-the-perfect-play-for-our-post-truth-times. Accessed 23 Jan. 2018.
"Salem Witch Trials." History.com, 2011, www.history.com/topics/salem-witch-trials. Accessed 23 Jan. 2018.
"The 1692 Salem Witch Trials." Salem Witch Museum, www.salemwitchmuseum.com/education. Accessed 23 Jan. 2018.
Steele, Peter. "Negligence and Gullibility: An Explanation of the Salem Witch Hunts of 1692." Luther College University of Regina, www.luthercollege.edu/university/academics/impetus/spring-2011/negligence-and-gullibility-an-explanation-of-the-salem-witch-hunts-of-1692/. Accessed 23 Jan. 2018.