A Short History of the Salem Village Witchcraft Trials (c. 1911) - M.V.B. Perley
A Short History of the Salem Village Witchcraft Trials (c. 1911) - M.V.B. Perley
A Short History of the Salem Village Witchcraft Trials (1911)
By M. V. B. Perley (Martin Van Buren Perley) · Illustrated historical edition · 99-page scanned PDF
What did it take to condemn a woman as a witch in Salem in 1692? A neighbour's suspicion, a sick animal, a mysterious fit—or simply the testimony of someone who claimed to see her spirit.
Published in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1911, this compelling historical account revisits the notorious witchcraft prosecutions of 1692, with a special focus on Elizabeth Howe, an Ipswich Farms woman accused of witchcraft and hanged on 19 July 1692. Its centrepiece is a transcription of her trial and related testimony, allowing readers to encounter the accusations, questions and denials in the words preserved by the historical record.
Perley combines a short history of the panic with names, dates, court officials, illustrations, maps, family history and a memorial to Howe. The result is both an unsettling portrait of how accusations spread and a revealing example of how the Salem trials were remembered in the early twentieth century.
Inside this remarkable volume
- How the Salem panic began: the afflicted girls, Reverend Samuel Parris's household, Tituba and the first examinations in 1692.
- The court and its critics: the establishment of the Court of Oyer and Terminer, the judges and jurors, and those who opposed the prosecutions.
- The victims of the trials: a chronological account of those executed, including Bridget Bishop, Rebecca Nurse, George Burroughs and Elizabeth Howe.
- Elizabeth Howe's examination: a transcript in which she denies knowing the accusing girls and refuses to confess to acts she says she did not commit.
- Extraordinary witness statements: allegations of spectral apparitions, fits, injured animals and seemingly inexplicable misfortunes presented as witchcraft evidence.
- Voices in Howe's defence: testimony from neighbours and relatives who described her character and conduct.
- After the executions: the family's efforts to seek redress, along with details of Howe's home and descendants.
- Historical illustrations and maps: period depictions of Salem Village, the meetinghouse, locations associated with the trials and surviving documents.
One of the book's most revealing details is the contrast between the fantastical allegations made in court and Howe's plain answers. It is a stark reminder that these trials concerned real people, real families and irreversible consequences.
About the digital edition
This download is a 99-page scanned PDF facsimile of the 1911 publication, preserving the original pages, typography, illustrations, maps and historical spellings. The original work contains approximately 76 numbered printed pages, alongside preliminary and illustrative material.
Historical reading note: The book recounts accusations and purported supernatural events, not proven acts of witchcraft. Its 1911 interpretations—including claims about Tituba and the causes of the trials—reflect the author's period and should be read critically alongside modern scholarship. Some passages discuss executions, mistreatment and historical prejudice.
Hearthwise Historical Library · Digital facsimile
Full title: A Short History of the Salem Village Witchcraft Trials, Illustrated by a Verbatim Report of the Trial of Mrs. Elizabeth Howe; A Memorial of Her
Author: Martin Van Buren Perley (M. V. B. Perley)
Year: 1911
Publisher: M. V. B. Perley, Salem, Massachusetts
Format: Digital download · Scanned PDF · 99 pages · English