A. E. Verrill — The Bermuda Islands. 879 



shown, to a considerable extent, by the records of the trials and of the 

 kinds of testimony then allowed as evidence, most of which was 

 utterly puerile and worthless, Some of the victims seem to have been 

 scarcely half-witted ; others were the victims of malice and spite, or 

 of the secret calumnies circulated as gossip in a neighborhood, just 

 as often happens in "society" nowadays. Some of the witnesses 

 naively stated that after quarreling they had threatened to accuse a 

 neighbor of witchcraft, if any illness or misfortune should later 

 happen to them. In at least one case such a quarrel and revenge 

 led to a conviction and execution, in spite of this admission. 



The ordeal by water was used in Bermuda in at least two instances, 

 given below, and very likely in other cases not recorded, for the 

 records of this particular period are imperfect. The crucial test, 

 however, in all cases, was the presence or absence of moles or warts, 

 supposed to be the "teats that the impyes do suck."* 

 The following is the first of the witchcraft trials : 

 " An assize and generall Goale deliverie held at St Georges from the nine- 

 teenth daye of Maye to the 22nd daye of the same mouth, 1651. Capt. Josias 

 Forster Governor, &c. 



(1) The Jury for our Soveraigne Lord the kinge Doe present Jeane Gardiner 

 the wife of Ralph Gardiner of Hambleton tribe for that ye said on or about the 

 11th day of April 1651 feloneously deliberately and malliciously did saye that 

 she would crampe Tomasin, a mulatto woman, in the same tribe, and used many 

 other threatenninge words tending to the hurt and injurie of the said mulatto 

 woman, and within a while after by practice and combinason with the devil, 

 fellonously did practice on the said mulatto the diabolicall craft of withcraft, 

 insoemxtch that the said mulatto was very much tormented, and struck blind 

 and dumb for the space of twoe houres or thereabouts, and at divers tymes in 

 other places did practice the said devilish craft of witchcraft on severall persons 

 to the hurt and damage of their bodyes and goods, Contrary to the peace of our 

 Souveraigne lord the Kinge his crowne and dignitie. 



To which indictment she pleaded not guilty, but beinge the grand inquest 

 found a trewe bill and for her further triall did put herself e uppon God and the 

 Countrey, which beinge a jury of twelve sworne men did find her guiltie, where- 

 upon the sentence of death was pronounced upon her, and accordingly she was 

 executed on Monday the 26th day of this instant May, at St Georges, before many 

 spectators. " 



(2) "The proceedinge against this woman was longe and teadious, by reason of 

 many acusacons. The Governor and counsell was very carefull in findinge out 

 the treweth. They caused a jury of woemen to search her and one Goody Bowen 

 which was suspected : they returned as followeth. Havinge made diligent 



* This absurd superstition, like most of the others connected with witchcraft, 

 was held in accordance with the prevailing theological teachings and books of 

 that period, both Protestant and Roman Catholic. The works of Matthew Hop- 

 kins, as is well-known, were especially prominent in spreading such fatal absurd- 

 ities, but the same doctrines had been previously promulgated in several papal 

 bulls, 1484 to 1522, and in various works of eminent Roman Catholic writers. 



