884 A. E. Verrill — The Bermuda Islands. 



• ' Wee the Grand Inquest. Taking into our consideration how it hath pleased 

 God upon slight & slender ground being carefully followed upon one person for 

 suspition of witchcraft, what good successe & yssues hath followed upon it, 

 Therefore wee desire that All such persons as wee have hereunder mentioned 

 may have some careful eyes cast upon them, soe that if it shall please our God 

 to discover more of them they may be persued after and proceeded agaynst 

 until, as David saith, wee have cut of wicked doers from off this Island." May, 

 1653. 



5. Trial of Elisabeth Page, IGoJ^. 



The following persons, tried for witchcraft, were two passengers 

 on the " Mayflower," whose captain stated that " hee did vehemently 

 suspect them to be witches." They were both tried at one session 

 of the court, Jan., 1654, but with very different results. The evi- 

 dence was equally worthless and absurd in both cases, but the jury 

 of women could find no moles on the body of the first one, and to 

 that fact she undoubtedly owed her life. 



" Charles Hancocke being sworne " "Saith that he being at the helme, Eliza- 

 beth Page had her finger over the compas, And yt ran round from North to South, 

 And turned backe againe, And said that any woman that was wth child may 

 make yt doe soe, And about 3 days after she told him that she had a Steele 

 needle about her that caused yt. yet other being present she s'd, do you not see 

 how it runs, and further saith not." (Signed) CHARLES HANCOCKE. 



The jury of women appointed to search her body found no moles. 

 Their report was as follows : 



'• Who doe all affirm upon their oathes that they find not any marke or spotts 

 or signes which may move them to judge Elizabeth Page to be a witch, only 

 something more than ordinary (in a certain place." 



" The Grand Inquest, 14 names. The Jury for life & death, 12 names. 



" Wee the grand Inquest do present Elizabeth Page, being a passenger in the 

 good shipp called the Mayflower, for that she not having the fear of God before 

 her eyes wickedly and felloneously consulted & covenanted with the devill con- 

 trary to nature & to the law of God and man. And contrary to the peece of the 

 comonwealth of England and the dignity thereof." 



" To which Indictment Elizabeth Page pleaded not guilty &c, and for her 

 triall put herselfe upon God & the country wch country being 12 sworne men, 

 found her not Guilty and was quitt by proclamation." 



6. Trial of Jane Hopkins, 165 Jf. 



" The attestation of Jeames Man before the grand Inquest the 3rd of January, 

 1655." 



"Who sworne saith that he being in the caben wth Jane Hopkins, she, said 

 Jane, wished that God might showe some signe whether she was a witch or not, 

 and emediately there was a thing in the likenes of a ratt appeared unto them 

 & further saith not." (Signed) JEAMES MAN. 



