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 witcheraft 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 month, 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 
1ith 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, 
insoemuch 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 herselfe 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. 
