152 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1684. 



name of Mattinnaconk, bearing date the 2d day of the 12th 

 month, 1684." 

 At the same time, 



" Christopher Taylor, President, did, in open Court, deliver 

 over a penal bond of performance for four hundred pounds at or 

 upon the 1st day of November, 1685." 



Persons charged with the higher grades of crime were not 

 tried by the County Courts. The imaginary crime of Witeh- 

 craft was in those days placed among the most heinous ; and 

 hence it was that the celebrated Pennsylvania witch trial took 

 place before Governor Penn and his Council, sitting as a Supe- 

 rior Court at Philadelphia, The parties, who, in that case, 

 were the victims of this most stupid of all superstitions, resided 

 near the mouth of Crum Creek, were in good circumstances, 

 and for aught that is known to the contrary, were quite as 

 respectable as their accusers. 



The following is the record of the trial copied from the pub- 

 lished minutes of the Council, " held at Philadelphia y^ 27*'' of 

 the VI''' month, 1683." [February, 1684.]^ 



" Margaret Matson's Indictm' was read, and she pleads not 

 Guilty, and will be tryed by the Country." 



" Lasse Cock attested Interpriter between the Prop" and 

 the Prisoner at the Barr." 



"The Petty Jury Impanneled; their names are as followed: — 

 Jno. Hasting, foreman, Albertus Hendrickson, Robt. Piles, 

 Robt. Wade, Nath. Evans, Edwd. Carter, W". Hewes, Jer: 

 Collet, Jno. Kinsman, Jno. Gibbons, Walter Martin, Edw'*. 

 Bezar."^ 



" Henry Drystreet, attested, saith he was tould 20 years ago, 

 that the Prisoner at the Barr was a Witch, and that several 

 cows were bewitcht by her; also that James Saunderling's mother 

 tould him that she bewitcht her cow, but afterwards said it was 

 a mistake, and that her cow should doe well againe, for it was 

 not her cow but another Persons that should dye." 



" Charles Ashcom, attested, saith that Anthony's Wife being 

 asked why she sould her cattle ; was because her mother had 

 Bewitcht them, having taken the Witchcraft of Hendrick's 

 Cattle, and put it on their oxen ; she myght keep but noe other 

 Cattle, and also that one night the Daughter of y' Prisoner 

 called him up hastely, and when he came she sayed there was a 

 great Light but just before, and an old woman with a knife in 

 her hand at y" Bedd's feet, and therefore she cryed out and 

 desired Jno. Symcock to take away his Calves, or Else she 

 would send them to Hell." 



1 Col. Rco. i. 93-95. 



^ The jurors were all residents within the district now included in Delaware County, 



