{"id":2509,"date":"2023-08-19T15:08:05","date_gmt":"2023-08-19T20:08:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/torrencia.org\/history\/?page_id=2509"},"modified":"2025-12-10T13:04:13","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T19:04:13","slug":"examination-of-rebecca-nurse","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/torrencia.org\/history\/examination-of-rebecca-nurse\/","title":{"rendered":"Examination of Rebecca Nurse"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Date: March 24, 1692
Location: Salem, Massachussetts<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source: Salem Witch Trials: Documentary Archive and Transcription Project<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Examination of Rebecca Nurse, read by Emma, Amazon Polly digital voice<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Reading Guide<\/h2>
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Context<\/strong>: The Salem Witch Trials occurred in a period of time of heightened anxiety around women and their sexuality, shifting ideas about community versus individuality, and extreme concern about how Christians could ensure that their souls went to heaven after death. It also occurred at a time when the more power was given to community leaders and they had the muscle to enforce their power. The Salem Witch Trials were not unique to the British Colonies. Much of Protestant Europe also experienced a phenomenon known as Witch Craze, in which multiple single women were accused of having evil powers given to them because they were involved in sexual relations with the devil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note that all original spellings and punctuations have been preserved from the original document. Note also that the document says it was created March 24, 1691\/2. This practice of “double-dating” was because two calendars were observed in Europe: the Julian calendar which began the new year on March 25, and the Gregorian calendar which began the new year on January 1. For more information see Colonial Records & Topics at the Connecticut State Library<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Questions to Consider<\/strong>: How do you see the power of the state in this examination? How do you see anxiety around female sexuality? Who are the targets of a witch, and what does this tell you about the structure of the community in Salem? What can we learn about literacy from this document?<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Examination<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Examination of Rebecca Nurse<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The examination of Rebekah Nurse at Salem Village
24. mar. 1691\/2<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Harthorn.<\/a> What do you say (speaking to one afflicted) have you seen this Woman hurt you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, she beat me this morning<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abigial . Have you been hurt by this Woman?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ann Putman in a grievous fit cryed out that she hurt her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goody Nurse , here are two An: Putman the child & Abigail Williams complains of your hurting them What do you say to it<\/p>\n\n\n\n

N. I can say before my Eternal father I am innocent, & God will clear my innocency Here is never a one in the Assembly but desires it, but if you be guilty Pray God discover you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then Hen: Kenny rose up to speak<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goodm: Kenny what do you say<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then he entered his complaint & farther said that since this Nurse came into the house he was seizd twise with an amaz’d condition <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are not only these but, here is the wife of Mr Tho: Putman who accuseth you by credible information & that both of tempting her to iniquity, & of greatly hurting her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

N. I am innocent & clear & have not been able to get out of doors these 8. or 9. dayes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Putman: give in what you have to say<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then Mr Edward Putman gave in his relate<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is this true Goody Nurse<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I never afflicted no child never in my life <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You see these accuse you, is it true<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you an innocent person relating to this Witchcraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here Tho: Putmans wife cryed out, Did you not bring the Black man with you, did you not bid me tempt God & dye How oft have you eat and drunk y’r own damaon <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you say to them<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh Lord help me, & spread out her hands, & the afflicted were greviously vexed<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you not see what a solemn condition these are in? when your hands are loose the persons are afflicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then Mary Walcot (who often heretofore said she had seen her, but never could say or did say that she either bit or pincht her, or hurt her) & also Eliz: Hubbard under the like circumstances both openly accused her of hurting them<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are these 2 grown persons now accuse you, w’t say you? Do not you see these afflicted persons, & hear them accuse you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Lord knows I have not hurt them: I am an innocent person<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is very awfull to all to see these agonies & you an old Professor thus charged with contracting with the Devil by the effects of it & yet to see you stand with dry eyes when there are so many whet —<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You do not know my heart<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You would do well if you are guilty to confess & give Glory to God<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am as clear as the child unborn<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What uncertainty there may be in apparitions I know not, yet this with me strikes hard upon you that you are at this very present charged with familiar spirits: this is your bodily person they speak to: they say now they see these familiar spirits com to your bodily person, now what do you say to that<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have none Sir:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have confess & give glory to God I pray God clear you if you be innocent, & if you are guilty discover you And therefore give me an upright answer: have you any familiarity with these spirits?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No, I have none but with God alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How came you sick for there is an odd discourse of that in the mouths of many —<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am sick at my stumach —<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you no wounds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have none but old age<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You do Know whither you are guilty, & have familiarity with the Devil, & now when you are here present to see such a thing as these testify a black man whispering in your ear, & birds about you what do you say to it<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is all false I am clear<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Possibly you may apprehend you are no witch, but have you not been led aside by temptations that way <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have not<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What a sad thing it is that a church member here & now an other of Salem, should be thus accused and charged <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mrs Pope fell into a grevious fit, & cryed out a sad thing sure enough: And then many more fell into lamentable fits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tell us have not you had visible appearances more than what is common in nature?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have noe nor never had in my life<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you think these suffer voluntary or involuntary<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I cannot tell<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is strange every one can judge<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I must be silent<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They accuse you of hurting them, & if you think it is not unwillingly but by designe, you must look upon them as murderers<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I cannot tell what to think of it<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Afterwards when this was som what insisted on she said I do not think so: she did not understand aright what was said<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well then give an answer now, do you think these suffer against their wills or not<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I do not think these suffer against their wills<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why did you never visit these afflicted persons<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because I was afraid I should have fits too<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note Upon the motion of her body fitts followed upon the complainants abundantly & very frequently<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is it not an unaccountable case that when you are examined these persons are afflicted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have got no body to look to but God<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again upon stirring her hands the afflicted persons were seized with violent fits of torture<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you beleive these afflicted persons are bewitcht <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I do think they are<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When this Witchcraft came upon the stage there was no suspicion of Tituba ( Mr Paris’s Indian woman) she profest much love to that child Betty Paris , but it was her apparition did the mischief, & why should not you also be guilty, for your apparition doth hurt also.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would you have me bely my self — she held her Neck on one side, & accordingly so were the afflicted taken<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then Authority requiring it Sam: Paris read what he had in characters taken from Mr Tho: Putmans wife in her fitts<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of this<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I cannot help it, the Devil may appear in my shap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Reverse) This a true account of the sume of her examination but by reason of geat noyses by the afflicted & many speakers, many things are pretermitted<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Memorandum<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nurse held her neck on one sid & Eliz: Hubbard (one of the sufferers) had her neck set in that posture whereupon another Patient Abigail Williams cryed out set up Goody Nurses head the maid’s neck will be broke & when some set up Nurses head Aaron wey observed that Betty Hubbards was immediately righted<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salem Village March. 24’th 1691\/2<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rever’t Mr Samuell parris being desired to take in wrighting the Examination
of Rebekah Nurse hath Returned itt as aforesaid<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upon heareing the afores’d and seeing what wee then did see together with the Charge of the persons then present — wee Committed Rebekah Nurse the wife of fran’s Nurce of Salem village unto theire Majest’s Goale in Salem as per a Mittimus then given out, in order to farther Examination
*John Hathorne } Assis’ts
*Jonathan. Corwin } Assis’ts<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Date: March 24, 1692Location: Salem, Massachussetts Source: Salem Witch Trials: Documentary Archive and Transcription Project Examination of Rebecca Nurse The examination of Rebekah Nurse at Salem Village24.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[28],"class_list":["post-2509","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","category-us-history-through-1877","tag-unit-00","one-column"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/torrencia.org\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2509","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/torrencia.org\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/torrencia.org\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/torrencia.org\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/torrencia.org\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2509"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/torrencia.org\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2509\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3402,"href":"https:\/\/torrencia.org\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2509\/revisions\/3402"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/torrencia.org\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2509"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/torrencia.org\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2509"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/torrencia.org\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2509"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}