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Regni
ANNÆ
Reginæ Decimo.
Province of the Massachusetts-Bay.
AN ACT,
Made and Passed by the Great and General Court or Assembly of Her Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts-Bay in
New-England,
Held at
Boston
the 17th Day of
October,
1711.
An Act of Reverse the Attainders the Attainders of
George Burroughs
and others Witchcraft.
FOR AS MUCH
as in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Six Hundred Ninety Two, Several Towns within this Province were Insested with a horrible Witchcraft or Possession of Devils; and at a Special Court of Oyer and Terminer holden at
Salem,
in the County of
Effex
in the same Year One Thousand Six Hundred Ninety Two,
George Burroughs
of Wells,
John Procter, George Jacob, John Willard, Giles Core,
and his Wife,
Rebecca Nurse,
and
Sarah Good,
all of Salem aforesaid:
Elizabeth How,
of Ipswich,
Mary Eastey, Sarah Wild and Abigail Hobbs
all of Topsfield:
Samuel Wardell, Mary Parker, Martha Carrier, Abigail Falkner, Anne Foster, Rebecca Earnes, Mary Poft, and Mary Lacey,
all of Andover:
Mary Bradbury
of Salisbury, and
Dorcas Hoar
of Beverly; Were severally Indicted, Convicted and Attained of Witchcraft, and some of them put to Death, Others lying still under the like sentence of the said Court, and liable to have the same Executed upon them.
A
The Influence and Energy of the Evil Spirits so great at that time acting in and upon those who were the Principal Accusers and Witnesses, proceeding so far as to cause a Prosecution to be had of Persons of known and good Reputation, which caused a great Dissatisfaction and a flop to be put thereunto, until Their Majesties Pleasure should be known therein.
And upon a Representation thereof accordingly made, Her late Majesty Queen
MARY
the Second, of blessed Memory, by Her Royal Letter given at Her Court at
Whitehall
the Fifteenth of
April
1663. was Graciously. Pleas'd to approve the Care and Circumspection therein; and to Will and Require that in all proceedings against Persons Accused for Witchcraft, or being possessed by the Devil, the greatest Moderation, and all due Circumspection be Used, so far as the same may be without Impediment to the ordinary Course of Justice.
And some of the Principal Accusers and Witnesses in those dark and severe Prosecutions have since discovered themselves to be Persons of Profligate and Vicious Conversation.
Upon the humble Petition and Suit of several of said Persons, and of t be Children of others of them whose Parents were Executed.
Be it Declared and Enacted by His Excellency the Governour, Council and Representatives, in General Court Assembled and by the Authority of the same,
That the several Convictions, Judgements and Attainders against the said
George Burroughs, John Procter, George Jacob, John Willard, Giles Core, and
Core, Rebecca Nurse, Sarah Good, Elizabeth How, Mary Eastey, Sarah Wild, Abigail Hobbs, Samuel Wardell, Mary Parker, Martha Carrier, Abigail Falkner, Anne Foster, Rebecca Easmes, Mary Post, Mary Lacey, Mary Bradbury
and
Any Law, Usage or Custom to the contrary notwithstanding.
And that no Sheriff, Constable, Goaler, or other Officer shall be liable to any Prosecution in the Law for anything they then Legally did in the Execution of their respective Offices.
BOSTON:
Printed by
B. Green,
Printer to His Excellency the
GOVERNOUR
and
COUNCIL.
1713.
Regni
ANNÆ
Reginæ Decimo.
Province of the
Massachusetts-Bay.
AN ACT,
Made and Passed by the Great and General Court or Assembly of Her Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts-Bay in
New-England,
Held at
Boston
the 17th Day of
October,
1711.
An Act of Reverse the Attainders the Attainders of
George Burroughs
and others Witchcraft.
FOR AS MUCH
as in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Six Hundred Ninety Two, Several Towns within this Province were Insested with a horrible Witchcraft or Possession of Devils; and at a Special Court of Oyer and Terminer holden at
Salem,
in the County of
Effex
in the same Year One Thousand Six Hundred Ninety Two,
George Burroughs
of Wells,
John Procter, George Jacob, John Willard, Giles Core,
and his Wife,
Rebecca Nurse,
and
Sarah Good,
all of Salem aforesaid:
Elizabeth How,
of Ipswich,
Mary Eastey, Sarah Wild and Abigail Hobbs
all of Topsfield:
Samuel Wardell, Mary Parker, Martha Carrier, Abigail Falkner, Anne Foster, Rebecca Earnes, Mary Poft, and Mary Lacey,
all of Andover:
Mary Bradbury
of Salisbury, and
Dorcas Hoar
of Beverly; Were severally Indicted, Convicted and Attained of Witchcraft, and some of them put to Death, Others lying still under the like sentence of the said Court, and liable to have the same Executed upon them.
A
The Influence and Energy of the Evil Spirits so great at that time acting in and upon those who were the Principal Accusers and Witnesses, proceeding so far as to cause a Prosecution to be had of Persons of known and good Reputation, which caused a great Dissatisfaction and a flop to be put thereunto, until Their Majesties Pleasure should be known therein.
And upon a Representation thereof accordingly made, Her late Majesty Queen
MARY
the Second, of blessed Memory, by Her Royal Letter given at Her Court at
Whitehall
the Fifteenth of
April
1663, was Graciously. Pleas'd to approve the Care and Circumspection therein; and to Will and Require that in all proceedings against Persons Accused for Witchcraft, or being possessed by the Devil, the greatest Moderation, and all due Circumspection be Used, so far as the same may be without Impediment to the ordinary Course of Justice.
And some of the Principal Accusers and Witnesses in those dark and severe Prosecutions have since discovered themselves to be Persons of Profligate and Vicious Conversation.
Upon the humble Petition and Suit of several of said Persons, and of t be Children of others of them whose Parents were Executed.
Be it Declared and Enacted by His Excellency the Governour, Council and Representatives, in General Court Assembled and by the Authority of the same,
That the several Convictions, Judgement and Attainders against the said
George Burroughs, John Procter, George Jacob, John Willard, Giles Core,
andCore, Rebecca Nurse, Sarah Good, Elizabeth How, Mary Eastey, Sarah Wild, Abigail Hobbs, Samuel Wardell, Mary Parker, Martha Carrier, Abigail Falkner, Anne Foster, Rebecca Easmes, Mary Post, Mary Lacey, Mary Bradbury and Doreas Hoar,
and every of them, Be and hereby are Reversed, Made and Declared to be Null and Void to all Intents, Constructions and Purposes whatsoever, as if no such Convictions, Judgments or Attainders had ever been had or given. And that no Penalties or Forfeitures of Goods or Chattels be by the said Judgements and Attainders, or either of them had or incurr'd.
Any Law, Usage or Custom to the contrary notwithstanding.
And that no Sheriff, Constable, Goaler, or other Officer shall be liable to any Prosecution in the Law for anything they then Legally did in the Execution of their respective Offices.
BOSTON:
Printed by
B. Green,
Printer to His Excellency the GOVERNOUR and COUNCIL. 1713.