Mary Bradbury
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| Mary Bradbury | |
| Born | Mary Perkins Hilmorton, County Warwick, England |
|---|---|
| Died | December 20, 1700 Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts |
| Known for | Accused Salem Witch Convicted & Later Exonerated |
| Spouse | Thomas Bradbury |
| Parents | John Perkins, Judith Gater |
| Relatives | Ray Bradbury |
Mary Perkins Bradbury (baptized September 3,1615 - December 20, 1700) was tried, convicted and sentenced to hang as a witch in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. [1]
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[edit] Early life
Mary Perkins was daughter of John and Judith (Gater) Perkins, baptized in 1615 at Hilmorton, County Warwick, England. Her family emigrated to America in 1630, sailing on the "Lion" from Bristol.
In 1636 she married Thomas Bradbury of Salisbury, Massachusetts, considered one of its most distinguished citizens.
[edit] Witch trials
In the notorious witch trials of 1692, Mary Bradbury was indicted for (among other charges):
"Certaine Detestable arts called Witchcraft & Sorceries Wickedly Mallitiously and felloniously hath used practiced and Exercised At and in the Township of Andivor in the County of Essex aforesaid in upon & against one Timothy Swann of Andivor In the County aforesaid Husbandman -- by which said Wicked Acts the said Timothy Swann upon the 26th day of July Aforesaid and divers other days & times both before and after was and is Tortured Afflicted Consumed Pined Wasted and Tormented..."
Witnesses testified that she assumed animal forms; her most unusual metamorphosis was said to have been that of a blue boar.
Another allegation was that she cast spells upon ships.
Over a hundred of her neighbors and townspeople testified on her behalf, but to no avail and she was found guilty of practicing magic and sentenced to be executed.
Through the ongoing efforts of her friends, her execution was delayed. After the witch frenzy had passed, she was released. By some accounts she was allowed to escape. Others claim she bribed her jailer.
Mary Bradbury died of natural causes in her own bed in 1700.
In 1711, the governor and council of Massachusetts authorized payment of £578.12s to the claimants representing twenty-three persons condemned at Salem, and the heirs of Mary Bradbury received £20. A petition to reverse the attainder of twenty-two of the thirty-one citizens convicted and condemned as a result of the trials was passed by the Massachusetts General Court in 1711, and in 1957 The Commonwealth of Massachusetts reversed the stigma placed on all those not covered by earlier orders.
[edit] Decendants
The descendants of Mary Bradbury include:
Ray Bradbury, American science fiction writer.
Bradbury Robinson (1752-1801), a great-great grandson who fought for the patriots at the Battle of Concord (1775) and testified that the British fired first.
Bradbury Robinson (1884-1949), threw football's first legal forward pass.
[edit] Sources
- Bradbury, John Merrill, Bradbury Memorial: Records of Some of the Descendants of Thomas Bradbury of Adamenticus, York, 1634 also of Salisbury, Massachusetts, 1638, 1890
- Tomlinson, Abraham, The Military Journals of Two Private Soldiers, 1758-1775 With Numerous Illustrative Notes, 2007
[edit] References
- ^ The Salem Witch Trials 1692. Retrieved on 2008-03-22.
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| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Mary Bradbury |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Mary Perkins |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Salem Witch |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1615 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | England |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 20, 1700 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts |
