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March 24, 2005
Giles Cory
Giles Cory was killed during the Salem Witchcraft trials. His fame rests on his having been pressed to death rather than enter a plea. Under the laws of the time, if a defendant refused to enter a plea, he could be forced to. This was done by piling progressively more weight onto the chest of the accused. Giles Cory, 80 years old, still refused to enter a plea and was crushed. For this, he is remembered as a hero and has also been made the subject of a popular song. Legend has it that his last words were "more weight."
There is something else you need to know about Giles Cory.
Giles' third wife, Martha, was one of the first to be accused of witchcraft. At her initial hearing, Giles gave some evidence against her. There is some indication that his comments describing their domestic situation were inadvertent, but you need to remember that still, this was his wife and was speaking against her in a legal proceeding. For the moment, let's be charitable and call him human, a bit scared, and not quite as brave as John Proctor.
It gets worse though. After Gile's wife was sent to prison, he noticed that many of his physical irritants ceased to be a problem. This is significant, because at the time of the witch trials, many accusers reported that they were no longer troubled once the accused was in prison, and this was considered powerful evidence against them. What makes Giles Cory interesting, however, is that he volunteered this information to the magistrates, thus sealing Martha's fate. It is hard to be charitable toward Giles in this case.
That verse didn't make it into the song. It's a better story, though.
Posted by apc at March 24, 2005 10:50 AM
Comments
who wrote this?
Posted by: melissa at April 30, 2005 10:35 PM
"The evidence of Giles Choree testifieth & saith that Last satturday in the Evening. sitting by the fire my wife asked me to go to bed. I told I would go to prayr. & when I went to prayer I could nott utter my desires w'th any sense, not open my mouth to speake My wife did perceive itt & came towards. me & said she was coming to me. After this in alittle space I did according to my measure attend the duty. Sometime last weake I fetcht an ox well out the woods, about noone, & he laying down in the yard I went to raise him to yoake him butt he could not rise butt dragd his hinder parts as if he had been hiptshott, butt after did rise.
I had a Catt somtimes last weeke strangly taken on the suddain & did make me think she would have died presently, #[butt] my wife bid me knock her in the head. butt I did not. & since she is well. Another time going to duties I was interrupted for aspace, butt affterward I was helpt according to my poore measure.
My wife hath ben wont to sitt up after I went to bed, & I have perceived her to kneel down to the harth. as if she were at prayr, but heard nothing.
March: 24'th 1691/2"
Posted by: an heir at May 1, 2005 09:48 AM
Giles corey said that when he testified against his wife only to be later charged himself.
Posted by: Ellie at December 12, 2005 08:21 PM
i believe in this kind of stuff too
Posted by: ariel at January 27, 2006 10:24 AM