Bridget Bishop. (1640 - 1692)
Bridget Bishop, a "singular character, not easily described" was born in England in 1640. She was married three times and each of these marriages were quite corrupt, the first was to George Wasselbe, who moved her to Salem, Massachusetts, but after six years of marriage he, at the age of 27 dropped dead. Very soon afterwards she married Thomas Oliver, and they had a daughter together. Bridget and Thomas often quarreled and bickered in public, their marriage was full of violent arguments, many of which took place in public, or could be heard from outside their house. On more than one occasion they were taken to the country courts for this. They were once, as punishment sentenced to stand back to back gagged and bound, in the town square.
In 1679 Thomas died, his death, in many was thought to be suspicious and Bridget was accused of practicing witchcraft, the case was eventually dismissed.
House of Ann Putnam, Jr. Danvers circa 1891
Statue of Nathaniel Hawthorne by sculptor Bela Pra...
Shipping scene in Salem, Massachusetts, a shipping...In 1687 she married her final husband, a man by the name of Edward Bishop, and to no surprise their marriage was very similar to Bridget's first two marriages.
Bridget was a woman of loose morals and low standards. She would often go to the men of Salem at night and urge them to worship the devil, when they fought her off, she would then strangle and bite them. She was also charged with the theft of several brass objects.
In April in 1692 she was arrested for sundry acts of witchcraft, she was put on trial before Judge Hawthorne. When she entered the room on April 18, several of the girls giving evidence against her were struck down with fits and extreme pain. She, at many occasions during the trial causally waved her hand or arm, and...