The Rev. George Burroughs: Appointment With a Hangman

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It’s not very often that a man of God has an appointment with the hangman. In 1692, the Rev. George Burroughs had just such an appointment, but then again, since he was adjudged a witch, that was to be expected.

Uncertain Origins of George Burroughs

George Burroughs was born about 1650, either in Suffolk County, England, or Scituate, Massachusetts Bay Colony, depending on the source. One source even claims, somewhat illogically, that he was born in the Virginia Colony. While some disagreement exists, most sources name Nathaniel Burroughs (1618-1682) and Rebecca Styles (1622-1684) as his parents. Both were born and raised in England. Nathaniel definitely died in England, but the record does not clearly state whether his mother also died there or brought young George to Massachusetts Bay.
It is unclear why she would have come to the New World without her husband. Historical references claim both. It would not be unusual at the time for a child to emigrate without his parents, either with a relative or as a servant.

Records shed little light on George Burroughs’ early life, but at least one claims his mother raised him in Roxbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony. We know positively that he graduated from Harvard in 1670, apparently with honors, and earned a divinity degree.

In 1673, he married his first wife, Hannah Fisher (1652-1681). They had two children: Rebecca Burroughs Fowle (1674-1730) and Hannah Burrough Thomas (1680-1746).

In 1674, he went to preach in Falmouth, District of Maine (part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony until 1820, now Portland), at the Falmouth Congregational Church. He remained there until 1676 when the village came under attack in August. By then, King Philip’s War raged. The Wabanaki raided settlements all along the Maine coast as far north as Acadia. Attacks reached Falmouth on Aug. 11, 1676 when 34 settlers were killed or captured. The raids continued in the area and along the coast for several weeks. Burroughs and others fled to an island in Casco Bay, living from hand to mouth until rescued.

 

The Attack on Falmouth

A letter from Maj. Brian Pendleton to the governor of Massachusetts detailed the incident.

…On the11th of this instant we heard of many killed of our neighbors in falmouth or Casco Bay: and on the 12^th instant, Mr. Joslin send me a brief letter written from under the hands of Mr. Burras [sic} the minister. He gives an acct of 32 killed and carried away by the Indians: himself escaped to an Island, but I hope Black point men have fetched him by this time.

In the event, their rescuers took them to Salisbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony, for shelter. He became the minister there until 1680, when Salem offered him the church post. Just what enticed him to Salem is unclear. His predecessor, the Rev. James Bayley, left because of continuing disputes with the Salem residents, including their failure to pay him. Bayley thoroughly briefed Burroughs before leaving. The Reverend Burroughs either missed or ignored Bayley’s warning, a portent of things to come.

Either Burroughs didn’t believe Bayley or thought he could mitigate the problems. In1680 he became the minister in Salem Village (modern Danvers).The dilapidated Salem parsonage needed considerable work before anyone could live in it. This should have clued Burroughs into the local support he would receive. Burroughs and his family ended up staying with a local resident. As a foreshadowing of future events, the problems encountered by his predecessor, if anything, got worse. Now he faced not just the animosity of Bayley’s detractors, but also his supporters.

Troubles

Charles Wentworth Upham noted the problems in his 1836 book: “Salem witchcraft: with an account of Salem village, and a history of opinions on witchcraft and kindred subjects.”

Immediately upon calling to the village to reside, he encountered the hostility of those persons, who, as the special friends of Mr. Bayley, allowed their prejudices to be concentrated upon his innocent successor. The unhappy animosities arising from this source entirely demoralized the Society, and, besides making it otherwise very uncomfortable to a minister, led to neglected and derangement of all financial affairs. In September, 1681, Mr. Burrough’s wife died, and he had to run in debt for her funeral expenses. Rates were not collected and his salary was in arrears.

Clearly, however, Burroughs had at least taken note of his predecessor’s problems, for as Upham goes on to state:

In making the contract with the parish, he had taken care to add at the end of the articles, these words: ‘All is to be understood so long as I have gospel encouragement.

In other words, he had given himself an escape clause. If the uncertain and capricious conditions of his employment were not clear to him when he took the position, they should have been abundantly clear when the town turned a blind eye to his plight when his wife died. His need to borrow funds for his wife’s burial would haunt him later.

The Price of Animosity

In February 1681, the Town of Salem agreed to pay him 93 pounds per year for three years and 60 pounds a year thereafter.  Whether this commitment was honored at all is unclear, but it seems the payment was not honored in full. Future events would suggest that the continued animosity, and his debt, made life unlivable for Burroughs and his family, particularly after his wife’s death. His “escape clause” came in handy since by April 1683, Salem parish “petitioned for relief, saying that Mr. Burroughs had left them…” Apparently the Salem parish did not understand that they caused most of the problem.

Reverend Burroughs returned to his old parish in Falmouth. But on May 8, 1683, he returned to Salem to settle his accounts. Salem still still owed him back pay, and he still had outstanding bills. One of those debtors, John Putman, had lent Burroughs the funds for his wife’s funeral, and Burroughs hadn’t repaid him. In the total lack of Christian spirit that prevailed in much of Salem, Putman had Burroughs arrested.

Ironically, given his later involvement in the witch trials, Nathaniel Ingersoll came to Burrough’s rescue. He and five others raised the 15-pound bond and eventually settled that debt. Clearly the Salem congregation was a divided one and ill will was left on all sides. Burroughs still owned some debts in Salem, but of course, Salem still owed Burroughs an unpaid salary. Caught in a vicious circle, the animosity would not end well for Burroughs.

A New Start

In about 1683, the Reverend Burroughs married his second wife, Sarah Buck (1656-Abt. 1692). They had at least one son, William. By 1690, the Reverend Burroughs was preaching in Wells, Maine. It must have seemed far-removed, if not in distance than in atmosphere, from Salem. Most likely, the events at Salem would have begun to fade. However, even if Burroughs no longer thought about Salem, Salem had not forgotten him.

On April 30, 1692, the major instigators of the Salem witch trials brought a complaint of witchcraft against the Reverend Burroughs and five others. The instigators — young girls named Mercy Lewis, Anne Putnam, Jr. Mary Walcott, Susanah Sheldon and Elizabeth Howard — accused Burroughs despite his complete absence. It is doubtful if any of the girls had even a passing knowledge of Burroughs beyond what they heard their parents talking about. Almost a decade had passed since Burroughs lived in Salem.

Capt. Jonathan Walcott and Thomas Putnam, obviously related to the girls, brought the complaint on their behalf. The accusers’ precise motive is unclear. However, old animosities and a desire for revenge likely drove the accusation.

George Burroughs Arrested

Of course, Burroughs was not living in Salem and had no knowledge of the accusations. But now Salem had to bring him to trial. The problem, of course, was that he was not in their jurisdiction. If word got out of an indictment, he could flee. So, with great secrecy, an arrest warrant was issued in Portsmouth, N.H., on April 30, 1692. Maj. Elisha Hutchinson and Jonathan Partridge went to arrest him. They arrested him at his home in Wells in the District of Maine and brought back to Salem.

The trip back to Salem was not without drama, and somewhat of a portent. Omens of doom and pending evil were a very real thing in the 17^th century. A ferocious thunderstorm — with falling trees, torrential rain and bolts of lightning — struck fear into the returning party. It was clear to Burroughs’ keepers that the Devil was trying to free him. When they all survived the onslaught with Burroughs still in custody, his keepers understood that the Devil had failed.

The Trial

On Aug. 5, 1692, Burroughs went on trial for his life. So did John Proctor and his wife Elizabeth, George Jacobs, Sr, John Willard, and Martha Carrier.The court tried all six as a group, but for separate crimes of witchcraft. No one accused them of conspiring together. This made any display of judicial impartiality nothing more than a show.

Thirty people testified against Burroughs.They accused him of things like superhuman strength and an ability to travel long distances in impossible times – signs that clearly the Devil was aiding him. Much was made by witnesses of his reticent behavior and his alleged control of his wife. Interestingly, one witness, Mary Webber, related hearsay testimony from a slave of strange goings-on. One of the accusing young girls, Susannah Sheldon even testified the Burroughs had come to her in a dream and confessed to killing his first two wives, killed three children in Maine, and two of his own children. As Upham notes in his history: “Mr. Burroughs was astounded at the monstrous folly and falsehood with which he was surrounded. He was a man without guile, and incapable of appreciating such wickedness.”

A Predetermined Guilt 

Since the evidence for all in the trials was based on lies, deceit, hearsay, complete fabrication and outright evil that required no actual proof beyond the accusing witness’s testimony, it was basically impossible for any accused to defend themselves. In Burroughs’ case, it is clear now, and probably was then, that the “proof” against him was being made up. In the case of the young girls, transcripts of their testimony note virtually the exact same line: “I believe in my heart that Mr George Burroughs is a dreadful wizard and that he has often tormented me and also the above named parsons by his acts of witchcraft”.  It would be clear in a modern courtroom that the witnesses had been coached to say the same thing.

According to “The Witchcraft Trial of Reverend George Burrough” (History of Massachusetts Blog) a recent handwriting analysis has concluded that Thomas Putnam wrote all the girls’ testimonies. But the animosity toward Burroughs was so great that everyone was willing to put doubts aside about the credibility of witnesses to get revenge. Additionally, in Burroughs’ case, Cotton Mather had taken a dislike to him. As such a powerful influence in Massachusetts Bay, Mather’s open condemnation of the accused only added to Burroughs’ problems.

The Procession to Proctor’s Ledge

Not surprisingly, given the community’s attitude toward Burroughs, the court found him guilty. He was condemned him to death along with George Jacobs, John Willard, Martha Carrier and John Proctor. On Aug. 19, 1692, all hanged. The Salem Witch Museum website provides a vivid description of the typical procession to the place of execution.

In 1692, convicted witches would be picked up at the jail, loaded into a cart, and escorted to the execution site by High Sheriff George Corwin, who would sign their death warrants. The path led south on Prison Lane (today St. Peter Street), right on Main Street (today Essex Street) heading west to the edge of town. The cart would have passed within view of the Meeting House where some examinations took place and the Town House where the trials took place, and past the homes of Judge John Hathorne, Court Clerk Stephen Sewell, and Judge Jonathan Corwin (the Witch House). At Boston Street, the procession would head north, turning right on Bridge Street (today Boston Street) and over the Town Bridge that spanned the North River. Shortly after the bridge crossing, the cart would turn left to the execution” [at Proctor’s Ledge].

And it goes on to note: “One of the biggest crowds to witness the hangings was reportedly on August 19, when Cotton Mather arrived from Boston to witness the execution of Reverend George Burroughs (who he considered to be the “king of the witches”), Martha Carrier (thought to be the “queen of the witches”), George Jacobs, John Proctor, and John Willard.”

Piety and Dignity to the End

The Reverend Burroughs was noted for his piety and dignity to the end. As described by Upham, based on observations by Mr. Calef:

 Mr. Burroughs was carried in a cart with the others, through the streets of Salem, to execution. When he was upon the ladder, he made a speech for the clearing of his innocency, with such solemn and serious expressions as were to the admiration of all present. His prayer (which he concluded by repeating the Lord’s Prayer) we so well worded, and uttered with such composedness an such (at least seeming) fervency of spirit, as was very affecting, and drew tears from many, so that it seemed to some the spectators wound hinder the execution.

Witches were not supposed to be able to recite the Lord’s Prayer. Now Burroughs had done it more than once and with conviction. For his detractors, that posed a serious problem that threatened to unhinge their revenge. But fortunately for them Cotton Mather was present, and provided the perfect foil: “…addressed himself to the people, partly to declare that he (Mr. Burrough) was no ordained minister, and partly to possess the people of his guilt, saying that the Devil often had been transformed into an angel of light; and this somewhat appeased the people and the executions went on.” As Mather was fully aware, Burroughs had a Divinity Degree, and his claim that Burroughs “was no ordained minister” was on outright lie. Apparently, the Devil actually was present that day and was seated on a horse in the form of Cotton Mather.

After Burroughs was hanged, he was cut down and dragged into a shallow grave. His clothes were pulled off and replaced by rags. The grave, containing others that were hung, was so shallow that body parts protruded.

Finally, An End

The Salem trials had now gotten completely out of hand. In September of 1692, the court convicted 18 more people of witchcraft. Province of Massachusetts Bay Gov. William Phips had been away fighting in Canada during this period. But when he returned he was made fully aware of the events. Phips put an immediate stop to proceedings, reasserting some control. On Oct. 12,1862 he declared:

I hereby declare that as soon as I came from fighting […] and understood what danger some of their innocent subjects might be exposed to, if the evidence of the afflicted persons only did prevaile either to the committing or trying any of them, I did before any application was made unto me about it put a stop to the proceedings of the Court and they are now stop till their Majesties pleasure be known.

In January 1693, a new court was seated in Salem. It no longer accepted spectral evidence against the accused. While this did not stop the trials, Phips would not allow any executions. The witch trials slowly died a quiet death. Even the most gullible of the inhabitants now began to wonder at the volume of alleged witches in their midst and the Pandora’s Box that they had opened. There must have been a growing awareness that no one was now safe from accusation. And now they had to consider their conduct. By 1711, the Massachusetts Legislature cleared the convicted witches and offered some monetary compensation to survivors and families of the accused.

Justice Delayed, But Not Forgotten

On Oct. 17, 1711, the Reverend George Burroughs and 19 others executed were cleared (four more died in prison). Burroughs’ widow and her children received the sum of 50 pounds (equivalent to $13,000 in 2025). Of course, Burroughs had children from prior marriages, and they filed a petition to share in the award. The court then gave six pounds of the 50 to them, which in turn caused the children to fight over the money.

In January 2016, historians and researchers finally confirmed that Proctor’s Ledge was in fact the site of the executions. Excavations had failed to turn up any remains. However, it is assumed that families retrieved their loved ones’ bodies after dark since they were all dumped into the rocks or put in shallow graves.  The family of one victim, Rebecca Nurse, buried her body on their property. Wild animals also could have dug up and eaten some of them. Given the overpowering odors of the dead, absolute darkness and the connection of the site to the Devil, it is doubtful that any resident willingly went near the area day or night.

On Aug. 5, 1992, Salem dedicated a memorial to the victims of the trial — 20 benches, one for each individual. Each bench has their name. method of execution and date. Three granie walls surround the benches. The spot sits next to the Old Buring Point Cemetery, where the remains of two of the trial judges, John Hathorne and Bartholomew Gedney, are interred. They lie near many of the residents who participated in or witnessed the trials and executions. The accused will overlook their accusers for eternity, a reminder thatevil truly exists in the world.

 Reverend George Burroughs is the author’s distant 13^th Cousin, 10 times removed.

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Photo Credits

Images: Salem Witch Trials Memorial Park By Willjay at English Wikipedia – Self-photographed, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51394405. Proctor’s Ledge Memorial By Jangseung92 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=95696697. Google Gemini created the image of George Burroughs standing trial.