Elizabeth Jackson, An East Yorkshire Witch

On the 19th July 1692 five women were hanged in Salem, Massachusetts. Their conviction was one of witchcraft. One of the accused was Elizabeth Jackson, born in the hamlet of High Hunsley, just twelve miles from Hull.

Graystone, Philip, Elizabeth Jackson of Rowley [Ref: L.9.61 RO]

Elizabeth was around age one when she emigrated with her parents to North America 1638. They sailed from Hull in the June on a ship chartered from London named John, arriving in Salem harbour in August. The family settled down, establishing a home in the newly formed settlement of Rowley, Massachusetts. By the age of seven Elizabeth was a maid in the house of Ezekiel Rogers, formerly minister of St. Peter’s Church, Rowley, East Yorkshire, who was the driving force behind the emigration of a number of Rowley’s parishioners to North America, including Elizabeth and her family.

Aged twenty-one Elizabeth married James Howe of the neighbouring town of Ipswich. Elizabeth and James had five children in total. Elizabeth seems to have developed a strong assertive character, no doubt because her husband, James, was blind. It has been suggested that because of this Elizabeth may have played a more pivotal and dominant role in the community, perhaps proving unpopular in this male dominated society. It was perhaps this strong and assertive character that singled out Elizabeth later on?

Problems began for Elizabeth in 1682. A young girl of a local family began to have fits in which she accused Elizabeth of using witchcraft to make her ill. The young girl, however, refused to name Elizabeth as a witch, but the damage was already done.

Elizabeth was refused admittance to Ipswich church and with it her activities became more isolated, perhaps adding to the already aroused suspicion. Things died down but the issue of witchcraft resurfaced again in 1692, this time in the nearby town of Salem. The community at the time was experiencing difficulties with what appears to be a series of unfortunate and unexplainable events. It was at this time that people looked for scapegoats. The seventeenth century was no stranger to witchcraft hysteria. England and Europe had witnessed such hysteria earlier in the century, and it now spread to the colonies in North America.

The events at Salem centred upon a slave called Tituba, who hailed from Barbados. She regaled horrific stories to a group of girls, including the daughter of Reverend Samuel Parris, to which they believed themselves to be bewitched. The girls developed uncontrollable screaming and spasms, and with it the girls named those who had allegedly bewitched them. The first was of course Tituba. Other names followed, including that of Elizabeth.

Elizabeth found herself incarcerated in Boston prison. Elizabeth found support from her family, but also from Reverend Samuel Phillips, minister of the church in nearby Rowley. Phillips met with the young girl. The girl continued to refuse to name Elizabeth as a witch, despite best efforts of her brother to do so. Others offered testimonies on Elizabeth’s behalf, including neighbours who described Elizabeth as a good Christian.   

Elizabeth along with five other women, were tried in June 1692. The trial began on the 30th June with people demonstrating that they had been bewitched by her. Elizabeth was said to have also appeared in various forms of spirits and spectres. Perhaps the biggest blow to Elizabeth, and indeed her family, came from her brother-in-law, John Howe. He accused Elizabeth of bewitching some of his cattle to death. Of course this was fabricated, but due to Elizabeth and James having no male children, John stood to gain if Elizabeth was out the picture with any property reverting to John and not Elizabeth on James’s death.

In all 150 people were accused. Some were found guilty while others confessed to avoid death. Elizabeth, however, maintained her innocence, but to no avail. The trial concluded inevitably with the sentence of death by hanging. Elizabeth along with four other women were executed on 19th July, their bodies simply cast in to holes at their place of execution. Elizabeth’s death did not bring about an end to witch-hunting in Salem. Four men and one woman were hanged on 19th August with further executions on 19th and 22nd September. Eventually the frenzy did subside. In 1710 legal proceedings were brought to verify Elizabeth’s innocence. The conviction was eventually quashed and the family received compensation for the loss of her life.   

The Salem Witch Trials have captured the imagination of writers and artists over the last three centuries. The American Playwright, Arthur Miller, wrote The Crucible (1953), which was eventually turned into a film in 1996, featuring Daniel Day-Lewis and Winona Ryder. Today many people have heard of the Salem Witch Trials, but not many know that an East Yorkshire woman as one of those at the centre of this tragic and infamous 17th century witch-hunt.

You can read a detailed account of the life of Elizabeth Jackson and her trial at Salem by Philip Graystone, available in our Local Studies Library at the History Centre at reference L.9.61 RO.

Happy Halloween!

Neil Chadwick, Project Officer.