(Warrant for Arrest of Rachel Clenton)
To the Constable of Ipswich --
Whereas There is Complaint Exhibbitted to the Honored Court now
holden at Ipswich
In Behalfe of their majesties. against Rachell -- Formerly the Wife of
Lawrence Clenton of Ipswich on grounded Suspision of witchcraft,
& whereas Recognizance is Enterd, for prosecution --
You are hereby Required in their Majesties names forthwith or as
soon as may be to apprehend seize & bringe before the Honored
Court to be holden at Ipswich the sayd Rachell Clenton on the next
morrow morning at Eight a Clock In order to an orderly Examina-
tion , & Conviction & hereof fail not at Your perrill & for so doing
this shall be your warrant of which you are to make a true returne
as the Law derects:
Ipswich March 29'th 1692)
P Curiam *Tho's Wade Cler
( Suffolk Court Records Case No. 2660 Page 140 )
(Summons of Witnesses v. Rachel Clenton)
To the Constable of Ipswich
You are hereby required In their Majesties names to Sumons warne
& Require to appeare at the Court to be holden at Ipswich on the
morrow morning Viz't Mary Fuller sen'r & Mary fuller Junior
& Allexsander Thomson jur & Richard fitts & Doct: John Bridgham
& Thomas Maning & Nathaniel Burnam all of Ipswich & Thomas
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Knowlton jur & Mary Thorne To Give in their severall Evidences be-
fore the Court to Cleare up the Grounds of Suspition of Rachell
Clenton Being a Witch & hereof faile not at Your perrill but make
a true returne under Your hand as the Law Directs --
P. Curiam *Thos Wade Cler.
I have served this warrant and read it to Rechell Clinton: this morn-
ing : and sezed hur Body: and Left hur in the hands of Samuell
Ordeway: [to] have in the Court house Against your honoures shall
Call for hur and I have Red the severeall warrants one the other
sid written this morning save only Richard fitts and Mary Thorne
and Richard fitts I could not find and Mary Thorne is not well: as
witness my hand
*Joseph Fuller,
Constable of Ipswich:
Dated this 29'th March 1692
( Suffolk Court Records Case No. 2660 Page No. 140 )
(Mary Fuller, Sr., v. Rachel Clenton)
The Deposition of Mary fuller sen'or Aged About 41 years Saieth
About the 23 or fouorth of Last March: 1691/2 About Tenn of the
Clock Rachell Clenton cam to our house and Charged me with
Raisen Lies of hur About my Daughter and Mary Thorne and whille
she S'd Rachell was drawing: my Brother Joseph Fuller's boy Com in
and said their Betty was fall Downe Ded and this was as shee S'd
Rechell pased by: hur: A comming to our house and further Run up
to my Brothers Joseph Fullers house for the space of Three hours
with out any [motission] of Life. spoke I Get hur hold up hur hand
If S'd Rachell was the caus of it and shee ded: and when shee could
Speke shee S'd The womman with A white cape pased by and
struck hur: on the forehead:
( Suffolk Court Records Case No. 2660 Page No. 141 )
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(Thomas Boarman v. Rachel Clenton)
This Deposition of Thomas Boarman sen'or aged 47 This Deponent
testifieth and saith that som wimen of worth and quality: Desired
me To Aquaint the seven men that Rachell Clinton was a great Diss-
turber unto them in the house in hunching them with hur Elboo: as
they went by hur s'd Clinton, and then the same Day ther I the
s'd Boarman: Desired the seven men to take som Cear the Rachell
Clenton: might be for warned: not to com in to Thoes wimens house,
no more to Dissturbe them, and as I the s'd Boarman was Riding
whom: that night after I had bin, Before me Like a Cat as I Apper-
prehended : and then I looked wistfully upon it; and it Semed to be
sumething Like a Littell Doge: and then I pursued it: and it Kept
the same Distance in the parth before me: all though I Road heard
after it I could not over take it, then I looked once [to] my right
hand: and I saw a Grat Turkle that moved as fast as I Roud a Long:
and Then I thought of Rachell Clinton then the Littell Creature and
the Turkle vanished away: and further saith not.
( Suffolk Court Records Case No. 2660 Page 140 )
(William Baker v. Rachel Clenton)
The Deposion of William Baker Aged 36 years Saith: About 10 years
Agoo: I living with my Master Rust: There was a Barrill of strong
beer brewed & the Day it was Brewed Rachell Clinton came there,
& was with sum small Thing: But what it was I can not tell: & the Day
morning the Bere was put in to the Berrill: & that day said Rachell
went bakwords and forrowords, 6 or 7 times: up & Dow the lane
that Leds to our house & Did not com in to the house that Day:
& that night following: hannah Rust: went Downe to see whether the
Bere worked or no: & Puld out the tape & could find no Bere in
the Barrel: neither was there any appearance of wet upon the flouer:
and presently after we fild the Barril with worter and it was in a
night and Day and Did not Leke any of it out as we could see And
after that we our folke Brued another Barrel of Bere and put it in
the sam Barrill & it Did not Leke tall after that And further Saieth
not:
( Suffolk Court Records Case No. 2660 Page No. 141 )
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(Mary Edwards v. Rachel Clenton)
Ipswich April the 4'th 1692
The testimony of Mary Edwards ageed about 52 yeres testifieth
& Saith that abought the 27'th day: of: this Last Dissember 1691 that
Rachell CLenton came to our houes & was very importinat with me
the s'd Mary: to have Rome in our house to kepe share but I tould:
har the s'd Rachell that there were no wages: provided to acommedat
har tharfore she -- must Rest har seat contented:)& at: this time: I
the s'd Mary was mackeing of BLood pudens: and she the above
s'd Rachell siting by the fier) by: her discorse had a great dissire to
have sum of that pudens: saying that it was very good foode:
& that she loved it very: well: so I the s'd mary gave: her: the s'd
Rachell one of the pudens: the which she Reseaved vary: sCornfully:
& quickly after rose up: out of her seate & went a way: muttering
but what she said I coulld not tell: but about the Latter end of Jin-
nywary : the s'd Edwards: had nine pigges: that ware a bout eight
weckes oulld that ware: tacken suddenly: five of them: &: died
& a bout a fortnight after that the s'd Edwards: had thre: yerelings
tacken sudently that semed to be very harty: & was: in good: Case:
but sudenly was tacken with unusuall fittes: Jumping & Roreing till
thay tumbled downe with in a Littell tim after one a nother) as: to:
the Latter part of this testymony Releating to the death of my pigges:
& yearings I can attest two
John s edwards, sen'r his
mark::
& furthermore mary: edwards: heard sum of her Children aske the s'd
Reachell how har hands ceame so: be Scracht: & swelled so & she:
made: This answar & said that she: had two or thre: Roges: catts:
that when she put downe her hand would scratch it:
( Boston Public Library -- Dept. of Rare Books and Manuscripts )
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(James Fuller, Jr., v. Rachel Clenton)
The deposition of Jeams Fuller Junier aged about eighteen years
saith that on the 15'th Day of march Last: 1692 or there a bouts:
as to the Day: A bout 9 or 10: of the Clock: I was talking with Good-
man Perry & telling him how the s'd mary Fuller my sister & Mary
Thorn wer taken last night: & in the mene while, whilst he and I was
talking Rachell Clinton Cam in to our house & sat Downe by the fier
I asked hur what shee came bother for at this time of night, & shee
said shee Came to see what Lies them were that we raisd of hur
& I tould hur I Ded not know as I had Raisd Eny of hur: Presently
my onkles Boy Cam in & told me that ther Betty was Ded, and as
soon as Ever she s'd Rachall Herd them words: she run out of Dors:
and I followed hur as herd as I could & when I Came to the Dore I
could see nothing of hur: & it was a very Cler mone light night & I
Run up to my onkles: Joseph fullers House: to see what the matter
was: & ther I found the Gerle Dede as the boys told me; & s'd onkl
fuller & I took hur up & Carried hur in the house & so shee conti-
nued for the space of 3 or 4 hours: before ther was any Apperance
of Life in hur; & the next Day I asked hur whoe mad hur so Last
night & she told me: She See Sumthing stare up at the Corner of
the [Stope] & Shee went a little way towards it & it Loced So Basly
she turned A bout to Run a way from it & it followed her & Knocked
hur Down
( Boston Public Library -- Dept. of Rare Books and Manuscripts )
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