Imprisonment
Conditions while awaiting trial were harsh for those accused of witchcraft. The supposed witches were, “bound with cords and irons for months, subjected to insulting, unending examinations and excommunication from the church”. In Marion L. Starkey’s The Devil in Massachusetts it says, “. . . they were periodically subjected by prison officials, especially by the juries assigned to search them for witch marks”. Yet while Elizabeth Howe was imprisoned in these difficult conditions she was able to rely on the support of her family. Her daughters, and occasionally her blind husband, would take turns in making regular trips to Boston. Starkey said they would bring her “country butter, clean linen, and comfort”.
Read more about this topic: Elizabeth Howe
Famous quotes containing the word imprisonment:
“... imprisonment itself, entailing loss of liberty, loss of citizenship, separation from family and loved ones, is punishment enough for most individuals, no matter how favorable the circumstances under which the time is passed.”
—Mary B. Harris (1874–1957)