(Petition of Phillip English et al.)
To his Excelency the Governor and the Honorable Counsell and Generall Asembly
for the Province of the Massatusetts Bay in New England Conven'd. at Boston
May 25th 1709 The Humble Adress and Motion of Several of the Inhabitants of
the s'd Province some of which had their near Relations Either Parents or others
who suffered Death in the Dark and Dollfull times that past over this province
in the Year 1692 under the suposition and in that Gloumy Day by Some (thought
prov'd) of Being Guilty of witchcraft w'ch we have all the Reson in the world
to hope and beleive they were Inocent off, and others of us that Either our
selves or some of our Relations have Been Imprison'd impared and Blasted in
our Reputations and Estates by Reson of the same. its not our Intent Neither
Do we Reflect on the Judges or Jurors Concern'd in those Sorrowfull tryals whome
we hope #[and beleive] Did that w'ch they thought was Right in that hour of
Darkness. but that w'ch we move and pray for is that You Would Pleas to pass
some sutable Acts as in Your Wisdom You may think meet and proper that shall
(so far as may be) Restore the Reputations to the Posterity of the suffurers
and Remunerate them as to what they have been Damnified in their Estates therby
we Do not Without Remors and greif Recount these sorrowfull things But we Humbly
Conceive that we are Bound in Consience and Duty to god and to our selves Relatives
and posterity and Country Humbly to make this Motion praying God to Direct You
in this and all Your Weighty Consultations.
We subscribe Your sorrowfull and Distrest Supliants
philip English
Isack Estev sen
Benjamin Procter
John Procter
Thorndik Procter
George Jacobs
John Tarbell
John Parker
Joseph Parker
John Johnson
Francis Faulkner
Isaac Estey
Joseph esty
Samuel Nurs
Benjamin Nurs
john preston
Samuel Nurs ju
(Reverse) Original petion
(Mass. Archives Vol. 135 No. 111)
from The Salem Witchcraft Papers, pp. 972-973
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This page was last updated 05/02/21
by Margo Burns, 
.