The Real Giles Corey

Many people have heard of Giles Corey and know he was a victim of the Salem Witch Trials. What many people do not know is that he was executed at the age of 80 and that he was not executed after being convicted of witchcraft. In fact, he was never convicted, unlike his wife, Martha. He is touted as something of a hero of the Salem Witch Trials because he withstood a tortuous execution without implicating himself. The only thing he said was that he wanted to be killed faster, in so many words. While this was certainly a valiant show of standing by his convictions, Giles Corey was hardly a hero. He was guilty of unconscionable things.

Giles Corey was born in England. When he came to the United States, he settled in Salem, Massachusetts. He remained in the area for the rest of his life, where he farmed a significant acreage. At the time of the Salem Witch Trials, he was 80-years-old and married to his third wife, Martha. He was a church-going man and his wife was known for being appropriately religious for Puritan-era Massachusetts. However, both had scandals in their past.

Martha Corey was the mother of a mulatto child who was born out of wedlock. Giles, for reasons unknown, did not seem to mind and the child lived with them on their farm. This was one of Giles' more noble acts. However, he was also a convicted murderer. Giles Corey beat one of his farm hands to death. He was found guilty and fined for the crime of murder. This was before he was accused of witchcraft, but it may have colored people's opinions of him. However, truth be told, convicted murderer or not, he probably would have been convicted of witchcraft. There were others who were less dirty, legally speaking, who were murdered as witches during these farcical, tragic trials.

The first Corey to be accused of witchcraft was Martha. She did not believe in the Biblical witches the Puritans feared in early Massachusetts. She was vocal about this disbelief and quite logically questioned the veracity of the girls making the accusations during the chaos leading up to the Salem Witch Trials. Unfortunately, the girls caught wind of Martha's opinion and added her to their list of witches and wizards. Martha was arrested and placed in jail.

Giles Corey was later added to the list of the accused. He was also added to list of witnesses against his wife. He later recanted his testimony against her, but the damage was done, as if these zealous witch hunters needed it. Then, Giles Corey refused to stand for his own trial. That is the crime for which he was executed, not for witchcraft.

On September 19, 1692, Giles Corey was crushed to death under stones piled onto a board on his chest. Instead of confessing under torture, he asked for more rocks to be placed on his elderly body. He was the only man ever to be ordered executed in this fashion in a court of law. Three days later, Martha was hanged for the crime of witchcraft. Giles became a symbol of the Salem Witch Trials and the brave souls who attempted to withstand their accusers. Unfortunately, he was no such man. He did not withstand his wife's accusers and even gave false testimony against her. However, he did die bravely.

Sources

The Man of Iron: Giles Corey, retrieved 2/7/11, law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/gielscoreypage.HTM

Snyder, Heather, Giles Corey, retrieved 2/7/11, www2.iath.virginia.edu/salem/people/gilescorey.html

The Salem Witchcraft Papers: Volume 1, retrieved 2/7/11, etext.virginia.edu/salem/witchcrafts/texts/BoySal1.html