13 Facts About Bridget Bishop

Bridget Bishop was a midwife and the first person executed for witchcraft during the Salem witch trials in 1692.

Bridget Bishop had two sons and one daughter from her first marriage: John, Benjamin and Mary.

Bridget Bishop was earlier accused of bewitching Thomas Oliver to death, but was acquitted for lack of evidence.

Bridget Bishop was examined due to her accusation of suspicion of "sundry acts of witchcraft".

Bridget Bishop's trial lasted eight days, officially starting the Salem Witchcraft Trials.

Bridget Bishop was charged for committing witchcraft upon five women, Ann Putnam, Mercy Lewis, Abigail Williams, Mary Walcot, and Elis Hubert.

Ann Putnam stated that Bridget Bishop called the devil her God, while other people such as Richard Coman accused Bridget Bishop of taking hold of their throats and ripping Coman and his wife out of bed.

William Stacy, a middle aged man in Salem Town, testified that Bridget Bishop had previously made statements to him that other people in the town considered her to be a witch.

Bridget Bishop confronted her with the allegation that she was using witchcraft to torment him, which she denied.

Bridget Bishop testified that Bishop asked him to dye lace, which apparently was too small to be used on anything but a poppet, a doll used in spell-casting.

Bridget Bishop was recorded to be the first woman to die from hanging in the colony.

Bridget Bishop was often confused with Sarah Bishop, one of the other accused during the Salem trial.

Bridget Bishop had already been accused and deemed innocent a whole decade following up to the witchcraft hysteria.