The Winchester news. [volume] (Winchester, Ky.) 1908-19??, 1909-02-23
CHAIR IS OLD RELIC
WOMAN WHO ONCE USED IT Ac-
cUSED OF WITcHcRAFT.
Her Husband Also Accused-FrienCs
Aided Them to Escape and Later
Salem Neighbors Held
Thanksgiving Dinner.

Salem, Mass-Mary English's chair
has been added to the collections of
the Essex institute in Salem. 1t
is a plain, square, high back wooden
chair On it is this strange inscrip-
ton: at shall be told of her. Mary
English, April %, 1892"
An examination of the institute
records reveals a remarkable story
which explains the meaning of the
phrase: 1T shall be told of her"
In the diary of DR.. Bentley is this
entry:
"Ordered the chair received from
the English family in memory of 1892
to be painted green, and on the back
1892 upper Stat; middle Stat, Mary
English lower Stat, April o. the
time OF her mitimus; on the front up
per slat, 1t shall be told of her.
In chapter of his diary DR.. Bentley
tells the story of Mary English. She
was the daughter of Richard Holdings
worth, famous colonel merchant.
She was exceptionally we'll educated
for woman of her time. She could
write.
She married Philip English. He
came here a small boy from the Isle
of Jersey. By industry he became the
largest ship owner of New England.
Soon after he married Mary Holdings
worth he built a mansion, which was
known for many years as 1.-THE Eng
lish Great Howse."
At IL o'clock at night, April %, 1892
(the date on the chair, sheriffs of
Salem entered the English house and
placed Mrs. English under arrest for
witchcraft. The Englishes had not the
charge. English paced the floor all
night. Mrs. English refused to rise.
The sheriffs remained on guard in the
bedroom all night.
In the morning Mrs. English insist
ed on putting her house in order and
in directing her servants what to do
until her return. She had 20 servants.
The sheriffs took Mrs. English to
the Cat and Wheel, a tavern, which
the authorities used for a prison and
court room, because the town Jail was
crowded with witchcraft suspects.
Mrs. English was confined here for six
weeks. In her room she could hear
the examinations of witchcraft sus-
poets going on below. She took notes
on them. She gave them to her hus-
band, who visited her daily.
English himself was arrested for
witchcraft. He and his wife were ia
ken to Boston because the Salem
jails were crowded. They were re-
leased on parole in Boston The Sun
day before they were to return to
Salem for trial they attended church
in Boston. The Rev. Willard Moody
preached. His text was: IF they
prosecute We in one city fee to an
other"
After church friends visited the
Englishes in Jail in Boston and urged
them to fly. They refused, declaring
they were innocent and God would
protect them.
Finally they consented to Escape
At night they left the Boston Jail, en-.
tered carriage and were driven to
New York. English had in his peck
ct letters from magistrates of Boston.
Gov. Fletcher of New York cordially
received him.
Whites the Englishes were in New
York famine set in in Salem. The
'witchcraft delusion had stagnated
industry. People were starving Eng
Hsh sent vessel loaded with provis-
ions to his suffering fellow townsmen.
After the witchcraft mania had
passed the Englishs returned to Sa-
lem. A public thanksgiving was de
clared in their honor. A dinner was
given. Even the magistrates and the
prosecuting officers attended.
Mrs. English died in 1894. English
died in 1874.
The chair in the institute is one of
the few memorials to them, or to
witchcraft victims in Salem.