m.1655 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England
Her sister Rebecca Nurse was also found guity and executed for witchcraft in Salem
Children:
1. Isaac Esty b. 1656 d. 1714
2. Joseph Estey b. 2 May 1657 d. 25 Oct 1738
3. Sarah Esty b. 30 Jun 1660 d. 29 Jun 1749
4. John Esty b. 2 Jan 1661/1662
5. Hannah Esty b.1667 d. 5 Nov 1741 m. George Abbot 21 Jul 1707 Topsfield, MA.
6. Benjamin Esty b.29 Apr 1669 d. 28 Mar 1750
7. Samuel Esty b. 25 Mar 1672 in Topsfield, MA d. 1708.
8. Jacob Esty b. 4 Jan 1673/1674 d. 3 Oct 1732
9. Joshua Esty b. 2 Jul 1678 d. 25 Apr 1718
10. Mary Esty
11. Abigail Esty
Mary Easty was the daughter of William Towne, of Yarmouth, Norfolk County, New England, where she was baptized on August 24, 1634. Two of Easty's sisters, Rebecca Nurse, and Sarah Cloyse were also accused of Witchcraft during the Salem outbreak, although there is ample evidence that all three were innocent.
At the time of her questioning, Easty was about 58 years old and was married to Isaac Easty, with whom she had had seven children. Isaac owned and lived upon a large valuable farm. Her examination followed the pattern of most in Salem: the girls had fits, and were speechless at times, and the magistrate expostulated with her for not confessing her guilt, which he deemed proven beyond doubt by the sufferings of the afflicted.
"How far have you complied with Satan?" "Sir, I never complied with him but pray against him all my days. What would you have Easty do?" "Confess if you be guilty" "I will say it, if it was my last time, I am clear of this sin." During the exam, when Easty clasped her hands together, the hands of Mary Lewis, one of the afflicted were clenched and not released until Easty released her hands, and when she inclined her head, the afflicted girls cried out to have her straighten her neck, because as long as her head was inclined their necks were broken.
Easty was committed to prison after her examination. For a reason not disclosed in any of the remaining records, Easty, after spending two months in prison, was discharged on the 18th of May. She and her family believed she would now be safe from further accusations. They were wrong. The release seems to have been very distasteful to the afflicted girls, they became determined to not let the matter rest, and redoubled their energies to get her back into prison. On the 20th, Mary Lewis spent the entire day experiencing fits of unprecedented severity, during which time she said she was being strangled, and claimed "they will kill Easty out right." Several of the other afflicted girls claimed that they could see the apparition of Easty afflicting her, and people came from all around to see the fits. That evening a second warrant was issued for Easty's arrest. At midnight, after experiencing two days of liberty and being reunited with her family, Easty was rousted from her sleep by the marshall, torn from her husband and children, and taken back to prison where she was loaded with chains. Once Easty was back in prisons with chains, Lewis's fits stopped.
Easty was tried and condemned to death on September 9th. She was executed on September 22, despite an eloquent plea to the court to reconsider and not spill any more innocent blood. The court had long since ceased to pay any attention to anything that was said by the condemned. On the gallows she prayed for a end to the witch hunt.
Easty's parting communications with her husband and children were said by those who were present to have been "as serious, religious, distinct, and affectionate as could be expressed, drawing tears from the eyes of almost all present."
In November, after Easty had been put to death, Mary Herrick gave testimony about Easty. Herrick testified that she was visited by Easty who told her she had been put to death wrongfully and was innocent of witchcraft, and that she had come to vindicate her cause. Easty's family was compensated with 20 pounds from the government in 1711 for her wrongful execution.
PETITIONS FOR COMPENSATION AND DECISION CONCERNING COMPENSATION, 1710 -1711
(Account of Isaac Easty -- Case of Mary Easty)
Topsfield Septemb'r 8 th. 1710
Isaac Esty of Topsfield in the county of Essex in N.E. having been sorely exercis'd through the holy & awful providence of God depriving him of his beloved wife Mary Esty who suffered death in the year 1692 & under the fearfull odium of one of the worst of crimes that can be laid to the charge of mankind, as if she had been guilty of witchcraft a peice of wickedness witch I beleeve she did hate with perfect hatered & by all that ever I could see by her never could see any thing by her that should give me any reason in the lest to think her guilty of anything of that nature but am firmly persuaded that she was innocent of it as any to such a shameful death-Upon consideration of a notification from the Honored Generall Court desiring my self & others under the like circumstances to give some account of what my Estate was damnify'd by reason of such a hellish molestation do hereby declare which may also be seen by comparing papers & records that my wife was near upon 5 months imprisioned all which time I provided maintenance for her at my own cost & charge, went constantly twice aweek to provide for her what she needed 3 weeks of this 5 months she was in prision at Boston & I was constrained to be at the charge of transporting her to & fro. So that I can not but think my charge in time and money might amount to 20 pounds besides my trouble & sorrow of heart in being deprived of her after such a manner which this world can never make me any compensation for.
I order and appoint my son Jacob Esty Isaac Esty sen'r
to carry this to the Honored Committee aged about 82 years
Appointed by the Honored Generall
Court & are to meet at Salem
Sept 12 1710 Dated this 8th of Sept. 1710
(Reverse) Mary Easty of Topsfield Condem'd & Executed
(Account of WIlliam Good - Cases of Sarah Good and Dorcas Good)
To The Honourable Committee
The humble representation of Will'm. Good of the Damage sustained by him in the year 1692. by reason of the sufferings of his family upon the account of supposed Witchcraft
1 My wife Sarah Good was In prision about four months & then Executed.
2 a sucking child dyed in prison before the Mothers Execution.
3 a child of 4 or 5 years old was in prison 7 or 8 months and being chain'd in the dungeon was so hardly used and terrifyed that she hath ever since been very chargeable haveing little or no reason to govern herself. - And I leave it up to the Honourable Court to Judge what damage I have sustained by such a destruction of my poor family- And so rest
Your Honours humble servant
William Good
Salem Sept. 13 1710
[And in another hand:] 30 lbs. proposed for to be allowed
(Governor Dudley's Order for Payment)
By his Excellency the Governor
Whereas the Generall Assembly in their last session accepted the report of their comitte appointed to consider of the Damages sustained by Sundry persons prosecuted for Witchcraft in the year 1692 viz't
To lb. s. d.
lb. s. d.
Elizabeth How 12 0 0 John Procter and Wife 150 0 0
George Jacobs 79 0 0 Sar[a]h Wild 14 0 0
Mary Easty 20 0 0 Mary Bradbury 20 0 0
George Burroughs 50 0 0 Abigail Faulkner 20 0 0
Giles cory & wife 21 0 0 Anne Foster 6 10 0
Rebeccah Nurse 25 0 0 Rebeccah Eames 10 0 0
John Willard 20 0 0 Dorcas Hoar 21 17 0
Sarah Good 30 0 0 Mary Post 8 14 0
Martha Carrier 7 6 0 Mary Lacey 8 10 0
Samuel Wardwell & wife 36 15 0
_____________________________________________________________________
578 12 0
The whole amounting unto Five hundred seventy eight poundes and twelve shillings.
I doe by and with the advice and consent of Maj'tys council hereby order you to pay the sum above of five hundred seventy eight poundes & Twelve shillings to Stephen Sewall Esq'r. who together witht the gentelmen of the committe that Estimated and Reported the said damages are desired & directed to distribute the same in proportion as above to such of the said persons as are Living. and to those that legally represent them that are dead according as the law directs & for which this shall be your Warrant.
Given under my hand at BoSton the 17th day of December 1711
J. Dudley
(Reverse) Allowance to persons who were prosecuted for witchcraft
[To Mr Treasurer Taylor By order of the Governor & Council Isa Addington Secrty.]
_____________________________________
Mary Towne was born to William Towne and Joanna (née Blessing) in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England. One of eight children, she and her family moved to America around 1640. Mary married Isaac Eastey in 1655 in Topsfield, Massachusetts; Isaac, a farmer, was born in England on November 27, 1627. Together the couple had twelve children: Joseph (1657-1739), Sarah (1660-1749), John (b. 1660), Isaac (1662-1714), Hannah (b. 1667), Benjamin (b. 1669), Samuel (b. 1672), Jacob (b. 1673), Joshua (b. 1678), Jeffrey (b. ca. 1680), Mary, and Abigail.
[edit] Accusation and trial
Like her sister Rebecca, Mary was a pious and respected member of Salem, and her accusation came as a surprise. During the examination on April 22, 1692, when Eastey clasped her hands together, Mercy Lewis, one of the afflicted, imitated the gesture and claimed to be unable to release her hands until Eastey released her own. Again, when Mary inclined her head, the afflicted girls accused her of trying to break their necks. Mercy claimed that Eastey's specter had climbed into her bed and laid her hand upon her breasts. When asked by magistrates John Hathorne and Jonathan Corwin how far she had complied with Satan, she replied, "Sir, I never complyed but prayed against him all my dayes, I have no complyance with Satan, in this....I am clear of this sin.[1]"
For reasons unknown, Eastey was released from prison after two months, and discharged on May 18. However, on May 20, Mercy Lewis claimed that Eastey's specter was afflicting her, and was supported by the other girls. A second warrant was issued that night for Eastey's arrest. She was taken from her bed and returned to the prison; Lewis's fits ceased after Mary was chained. Eastey was tried and condemned to death on September 9. The following is Mary's petition to the judges:
The humbl petition of mary Eastick unto his Excellencyes S'r W'm Phipps to the honour'd Judge and Bench now Sitting in Judicature in Salem and the Reverend ministers humbly sheweth
That whereas your poor and humble petitioner being condemned to die Doe humbly begg of you to take it into your Judicious and pious considerations that your Poor and humble petitioner knowing my own Innocencye Blised be the Lord for it and seeing plainly the wiles and subtility of my accusers by my Selfe can not but Judge charitably of others that are going the same way of my selfe if the Lord stepps not mightily in i was confined a whole month upon the same account that I am condemned now for and then cleared by the afflicted persons as some of your honours know and in two dayes time I was cryed out upon by them and have been confined and now am condemned to die the Lord above knows my Innocence then and Likewise does now as att the great day will be know to men and Angells—I Petition to your honours not for my own life for I know I must die and my appointed time is sett but the Lord he knowes it is that if it be possible no more Innocent blood may be shed which undoubtidly cannot be Avoyded In the way and course you goe in I question not but your honours does to the uttmost of your Powers in the discovery and detecting of witchcraft and witches and would not be gulty of Innocent blood for the world but by my own Innocency I know you are in this great work if it be his blessed you that no more Innocent blood be shed I would humbly begg of you that your honors would be plesed to examine theis Afflicted Persons strictly and keep them apart some time and Likewise to try some of these confesing wichis I being confident there is severall of them has belyed themselves and others as will appeare if not in this wor[l]d I am sure in the world to come whither I am now agoing and I Question not but youle see and alteration of thes things they my selfe and others having made a League with the Divel we cannot confesse I know and the Lord knowes as will shortly appeare they belye me and so I Question not but they doe others the Lord above who is the Searcher of all hearts knows that as I shall answer att the Tribunall seat that I know not the least thinge of witchcraft therfore I cannot I dare not belye my own soule I beg your honers not to deny this my humble petition from a poor dying Innocent person and I Question not but the Lord will give a blesing to yor endevers.[2]
Robert Calef, in More Wonders of the Invisible World, described Eastey's parting words to her family "as serious, religious, distinct, and affectionate as could be expressed, drawing tears from the eyes of almost all present." She was hanged on September 22, along with Martha Corey, Ann Pudeator, Alice Parker, Mary Parker, Wilmot Redd, Margaret Scott, and Samuel Wardwell. On the gallows she prayed for an end to the witch hunt.
In November, after Eastey had been put to death, Mary Herrick gave testimony about Eastey. Herrick testified that she was visited by Eastey who told her she had been put to death wrongfully and was innocent of witchcraft, and that she had come to vindicate her cause. Eastey's family was compensated with 20 pounds from the government in 1711 for her wrongful execution. Her husband Isaac lived until June 11, 1712.
[edit] References
1. ^ "Examination of Mary Easty" (HTML). The Salem Witchcraft Papers, Verbatim Transcriptions of the Court Records. http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=BoySal1.sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/oldsalem&tag=public&part=240&division=div2. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
2. ^ "Petition of Mary Easty" (HTML). The Salem Witchcraft Papers, Verbatim Transcriptions of the Court Records. http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=BoySal1.sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/oldsalem&tag=public&part=262&division=div2. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
Mary Towne (Esty, Easty, Estey, or Estye) 
Joseph Estey