I am at present very much bewildered. —But a little after she said as followes: —About two yeare and a half agoe she was in great discontent of mynd, her husband being abroad, and she at home alone; at which tyme a black man appeared to her, and brought a book with him, to which he put her finger and made a black mark. She saith, her memory now failes her now more than ordinary; but said she gave herself up to the Devil to serve him, and he was her lord and master; and the Devil set a mark upon her legg, which mark is black and blue, and she apprehends is a witch mark; and said that she is a witch, and thinks that mark is the cause of her afflicting persons, though she thought nothing of it then till afterwards she heard of others having a mark upon them. She sayes, that some tyme after this the black man carryed her singly upon a pole to 5-mile pond, and there were 4 persones more upon another pole, viz. Mistriss Osgood, Goody Wilson, Goody Wardwell, Goody Tyler, and Hanneh Tyler. And when she came to the pond the Devil made a great light, and took her up and dypt her face in the pond, and she felt the water, and the Devil told her he was her lord and master, and she must serve him for ever. He made her renounce her former baptisme, and carryed her back upon the pole. She confesses she has afflicted the persones that accused her, viz. Sprague, Lester, and Sawdy, both at home and in the way comeing downe. The manner thus:—The Devil does it in her shape, and she consents unto, and clinches her hands together, and sayes the Devil cannot doe it in her shape without her consent. She sayes she was at a meeting at Moses Tyler's house, in company with Mistriss Osgood, Goody Wilson, Goody Tyler, and Hanah Tyler. She said the mark above was on her left legg by her shin. It is about two yeare agoe since she was baptized. She said that all this was true; and set her hand to the original as a true confession. Noate, that before this her confession she was taken dumb, and took Mr. Epps about the neck and pulled him down, thereby showing him how the black man bowed her down; and for one houre's tyme could not open her lips.
Confession of Abigail Barker, Salem 1692; quoted from
Ellacombe: Witchcraft; Notes and Queries No.184