Edward Bishop (Salem)
Encyclopedia
Edward Bishop was involved in the witchcraft hysteria of 1692
, but there has been some confusion about his identity. There were four men named Edward Bishop living in Salem at the time of the trials . Most of the early genealogical works, such as those by Savage, and Pope were confused, and some stated as much.
The reconstructed vital records of Salem Massachusetts lists baptisms for 3 children of Edward Bishop (likely by his first wife Hannah) between 1646 and 1651 at the First Church of Salem Massachusetts:
Hanna Bishop 12 April 1646
Edward Bishop 23 April 1648
Mary Bishop 12 October 1651
An Edward Bishop was one of the founders of the First Church of Beverly MA in 1667 .
At the time of the trials, three men living in Salem named Edward Bishop were related (father, son, grandson) .
In 1692 an Edward Bishop and his wife were arrested after which they were transferred to the Boston jail, and escaped in October of that same year.
Edward Bishop, the sawyer, married Bridget Bishop
who was accused of witchcraft in April 1692 and hanged in June of that year. (In Bridget Bishop's arrest warrant of which the original still exists, she is referred to as "wife of Edward Bishop, the sawyer".)
After the death of his wife Bridget, Edward Bishop the sawyer married Elizabeth Cash 9 March 1693 .
Edward Bishop Sr. was born around 1620 in England and married Hannah (surnamed More), and it was Edward Jr., who along with his wife, Sarah (née Wildes), was accused of witchcraft and imprisoned in the spring of 1692. Edward and Sarah Bishop had a number of children, including Edward Bishop III
. Edward III eventually married Susannah Putnam, who was a relation of the Putnam family who were the main accusers in the witchcraft hysteria. Edward Bishop the sawyer was not related to the other Edward Bishops.
Bridget Bishop and Sarah (Wildes) Bishop are often confused.
Sarah (Wildes) Bishop and her stepmother Sarah (Averill) Wildes are also often confused.
Bridget was not she who ran an inn that served drinks to underaged patrons and allowed 'shovel'-board to be played at all hours of the night, rather it was Sarah (Wildes) Bishop, and the inn was located at their home in Salem Village, next door to Christian Trask, who confronted the Bishops about the late night revelry and a few weeks later, supposedly committed suicide by slashing her own throat with a pair of sewing scissors.
Bridget Bishop lived on Conant Street in Salem Town.
Further evidence to support Greene's contention that Edward Bishop Sr. could not have been the husband of Bridget Bishop in 1692 is presented in a document of the trials themselves. When Rebeccah Nurse was accused of witchcraft, a petition in her defense was signed by 39 of her neighbors, including Edward and Hannah Bishop (spelled Edward Besop Sr and Hana Besop on the petition). Greene postulates that since Hannah was able to sign the petition, she was therefore still alive in 1692; thus Edward Sr. could not have been married to Bridget at the same time. It is unlikely that the signature belonged to his daughter Hannah as she was then married and would have been known by her married name.
Salem witch trials
The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings before county court trials to prosecute people accused of witchcraft in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Middlesex in colonial Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693...
, but there has been some confusion about his identity. There were four men named Edward Bishop living in Salem at the time of the trials . Most of the early genealogical works, such as those by Savage, and Pope were confused, and some stated as much.
The following are conventionally accepted as likely factual
Savage states that an Edward Bishop was living in Salem, Massachusetts as of 1639 .The reconstructed vital records of Salem Massachusetts lists baptisms for 3 children of Edward Bishop (likely by his first wife Hannah) between 1646 and 1651 at the First Church of Salem Massachusetts:
Hanna Bishop 12 April 1646
Edward Bishop 23 April 1648
Mary Bishop 12 October 1651
An Edward Bishop was one of the founders of the First Church of Beverly MA in 1667 .
At the time of the trials, three men living in Salem named Edward Bishop were related (father, son, grandson) .
In 1692 an Edward Bishop and his wife were arrested after which they were transferred to the Boston jail, and escaped in October of that same year.
Edward Bishop, the sawyer, married Bridget Bishop
Bridget Bishop
Bridget Bishop was the first person executed for witchcraft during the Salem witch trials of 1692....
who was accused of witchcraft in April 1692 and hanged in June of that year. (In Bridget Bishop's arrest warrant of which the original still exists, she is referred to as "wife of Edward Bishop, the sawyer".)
After the death of his wife Bridget, Edward Bishop the sawyer married Elizabeth Cash 9 March 1693 .
David Greene's Interpretation
In 1975 David L. Greene (presently editor of The American Genealogist) posited the following :Edward Bishop Sr. was born around 1620 in England and married Hannah (surnamed More), and it was Edward Jr., who along with his wife, Sarah (née Wildes), was accused of witchcraft and imprisoned in the spring of 1692. Edward and Sarah Bishop had a number of children, including Edward Bishop III
Edward Bishop III
Edward Bishop and his wife Sarah Bishop were arrested and jailed for witchcraft in the witchcraft hysteria of 1692, and accused in the Salem witch trials.-Conventional thought holds that:...
. Edward III eventually married Susannah Putnam, who was a relation of the Putnam family who were the main accusers in the witchcraft hysteria. Edward Bishop the sawyer was not related to the other Edward Bishops.
Bridget Bishop and Sarah (Wildes) Bishop are often confused.
Sarah (Wildes) Bishop and her stepmother Sarah (Averill) Wildes are also often confused.
Bridget was not she who ran an inn that served drinks to underaged patrons and allowed 'shovel'-board to be played at all hours of the night, rather it was Sarah (Wildes) Bishop, and the inn was located at their home in Salem Village, next door to Christian Trask, who confronted the Bishops about the late night revelry and a few weeks later, supposedly committed suicide by slashing her own throat with a pair of sewing scissors.
Bridget Bishop lived on Conant Street in Salem Town.
Further evidence to support Greene's contention that Edward Bishop Sr. could not have been the husband of Bridget Bishop in 1692 is presented in a document of the trials themselves. When Rebeccah Nurse was accused of witchcraft, a petition in her defense was signed by 39 of her neighbors, including Edward and Hannah Bishop (spelled Edward Besop Sr and Hana Besop on the petition). Greene postulates that since Hannah was able to sign the petition, she was therefore still alive in 1692; thus Edward Sr. could not have been married to Bridget at the same time. It is unlikely that the signature belonged to his daughter Hannah as she was then married and would have been known by her married name.