8. More evil children made Bridget Bishop the first of 19 people executed during the Salem Witch Trials
Remember poor Margaret Jones? Well, John Hale, erstwhile-supporter of the Salem Witch Trials, visited her in prison and watched her hang to death. Like the Witches of Warboys, ‘possessed’ children accused the Salem Witches and caused their deaths. These young girls had read tonnes of English witch pamphlets, and made claims of plagiarising these celebrated accounts. Long story short, 200 people wound up accused through hysteria, accusation and counter-accusation. The first of the 19 victims, Bridget Bishop, denied all allegations, but had plenty of testimony against her, and the court decided she was a liar. Bridget was hanged in 1692.
