Introduction: In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry writes about the conviction of John Alden Jr. during the 1692 Salem Witch Trials. Melissa is a genealogist who has a website, americana-archives.com, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History.

Captain John Alden Jr., Mayflower scion and a mariner, merchant, soldier, and prominent member of church and community, was accused of witchcraft, examined at Salem, arrested, and sent to Boston jail. He escaped the rope and went on to tell his tale of terror.

This illustration, “Captain Alden Denounced,” is from A Popular History of the United States, from the First Discovery of the Western Hemisphere by the Northmen, to the End of the First Century of the Union of the States. Preceded by a Sketch of the Prehistoric Period and the Age of the Mound Builders, by William Cullen Bryant and Sydney Howard Gay, 1878.

For this article I am using the original trial records on Alden available through the Phillips Library Digital Collections, Peabody Essex Museum Library; records at the University of Virginia Salem Witchcraft Documentary and Archives Project; and articles from GenealogyBank’s Historical Newspaper Archives.

An article from a series, titled “Outbreak of Witchcraft” published in the Boston Herald, details some of Alden’s trial, told via a letter written by an imaginary character named Enos Wilson – who is used by the author to add color to this historical time but does not alter the events.

This illustration’s caption has the accuser saying:

“Is it not the [book] of the evil one? Is it not true that, if anyone signs, they bind themselves to Satan and become a witch like yourself?”

In this article, the “letter writer” states:

It concerns one from our own town of Boston, namely John Alden. Ye will perchance remember him, for he is the son of John Alden [and Priscilla (Mullins) Alden] of Plymouth, who came in the Mayflower. [The warrant for Captain Alden is dated 13 May 1692.]

On the 28th of May he was sent for by the magistrates of Salem, being accused by the afflicted girls. He was sent to Salem by Mr. Stoughton and appeared here before Mr. Gedney, Mr. Hathorne and Mr. Corwin.

The next part of the written narrative in the letter by Enos is borrowed from the version of the event sourced by Robert Calef, a Boston merchant who openly criticized the witchcraft trials and Cotton Mather’s influence on the trials. Calef’s 1700 publication, More Wonders of the Invisible World, was a satirical attack.

In an effort to promote the ongoing Salem witchcraft trials, Cotton Mather had written Wonders of the Invisible World: Being an Account of the Tryals of Several Witches, Lately Executed in New-England in the summer and early fall of 1692. His father Increase Mather published his own account, Cases of Conscience Concerning Evil Spirits Around the Same Time.

Here is a photo taken in Boston of the title page of Robert Calef’s work, published in 1700 and held in MHS archives, an organization started by J. Belknap – who wrote his name in the top right corner of this title page. Calef’s book, like Mather’s before him, was printed at the Princes-Arms in London.

Increase Mather, president of Harvard University, ordered Calef’s book to be publicly burned in Harvard Yard. It was the only book ever burned in the college’s history.

In fact, at a dinner in 1983 Harvard’s president Derek Bok made an open apology and paid $10 compensation to one of Calef’s descendants, Oliver Brown.

Here is the full version of the examination of John Alden presented in Calef’s book, which really brings out the insanity and nonsense tied to the witchcraft hysteria.

Those Wenches [afflicted girls] being present, who plaid their jugling tricks, falling down, crying out, and staring in People’s Faces; the Magistrates demanded of them several times, who it was of all the People in the Room that hurt them? One of these Accusers pointed several times at one Captain [Zebulon] Hill, there present, but spake nothing; the same Accuser had a Man standing at her back to hold her up; he stooped down to her Ear, then she cried out, Aldin, Aldin afflicted her; one of the Magistrates asked her if she had ever seen Aldin, she answered no, he asked her how she knew it was Aldin? She said, the Man told her so.

Then all were ordered to go down into the Street, where a Ring was made; and the same Accuser cried out, “there stands Aldin, a bold fellow with his Hat on before the Judges, he sells Powder and Shot to the Indians and French, and lies with the Indian Squaws, and has Indian Papooses.” Then was Aldin committed to the Marshal’s Custody, and his Sword taken from him; for they said he afflicted them with his Sword. After some hours Aldin was sent for to the Meeting house in the Village before the Magistrates, who required Aldin to stand upon a Chair, to the open view of all the People.

The Accusers cried out that Aldin did pinch them, then, when he stood upon the Chair, in the sight of all the People, a good way distant from them; one of the Magistrates bid the Marshal to hold open Aldin’s hands, that he might not pinch those Creatures. Aldin asked them why they should think that he should come to that Village to afflict those persons that he never knew or saw before?

To be continued…

Create a free account at GenealogyBank for 7 days to start your journey and discover the stories your ancestors left behind.

Note on the header image: witchcraft trial at Salem Village. The central figure in this 1876 illustration of the courtroom is usually identified as Mary Walcott. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

Related Articles:

• Witchcraft: Salem Witch Trials
• Witchcraft: Salem Witch Trials, Part 2
• Salem Witchcraft (part 1)
• Salem Witchcraft (part 2)
• Relics of the Salem Witch Trials Era (part 1)
• Relics of the Salem Witch Trials Era (part 2)
• Relics of the Salem Witch Trials Era (Part 3)
• Relics of the Salem Witch Trials Era (part 4)
• Relics of the Salem Witch Trials Era (part 5)