Witches

Biography of Corey Giles

Corey Giles was born in England around 1611. By the time he was in his eighties, he had two son in-laws and was married to his third wife, Martha. Corey Giles moved from England to Salem Massachusetts and stayed there until 1659. In 1659, Giles moved to Salem Farms where he bought some expensive land.

Corey Giles became a full member of the church along with Martha. Corey and Martha were closely associated with the Porter faction of the church. Giles paid a big fine for pummeling and killing Jacob Goodale in 1675.

Giles had a reputation as a person who didn't care about anyone in his village community. He was also seen as someone who lived a very scandalous life. Corey was also a very stubborn man who may have spoken against the witch trials.

Abigail Hobbs, when confessing to being a witch, named both Martha and Corey Giles as witches. Martha was arrested for witchcraft on March 19th 1692, and Corey Giles testified that she was a witch. Later in the trial though, he tried to go back on what he said.

Corey Giles wasn't accused of witchcraft until April of 1692. Ann Putnam, Mercy Lewis, and Abigail Williams are just some of his accusers. Ann Putnam claimed on April 13th Corey's Spector came to her and told her to write in the devil's book. Ann Putnam also claimed later that a ghost came to her and told her they were murdered by Corey. If what she said was true, I bet it was Jacob Goodale.

Corey and Martha waited in jail together for his trial. Corey Giles' case went to trial in September. Many witnesses said they'd seen him at a witch's sacrament serving bread and wine. Corey refused to stand for trial because he knew he faced execution no matter what.

On a Monday in September, Corey Giles was stripped, a board was placed on top of him, and then, as his neighbors watched, he was pressed to death by heavy stones. In the afternoon on the second day of being slowly pressed to death, Corey Giles died. Being slowly pressed to death was the punishment for not standing for trial.

Corey Giles was one of six men who were executed in the witch trials of 1692. He was buried in an unmarked grave on Gallows Hill. His public death might have helped in building the opposition of the witch trials.

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