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Jonathan Selleck
William Jones was Connecticut’s deputy governor and a member of the special court assembled to try the accused witches of Stamford and Compo in 1692. Jones, like Jonathan Selleck, was aware of how carefully the courts needed to approach a witch trial in order to avoid a widespread panic and anger in the community. Jones thoughtfully drafted a lengthy memorandum, Grounds for Examination of a Witch, providing specific instances in which a person could be tried as a witch. Jones suggested that being defamed by “common report”; possessing a “Devil’s mark”; or seeming to cause a neighbor “mischief,” illness, or death following a quarrel were all grounds for being tried as a witch. Jones also outlined different “proofs” of testing whether someone was a witch or not—yet even Jones was wary of outdated methods such as branding or “ducking” (submersion in water). Richard Godbeer uses Jones’s judicious, careful approach to amassing evidence of a person’s status as a witch to point out the issues with legislating invisible crimes—especially crimes relating to the supernatural. When the Devil was involved, anything—and everything—could be seen as a deception. Jones and his contemporaries knew this, and their desire to carry out the law were often in direct competition with their desire to keep peace in their communities.
William Jones Quotes in Escaping Salem
The Escaping Salem quotes below are all either spoken by William Jones or refer to William Jones. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 5
Quotes
On 2 June both women were bound hand and foot and then thrown into the water. According to those present, Elizabeth Clawson bobbed up and down like a cork and when they tried to push her down she immediately buoyed up again. Mercy Disborough also failed to sink. If the test was trustworthy, both women were guilty. But William Jones knew from his reading that this technique, though practiced for centuries, was now extremely controversial. […] Since the Bible made no mention of any such technique having been ordained by God, ducking must be an invention of the Devil.
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Chapter 6
Quotes
The ministers did not reject the possibility that Elizabeth Clawson and Mercy Disborough were witches, but they did repudiate the evidence before the court as a sound basis for conviction. Their advice would provide an important reinforcement as Mister Jones and his fellow magistrates urged caution upon the jury.
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William Jones Quotes in Escaping Salem
The Escaping Salem quotes below are all either spoken by William Jones or refer to William Jones. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 5
Quotes
On 2 June both women were bound hand and foot and then thrown into the water. According to those present, Elizabeth Clawson bobbed up and down like a cork and when they tried to push her down she immediately buoyed up again. Mercy Disborough also failed to sink. If the test was trustworthy, both women were guilty. But William Jones knew from his reading that this technique, though practiced for centuries, was now extremely controversial. […] Since the Bible made no mention of any such technique having been ordained by God, ducking must be an invention of the Devil.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Unlock explanations and citation info for this and every other Escaping Salem quote.
Plus so much more...
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Chapter 6
Quotes
The ministers did not reject the possibility that Elizabeth Clawson and Mercy Disborough were witches, but they did repudiate the evidence before the court as a sound basis for conviction. Their advice would provide an important reinforcement as Mister Jones and his fellow magistrates urged caution upon the jury.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
