Giles Corey Memorial

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Giles Corey was an accused witch during the Salem Witch Trials who was pressed to death for refusing to continue with his trial in September of 1692.

There are currently three memorials that honor Giles Corey in the Salem area. One of these memorials is located in Salem, the other is in Danvers and the other is in Peabody.

The following are descriptions of the three memorials:

Giles and Martha Corey Memorial:

The Giles and Martha Corey Memorial is a memorial in West Peabody that is dedicated to Giles Corey and his wife Martha.

The memorial consists of two granite memorial stones at the edge of Crystal Lake, which was the location of Giles Corey’s farm in Peabody. One of the stones is inscribed with Giles Corey’s name and the other is inscribed with Martha Corey’s name.

Giles Corey’s memorial stone reads:

Witch Hysteria Martyr

Irascible Unyielding

Giles Corey

Died Under The Torture of Stone Weights

September 19, 1692

Would Not Put Himself On Tryal

Rather He Chose To

Undergo What Death They Put Him To

R Calef

The text on the bottom half of the stone is paraphrased from Robert Calef’s 1700 book, More Wonders of the Invisible World, which says that Corey “would not put himself on trial, rather he chose to undergo whatever death they would inflict upon him.” The quote was most likely shortened and paraphrased in order to fit better onto the stone.

Martha Corey’s memorial stone reads:

Witch Hysteria Martyr

Pious Outspoken

Martha Corey

Hanged September 22, 1692

“I Am An Innocent Person

A Gospel Woman”

She laughed & Denied It

The quote on her memorial stone is Martha’s own words spoken during her trial.

Due to the fact that the memorial stones resemble headstones, people often mistake them for grave markers. The truth is, it is not known where Giles or Martha Corey, or most of the other victims, are buried because they were not allowed a Christian burial due to the belief that they were witches.

Records indicate that Giles Corey’s death was treated as a suicide and he was reportedly buried in or near the crossroads, as suicides traditionally were, by Butt’s Brook in Salem (Roach 297). It is not known if his body remained there or was reburied elsewhere.

The memorial stones were erected on September 22, 1992, on the 300th anniversary of Martha Corey’s hanging.

Salem Witch Trials Memorial:

The Salem Witch Trials Memorial is a memorial in Salem that is dedicated to the victims of the Salem Witch Trials.

The memorial consists of 20 granite benches surrounded by a low stone wall. The benches are engraved with the names of the accused witches and the dates they were killed or executed during the trials.

Giles Corey’s memorial bench reads:

Giles Corey

Pressed to Death

Sept 19, 1692

Visitors to the memorial often leave behind gifts, flowers and small tributes to the victims on their individual benches.

Giles Corey's Memorial Marker, Salem Witch Trials Memorial, Salem Mass, November 2015. Photo Credit: Rebecca Brooks
Giles Corey’s Memorial Marker, Salem Witch Trials Memorial, Salem Mass, November 2015.

There is another memorial in Salem that is dedicated to the 19 victims hanged during the trial, called Proctor’s Ledge Memorial, but Giles Corey’s name is not included in the memorial because he died under torture during his trial and was therefore never convicted or hanged.

The Salem Witch Trials Memorial was officially dedicated on August 5, 1992, on the 300th anniversary of the Salem Witch Trials.

Witchcraft Victims’ Memorial:

The Witchcraft Victims’ Memorial is a memorial in Danvers that is dedicated to the 25 victims of the Salem Witch Trials, including the 19 people executed, the one person who was pressed to death (Giles Corey) and the five who died in jail.

The memorial is located across the street from the site of the original Salem Village Meeting House, where many of the witch examinations took place.

Salem Village Witchcraft Victim’s Memorial, Danvers, Mass, 2013

The memorial features a granite Bible box and book with a pair of large metal shackles. In front of the Bible box is a three-panel granite wall inscribed with the names of those who died and the date and circumstance of each death as well as the town each victim was from.

Giles Corey’s inscription reads:

Died under torture September 19, 1692
GILES CORY of Salem Farmes

The memorial was dedicated on May 9, 1992, on the 300th anniversary of the Salem Witch Trials.

Sources:
Roach, Marilynne K. The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-By-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege. Taylor Trade Publishing, 2004.
Calef, Robert. More Wonders of the Invisible World. Cushing and Appleton, 1823.
“Salem Village Witchcraft Victims’ Memorial.” Historical Marker Database, hmdb.org/m.asp?m=48725
“Salem Village Witchcraft Victims’ Memorial at Danvers.” Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project, salem.lib.virginia.edu/Commemoration.html

About Rebecca Beatrice Brooks

Rebecca Beatrice Brooks is the author and publisher of the History of Massachusetts Blog. Rebecca is a freelance journalist and history lover who got her start in journalism working for small-town newspapers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire after she graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a B.A. in journalism. Visit this site's About page to find out more about Rebecca.

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