Giles Corey
English farmer accused of witchcraft (c. 1611 – 1692) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Giles Corey (bapt.Tooltip baptized 16 August 1611 – 19 September 1692) was an English farmer, petty thief, and tried murderer who was accused of witchcraft along with his wife Martha Corey during the Salem witch trials. After being arrested, Corey refused to enter a guilty or not guilty plea. He was subjected to pressing in an effort to force him to plead—the only example of such a sanction in American history—and died after three days of this torture. Because Corey refused to enter a plea, his estate passed on to his sons instead of being seized by the local government.
Giles Corey | |
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Born | Northampton, England |
Baptized | 16 August 1611 |
Died | 19 September 1692(1692-09-19) (aged 81) |
Cause of death | Pressed to death |
Occupation | Farmer |
Criminal charges |
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Spouses | |
Children | 5 |
Corey is believed to have died in the field adjacent to the prison that had held him, in what later became the Howard Street Cemetery in Salem, which opened in 1801. His exact grave location in the cemetery is unmarked and unknown. There is a memorial plaque to him in the nearby Charter Street Cemetery.