Browse the Ebenezer Turell account of a witchcraft case

Rev. Ebenezer Turell (1701-1778) graduated from Harvard in 1721 and was subsequently ordained as the minister of the First Parish in Medford, Massachusetts in 1724, remaining there until his death. Rev. Turell published several works, including a memoir of his theological mentor, Rev. Benjamin Coleman, and his daughter, the poet Jane Coleman Turell (who was also Rev. Turell's first wife); as well as a sermon urging ministerial moderation.

This handwritten account contains a description of an alleged case of witchcraft in Littleton in 1720, including the reactions of local townspeople, and Rev. Turell's own commentary on the case. A transcribed version was published in 1823 as "Detection of Witchcraft" in the Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Second series, Volume 10. 

Materials in this collection have been digitized in partnership with the New England Historic Genealogical Society and have been made available through our New England's Hidden Histories project.