Good morning and welcome to the grim. I'm your host, Kristin, on today's episode, we'll be opening the gate and entering Howard street cemetery located in Salem, Massachusetts. So grab your favorite mug cozy up and let's take a Daikin to history. And any season Salem is a spellbinding town, but especially in the fall, it's hard when you discuss cemeteries, not to find yourself back in the witch city.
It's grounds filled with tails and curses that intrigued millions of visitors each year with a promise of hauntings. We opened charter street on our last visit to Salem and are rightfully returnee to open it's other notorious burial ground Howard street. And the debate of what Salem's most haunted cemetery Howard straight is highly considered the top charter straight for many. It's not nearly as old, but as a resonance are actually making up for lost time.
Howard street was originally known in the witch city as branch street cemetery. Next to the old Salem jail downtown. It was established in 1801 and had its last burial in 1953. The cemetery sits on two and a half acres with 1100 headstones and an unknown number of souls within many who call Howard straight. Their home were local ship captains soldiers from the revolutionary war or prominent members of Salem's African American community.
Much of Salem's known history is thrown into its which trial years that sadly miss upon other historical events inside Howard street, five revolutionary war soldiers and 17 sea captains. Grays can be found. Making it an intriguing visit into history beyond the witch trial years. Resonate Colonel sameel Carlton who fought in the revolutionary war is its highest ranking war hero. Carlton then raised a regimen in Salem and then marched to Fort Ticonderoga.
His regimen was said to help aid the Fort in a battle that caused the change in the war that eventually helped America win. He fought under Washington at valley forge and is laid to rest within with his wife Eunice. Other soldiers from the revolutionary war are captain Henry Tibbetts, William Prosser, Steve wood, Lieutenant Charles Richardson, captain John Collins and Jonathan Archer. The third. Much of Salem's known history is thrown into its swish trial years.
That sadly, miss upon its other historical events. Inside Howard straight five revolutionary war soldiers and the 17 sea captains graves can be found making it an intriguing visit into history beyond the witch trials. The first headstone inside Harvard street cemetery is believed to have been placed and August of eight to. Oh one first, second, mate. Benjamin ropes. Ropes had a tragic and painful death being crushed to death while launching the four top passed on the ship.
This was the start of suspicions of a curse placed on the burial ground from a man we've mentioned before on the grim, but more on that later. To add intrigued to the curse. Many within seem to have suffered a similar fate. 10 residents alone are from the old Salem jail after the floor collapsed and they too were crushed to death. Death by being crushed as held by an astounding 15% of those laid to rest within.
As Howard street grew in the years, it became a burial ground for members of well-known families in Salem, and also for many immigrants from Ireland to. The name's still legible on the headstones and the grounds feature, many Irish names that can be seen while strolling the grounds. I'll have to see captain's buried in Howard street. You can find captain William Brown who perished at 1802.
Brown's tale is a tragic one and sounds much like a bedtime story, but with a grin fate in trusted with Brutus has shipped up along to a high profile from crown and shield in Salem, captain brown set off to carry cargo of coffee and pepper in a chilly February with two other ships. Just one night into their voyage. The three ships found themselves in the middle of a bitter snow storm off the coast of Cape Cod.
The fierceness of the snow storm with blinding snow icy winds in turbulent seas, better the ship Brutus, and it began to break apart. Captain brown along with his crew are forced to man and the ship with only one crew member that was unable to reach the shore of new Providence town on Cape Cod. Yeah, things only went worse on land for the crew. The freezing temperatures of new England and February started taking the lies of the sailors one by one.
The first was the captain, then his second mate, also perishing with more slowly following. Despite traveling with two other ships, the snow store made it impossible for the other crews to know the fate of the ship, Brutus due to the snowstorm, leaving them stranded. The crew, however soon realized they were close to a nearby lighthouse. And with the help of the lighthouse keeper, we're able to bring the remaining survivors to safety.
The captain, along with 11 other crew members met their grin fate that evening. But 15 lucky few survived to tell the tale. A majority of those who passed were buried in a small town of chiro. In Cape Cod. The captain's remains, however, were returned to Salem. If the story wasn't tragic enough, captain brown was also set to marry a young woman. I named Priscilla web. When the tragedy occurred, Ms. Webb, after losing her beloved captain remain unwed for the rest of her life.
Devoted to his memory and a Testament to their undying love. His headstone on his grave site is engraved with an urn and a Willow near the top. And the story of his voyage below. The Brutus has tale is a huge reminder that Salem, although a town full of tails and butches was also a huge contribution and is still to the maritime community. Not long after being established Howard street, chapel was constructed then in 1805, but this Ali wasn't the reason for his name change in 1828.
Honoring a local sale maker. John Howard Salem Murray named branch street to Howard. And thus the cemetery's name is well. Then at 1871, the Howard street church became the Pret Scott school removing any doubts of being a graveyard and not a cemetery. Salem spar time. Connections can be seen in Howard street with many sea captains, late drafts. Captain George crown and shield Jr. A Salem merchant who died in 1817. His grave can also be found within.
Many of the graves, inscriptions are weathered and lost to time making it feel like the residents are unknown and perhaps want to be one unmarked grave within however, lacking a headstone. For whom we'll never know rest is Giles' Corey. Very before Howard Street's establishment. Korea was one of the infamous witches of the Salem witch trials. Prior to 1801, the cemetery was just a large open field in Salem that was used for Giles' infamous sentence.
So being pressed to death, unlike the others accused. Cory was a man and honorable one in the community when he was accused of witchcraft. Yeah. Cory's life throughout his years was filled with sorta tales and perhaps a reason behind being accused. One of the fun aspects of researching and digging up history about graveyards is some of the details you learn about as residents that most history books or a quick Google search might miss Corey is one of those tidbits.
I personally found very interesting. He wasn't a woman. He was thought an honorable man and lived on a farm outside of town. Making him an odd choice for witchcraft or so it seemed to be in the beginning. I couldn't have been more wrong though, after doing a lot of research. There's many books about the Salem witch trials. Documentaries and articles floating around on the web.
One novel witchcraft in Salem village in 1692 by Winfield S Nevins was one of the driest and best accounts of the trials. I've read so far. It was written in 1892. So still far removed from the original events, but filled with many details, mostly about. Corian Nevins novel. Wasn't an honorable respected man. This first perceived. But a grumpy curmudgeon, most of Salem seem to have a bitter encounter with his first wife and son passed away from a fire leaving. Giles' a lonely farmer.
He became known in town as a me drunker beating one of his farmhands. So violently that three days later, the man passed away. Kyle's was prosecuted for his death, but in the end, only find which must have bothered a Puritan village. He then remarried Martha, his third wife and honorable and beloved women in the community that changed Corey's reputation. He joined the community church and seemed to finally find his better or kinder years later in life.
What I found most interesting about Nevins book was almost all of the accused had a run in with a prominent members of the towns, families. Of each of the victims. Corey was no exception having a run in with John Proctor in 1678. After being accused of setting the Proctor house on fire, but it was acquitted but then he boldly countersued proctors accusation and one literally making the feelings between them. Understandably, bitter.
It's also important to note that Salem was a small town and Putnam who was involved in the court was a lawyer for the trial. It being noted that although the vents were before and Putnam's time, she would have heard them from her father and most likely retold Corey's tale, making it more likely as to why he and his wife, Martha are both accused of being in league with the devil and executed. Of all the accused and executed. Cory was the only one Preston that in the Salem witch trials.
This was because of his refusal to be sentenced by the court of oil in termer. Back in the day, English law stated that those standing mute. Or who refused sentencing were charged with a penalty of pain, Forter. Being thought that undoubtedly guilty of the sin of witchcraft or of throwing himself upon sudden in certain death, if he was otherwise innocent. Most consider Corey's refusal of sentencing, not just because he didn't recognize the court's power, but to save his farm and family legacy.
You see, you have, Corey did have a trial and was sentenced. His farmland would be ceased by officials leaving his family homeless, but if he refused and was pressed to death in accordance to British law, he then could still pass his land on to his descendants, which while in jail, he wrote out a will giving his son-in-law his estate in anything of monetary value. Cory was then sentenced and take into field thought to be where Howard street cemetery is today.
And by the order of the court press to death. Those sentence pressed to death would be stripped of their clothing, forced to lie down, facing the ground with a wooden board placed upon their back and then stones progressively were added each time the accused refused to plead on September 19th in 1692, Corey was repeatedly asked by sheriff George Corwin of Salem to plead guilty of witchcraft and being in league with the devil.
But always replied more weight eventually from the wait, he was crushed to death. Finally succumbing, three days later, passing away. It said with Giles' Corey's final breath. He curse Salem saying to the sheriff. Damn you. I curse you in Salem. The sheriff shortly after the execution, mysteriously died from cardiac arrest spooking, the citizens of Salem to think maybe Corey had cursed them. Many of the sheriffs of Salem sense have died or resigned from cardiac complications.
Also furthering suspicions of the curse. In 1914, the great Salem fire took much of the city burning it to Ash. And right before claims of a man being seen in Howard street cemetery, who look like Corey were claimed. The fire was started near Gallo's hill, where his wife, Martha was hung for witchcraft. Many believe his curse still stands. And that before any tragedy in the witch city, Corey can, may seen and Howard street for telling the event to come.
So, if you find yourself in Salem this fall and inside Howard street cemetery, be aware of a gentleman looking like Giles' Corey appears. I don't say we didn't warn you here on the grim. The grave grind for Howard street cemetery was an iced maple latte from front street coffee shop in Salem. For more honorary grinds in the area, please visit the-grim.com. For now we're closing the gate on Howard street cemetery. We hope you enjoyed our dig into history.
If you did leave review wherever we're haunting your podcast queue or subscribe today to join us next time when we open the gate. On the grim.