09/19/2026
On September 19, 1692, Giles Corey was pressed to death in Salem.
This elderly man was accused of witchcraft in April of that year. His wife Martha had been among the early targets of this infamous witch hunt.
Contrary to popular belief, Giles did not accuse his wife of being a witch. While he apparently grumbled about strange occurrences at home and had been heard to mutter that he knew things about Martha that would “fix her business,” he defended his wife when she was interrogated before the Salem magistrates.
Both husband and wife were confined to a dark, sweltering prison for months in 1692. By the time Giles Corey’s day in court arrived, 11 innocent people had been executed. It seemed there was no way to defend yourself before this fear-driven emergency court.
At this time, a defendant was expected to answer a traditional question posed at the beginning of their trial. In an act of clear defiance, Giles Corey “stood mute,” preventing the proceedings from moving forward.
Though a friend spent two days trying to convince him to comply with the court, Corey refused. In response, an unusual form of torture was ordered.
Peine forte et dure had never before been used in colonial Massachusetts and would never be used again after the Salem witch trials. This medieval practice involved a suspect lying on the ground with stones or weights placed upon their chest. The torture would either force the victim to speak or crush them to death.
On September 19, Giles Corey was taken from jail, brought to an open field and laid flat on his back with a board placed over his chest. Heavy stones were stacked on this plank, crushing him to death.
According to a contemporary writer, during this brutal torture "Giles Corey's tongue was pressed out of his mouth; the Sheriff, with his cane, forced it in again."
Three days later, his wife Martha was taken to Proctor’s Ledge and hanged.
Today we remember both Giles and Martha Corey, innocent victims of the Salem witch trials.
Pictured here is a memorial stone for Giles Corey. It stand upon land that was part of his 150 acres of property. Today, stones for both Giles and Martha Corey stand at the edge of Crystal Lake on Lowell Street in West Peabody, Massachusetts. To learn more, visit our 1692 Online Sites Tour: www.salemwitchmuseum.com/locations/giles-and-martha-corey-memorial
