Where many people may be triskaidekaphobic, I am a triskaidekaholic. I think that thirteen is a great number. I was once told that witches congregated in forests in groups of thirteen because they were small enough to be intimate, yet large enough to be diverse. Charming! So, I thought I would see if there was anything written specifically about witches and their connection to the number thirteen. After many, many searches, I realized that I would not be finding what I was looking for, but I decided to shift my focus and see when the first English letterpress item was published about the Salem witch trials.
After searching by related words, dates, and locations, I found this information to be the most useful. And having narrowed it down, I determined that the first item published about the Salem witch trials was a narrative of true narratives of persons afflicted by witch-craft, collected by Deodat Lawson in 1692.
FIN TW WITCH# OR TW SORCER# OR TW WITCH-CRAFT# - 328 records
:MUL? and ipl salem
FIN TW WITCH# OR TW SORCER# OR TW WITCH-CRAFT# AND IPL BOSTON - 8 records
1) Not acted here this 4 years. On Wednesday evening, 8th January, will be presented ... Wild oats: or, The stroling [sic] gentleman. ..l. To which will be added ... The Witches; or, Harlequin salamander. ... [Boston, Printed by Young and Minns, 1800]. [W038891 // 2 locations]2) Mather, Cotton, 1663-1728. The wonders of the invisible world observations as well historical as theological upon the nature, the number and the operations of the devils : accompany'd with I. Some accounts of the grievous molestations by damons and witchcrafts ... and the trials of some eminent malefactors ... II. Some counsils directing a due improvement of the terrible things lately done by the unusual & amazing range of evil spirits... III. Some conjectures upon the great events likely to befall the world in general and New-England in particular ... IV. A short narrative of a late outrage committed by a knot of witches in Swedeland ... V. The devil discovered, in a brief discourse upon those temptations which are the 0 more ordinary devices of the wicked one by Cotton Mather. Boston, Printed by
3) Lawson, Deodat. Christ's fidelity the only shield against Satans malignity asserted in a sermon delivered at Salem-village, the 24th of March, 1692 : being lecture day there, and a time of publick examination of some suspected for witchcraft by Deodat Lawson ... Boston [Mass.], Printed by B. Harris & sold by Nicholas Buttolph ..., 1693. [R037512 // 1 location]
4) Mather, Cotton, 1663-1728. Memorable providences relating to witchcrafts and possessions a faithful account of many wonderful and surprising things that have befallen several bewitched and possesed person in New-England, particularly a narrative of the marvellous trouble and releef experienced by a pious family in Boston, very lately and sadly molested with evil spirits : whereunto is added a discourse delivered unto a congregation in Boston on the occasion of that illustrious providence : as also a discourse delivered unto the same congregation on the occasion of an horrible self-murder committed in the town : with an appendix in vindication of a chapter in a late book of remarkable providences from the calumnies of a Quaker at Pen-silvania written by Cotton Mather ... and recommended by the ministers of Boston and Charleston. Printed at Boston in N. England, by R.P., 1689, sold by Joseph Brunning ..., [1689]. [R031239 // 1 location]
5) Mather, Cotton, 1663-1728. The wonders of the invisible world observations as well historical as theological upon the nature, the number and the operations of the devils : accompany'd with I. Some accounts of the greievous [sic] molestations by daemons and witchcrafts ... and the trials of some eminent malefactors ... II. Some councils directing a due improvement of the terrible things lately done by the unusual and amazing range of evil spirits ... III. Some conjectures upon the great events likely to befall the world in general and New England in particular ... IV. A short narrative of a late outrage committed by a knot of witches in Swedeland ... V. The devil discovered, in a brief discourse upon those temptations which are the more ordinary devices of the wicked one by Cotton Mather. Boston, Printed and sold by Benjamin Harris, 1693. [R026804 // 1 location]
6) Lawson, Deodat. A brief and true narrative of some remarkable passages relating to sundry persons afflicted by witchcraft at Salem village, which happened from the nineteenth of March to the fifth of April, 1692 collected by Deodat Lawson. Boston, Printed for Benjamin Harris, and are to be sold at his shop ..., 1692. [R011950 // 1 location]
7) Hale, John, 1636-1700. A modest enquiry into the nature of witchcraft, and how persons guilty of that crime may be convicted: and the means used for their discovery discussed, both negatively and affimatively, according to Scripture and experience. By John Hale, Pastor of the Church of Christ in Beverley, anno domini 1697. [Six lines of Scripture texts] Boston in N.E., Printed by B. Green, and J. Allen, for Benjamin Eliot under the town house, 1702. [W026249 // 10 locations]
8) Hale, John, 1636-1700. A modest enquiry into the nature of witchcraft, and how persons guilty of that crime may be convicted: and the means used for their discovery discussed, both negatively and affimatively, according to Scripture and experience. By John Hale, Pastor of the Church of Christ in Beverly, anno Domini, 1697. [Six lines of Scripture texts] Boston, Printed and sold by Kneeland and Adams, next to the treasurer's office, in Milk-Street, M,DCC,LXXI. [1771]. [W034110 // 2 locations]