1692 Colonial Massachusetts Jail Warrant Salem Witch Trials Era Charlestown
This is an original 1692 Colonial Massachusetts legal warrant / mittimus from Middlesex County, issued in Charlestown on July 29, 1692, ordering the keeper of the Middlesex Jail in Cambridge to imprison Sylvester Hayes.
The document is historically significant for several reasons:
It dates directly to the height of the Salem Witch Trials period (summer 1692).
It is an official colonial court manuscript from Massachusetts Bay Colony.
It concerns accusations of arson and public danger in Charlestown.
The text references imprisonment “in their Majesties names,” reflecting the post-Glorious Revolution reign of William & Mary.
Surviving Massachusetts colonial judicial manuscripts from the 17th century are scarce, especially complete signed warrants with strong readability and provenance.
The signature appears to be:
“p Curia Saml Phipps Cler”
Likely Samuel Phips/Phippes, clerk of the court.
The format is a small quarto manuscript on laid paper with visible folds, typical of late 17th century legal process documents.
Historical Context
This was written only weeks before the peak executions in Salem. Charlestown and Cambridge were within the same broader panic-era environment of colonial Massachusetts judicial activity. While not directly tied to witchcraft prosecutions, collectors strongly associate 1692 Massachusetts manuscripts with the Salem era.
That association materially increases collector interest.
Condition
Positives:
Strong legibility for a 1692 manuscript
Complete text
Large signature
Attractive iron gall ink tone
Good display quality
Excellent provenance/reference from old catalog
Condition issues:
Heavy fold wear
Edge losses and separations
Some ink fading
Paper toning and age wear
Overall: Very Good for a 333-year-old colonial legal manuscript.
More info.
Offered here is an authentic original manuscript legal warrant dated July 29, 1692, issued in Charlestown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony.
This remarkable colonial court document orders the imprisonment of one Sylvester Hayes in the Middlesex Jail at Cambridge after witnesses accused him of threatening to burn a shop and dwelling house near the Charlestown meeting house. The manuscript further states that Hayes was considered “very dangerous to be at large.”
The warrant was written during the exact summer of the Salem Witch Trials, at the very height of the 1692 Massachusetts judicial panic atmosphere.
The text reads in part:
“…accused by divers credible witnesses… threatened to fire a shop & dwelling house in Charlestown… said shop was on fire… judged to be a person very dangerous to be at large…”
The document concludes with an order “in their Majesties names” to take Hayes into custody and safely keep him according to law.
Historical Importance
Dated 1692 — peak Salem Witch Trials period
Original Colonial Massachusetts Bay document
Middlesex County judicial manuscript
Charlestown / Cambridge historical locations
Jail commitment order (mittimus)
Strong early American manuscript appeal
Exceptional display quality
Physical Details
One page manuscript on laid paper
Approx. small quarto format
Iron gall ink
Signed by court clerk
Original folds and period wear
Condition
Very good antique condition for a 17th century manuscript:
Fold separations and edge wear
Minor losses at margins
Ink remains largely strong and legible
Attractive overall appearance
Please review all photographs carefully.
Guaranteed Authentic
A genuine 17th century colonial American manuscript, not a reproduction.
An outstanding museum-quality piece of early Massachusetts legal history from one of the most important years in colonial America.
This is an original 1692 Colonial Massachusetts legal warrant / mittimus from Middlesex County, issued in Charlestown on July 29, 1692, ordering the keeper of the Middlesex Jail in Cambridge to imprison Sylvester Hayes.
The document is historically significant for several reasons:
It dates directly to the height of the Salem Witch Trials period (summer 1692).
It is an official colonial court manuscript from Massachusetts Bay Colony.
It concerns accusations of arson and public danger in Charlestown.
The text references imprisonment “in their Majesties names,” reflecting the post-Glorious Revolution reign of William & Mary.
Surviving Massachusetts colonial judicial manuscripts from the 17th century are scarce, especially complete signed warrants with strong readability and provenance.
The signature appears to be:
“p Curia Saml Phipps Cler”
Likely Samuel Phips/Phippes, clerk of the court.
The format is a small quarto manuscript on laid paper with visible folds, typical of late 17th century legal process documents.
Historical Context
This was written only weeks before the peak executions in Salem. Charlestown and Cambridge were within the same broader panic-era environment of colonial Massachusetts judicial activity. While not directly tied to witchcraft prosecutions, collectors strongly associate 1692 Massachusetts manuscripts with the Salem era.
That association materially increases collector interest.
Condition
Positives:
Strong legibility for a 1692 manuscript
Complete text
Large signature
Attractive iron gall ink tone
Good display quality
Excellent provenance/reference from old catalog
Condition issues:
Heavy fold wear
Edge losses and separations
Some ink fading
Paper toning and age wear
Overall: Very Good for a 333-year-old colonial legal manuscript.
More info.
Offered here is an authentic original manuscript legal warrant dated July 29, 1692, issued in Charlestown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony.
This remarkable colonial court document orders the imprisonment of one Sylvester Hayes in the Middlesex Jail at Cambridge after witnesses accused him of threatening to burn a shop and dwelling house near the Charlestown meeting house. The manuscript further states that Hayes was considered “very dangerous to be at large.”
The warrant was written during the exact summer of the Salem Witch Trials, at the very height of the 1692 Massachusetts judicial panic atmosphere.
The text reads in part:
“…accused by divers credible witnesses… threatened to fire a shop & dwelling house in Charlestown… said shop was on fire… judged to be a person very dangerous to be at large…”
The document concludes with an order “in their Majesties names” to take Hayes into custody and safely keep him according to law.
Historical Importance
Dated 1692 — peak Salem Witch Trials period
Original Colonial Massachusetts Bay document
Middlesex County judicial manuscript
Charlestown / Cambridge historical locations
Jail commitment order (mittimus)
Strong early American manuscript appeal
Exceptional display quality
Physical Details
One page manuscript on laid paper
Approx. small quarto format
Iron gall ink
Signed by court clerk
Original folds and period wear
Condition
Very good antique condition for a 17th century manuscript:
Fold separations and edge wear
Minor losses at margins
Ink remains largely strong and legible
Attractive overall appearance
Please review all photographs carefully.
Guaranteed Authentic
A genuine 17th century colonial American manuscript, not a reproduction.
An outstanding museum-quality piece of early Massachusetts legal history from one of the most important years in colonial America.