Goody Cole
Encyclopedia
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
. Better known as "Goody Cole", she is the only woman convicted of witchcraft
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
in New Hampshire.
Family
Her husband was William Cole. There are no records of this union producing children, although since they came to this country when they were already well past childbearing age, it is certainly possible that they had children in England. Both of them were indentured servants of Matthew Craddock, a wealthy LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
merchant. After their service with Charles/Matthew Craddock was over, the Coles were released from Craddock's service they came to New England with their passage furnished, for £10. In Boston they were granted 2 acres (8,093.7 m²) of land in Mount Wollaston
Mount Wollaston
Wollaston, Massachusetts, is a neighborhood in the city of Quincy, Massachusetts. Divided by Hancock Street/Route 3A, the Wollaston Beach side is called Wollaston Park, while the Wollaston Hill side is called Wollaston Heights....
(now Quincy
Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
), Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
on February 20, 1637, though they left for Exeter, New Hampshire
Exeter, New Hampshire
Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The town's population was 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood...
before the year was out. Both of the Coles were followers of Reverend John Wheelwright
John Wheelwright
John Wheelwright was a clergyman in England and America.-Early life:...
, who believed in antinomianism
Antinomianism
Antinomianism is defined as holding that, under the gospel dispensation of grace, moral law is of no use or obligation because faith alone is necessary to salvation....
. Very soon after, they moved to neighboring Hampton, New Hampshire
Hampton, New Hampshire
Hampton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 14,976 at the 2010 census. Located beside the Atlantic Ocean, Hampton is home to Hampton Beach, a summer tourist destination....
, receiving a 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) parcel of land. The 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) house lot was situated slightly east of where the Baptist church stands today on Winnacunnet Road. The other 35 acres (141,640.1 m²) was a good source of income, considering William Cole was a carpenter. William Cole died on May 26, 1662.
Witchcraft accusations
Cole was formally accused of witchcraft three times in her lifetime, the first time in Boston in 1656 when several townspeople testified against her. She was whipped and imprisoned until in 1660, but was released until 1662 when she was returned to prison until sometime between 1668 and 1671. She was accused again in 1673, but acquitted, and once again in 1680, and although she was not indicted, she was still kept in prison.Upon her death in 1680, she was hastily buried in an unmarked grave in Hampton; its whereabouts are still not known with any certainty to this day, although it is believed to be near the site of today's Tuck Museum. Local legends suggest that a stake was driven into her body after her death "in order to exorcise the baleful influence she was supposed to have possessed," and a horseshoe hung on the stake, just to be on the safe side. Goody Cole was almost certainly unpleasant in the extreme - Hampton historian Joseph Dow referred to her as "ill-natured and ugly, artful and aggravating, malicious and revengeful" - but certainly not a witch. Such behaviour is unsurprising given the accusations leveled against her and her treatment by those in her community.
Goody Cole in the 20th century
In anticipation of the 300th anniversary of the town of Hampton in 1938, people organized in 1937 to clear Cole's name, forming "The Society in Hampton Beach for the Apprehension of Those Falsely Accusing Eunice (Goody) Cole of Having Familiarity With the Devil" -- usually shortened to the "Goody Cole Society" A doll in her image was made and sold locally.In 2003, a barbecue restaurant opened in Exeter
Exeter, New Hampshire
Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The town's population was 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood...
with the name "Goody Cole's Smokehouse," relocating in 2006 to Brentwood, New Hampshire
Brentwood, New Hampshire
Brentwood is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 4,486. Brentwood has been the county seat of Rockingham County since 1997...
.
In literature
John Greenleaf WhittierJohn Greenleaf Whittier
John Greenleaf Whittier was an influential American Quaker poet and ardent advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States. He is usually listed as one of the Fireside Poets...
tells Cole's tale in his poem, "Wreck at Rivermouth."