Who thought our Liverpool would have a connection to the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts? Well, it does, albeit indirectly. The dark chapter of history will forever remain, retold as a cautionary tale of the sinister fate of the accused people.
The Ancient Chapel of Toxteth on Park Road is the place in question, as well as its former Puritan minister, Richard Mather. At the age of 15, Mather was appointed as the master of a newly-built school in Toxteth. He then went on to study at Oxford, before being asked to return as the new chapel was built in 1618.
However, Richard Mather ended up becoming a bit of a rule-breaker and was suspended between August and November 1633 for “nonconformity in matters of ceremony”, and again in 1634, not to be reinstated again. Despite this, the minister had an excellent reputation in Liverpool and was loved by the locals.
As he was no longer able to preach in England, Richard Mather was persuaded to join the pilgrims on a journey to the “New World” across the pond, where he nearly died in a storm, but miraculously made it to Boston, Massachusetts, where he lived out the rest of his life.
What happened during the Salem witch trials?
The Salem witch trials are known as one of the most talked about in the world, and the deadliest in the history of North America, taking place between February 1692 and May 1693. During that time, more than 200 people ended up accused of practising witchcraft.
Rumoured to have been started by some teenage girls making up stories, the Salem witch trials serve as a stark reminder of mass religious hysteria, with many people falsely accused and executed after being forced to “confess”. Thirty people ended up being found guilty, with one man dying from torture for not confessing, and at least five other people passing away from disease in jail while awaiting trial.
Why was the Ancient Chapel of Toxteth connected to the Salem witch trials?
While Richard Mather himself was not directly connected to one of the darkest periods of colonial North America, his son and grandson were. His son, Increase Mather, also pursued a career as a Puritan minister in New England and was involved in the Salem witch trials. Increase’s son, Cotton Mather, also gave his full support to his father regarding the matter.
When it comes to the Ancient Chapel of Toxteth after Richard Mather left, it had new ministers until 1672 and fell into disrepair until the building was partially rebuilt in 1774.