A Brief History
On September 19, 1692, Giles Corey, age 81, became a footnote in the history of America by becoming the first and only man to be “pressed” to death during legal proceedings. Caught up in the infamous Salem Witch Trials, Corey and his wife, Martha, were accused of witchcraft when one of the other accused witches, Abigail Hobbs, named the old couple as warlock and witch.
Digging Deeper
As you may already know, witches convicted during the Salem Witch trials were put to death by hanging, as was Martha Corey, and not by burning as the popular myth holds. What you may not know is that under English Common Law a person that refused to plead guilty or not guilty could not be tried. Obviously, the court would not just throw in the towel at that point, and a procedure known as peine forte et dure was implemented, a form of torture continued until either the accused entered a plea or died.
Why would anyone subject themselves to torture? Mostly because a convicted person forfeited all his property and his heirs would receive nothing to inherit, as the government would seize the estate. By refusing to plead and dying under torture instead, the accused would protect his heirs.
The method of pressing used to implement this policy was to tie the naked prisoner down on the ground, laying on his or her back, placing a board on the person’s chest and abdomen and adding stones or iron weights, gradually increasing the weight, suffocating the victim slowly. This process was expected to take at least a day or two, giving the accused a full opportunity to experience tremendous discomfort and force a plea. Instructions for the process included giving the victim bread and water the first day, and just “foul” water after that.
Giles Corey, despite his great age endured the punishment for two days before he finally died, calling for “more weight” every time he was asked to plead. Corey’s character appears in the Arthur Miller play, The Crucible, as well as other stories about the Salem Witch Trials.
Pressing, or peine forte et dure, was finally abolished in Great Britain in 1772, and the last known case of it being used happened in 1741. At first, the law was changed for the court to take no plea as a “guilty” plea, but later it was changed to assume the accused was pleading “not guilty.”
As shocking as such barbaric activity employed by people of the Renaissance/Enlightenment era may seem to us, bear in mind that a considerable number of today’s Americans believe torture of prisoners is justified, and to some extent has been practiced by the US in the 21st Century.
Question for students (and subscribers): Do you believe torture is ever justified? Under what circumstances? Let us know what you think in the comments section below this article.
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please watch:
Hytner, Nicholas, dir. Crucible, The. 20th Century Fox, 2011. DVD.
Salem Witch Trials (History Channel). Lionsgate, 2005. DVD.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="11785 https://www.historyandheadlines.com/?p=11785">78 Comments
I don’t feel that torture is ever justified. I don’t understand why you’d want another person to suffer for a long period of time. If their torture ends in their death, what does that do? The person is no longer able to do anything or feel anything so the torture is really to satisfy the person doing the torture. Let’s say that someone murdered many people and in turn, you decide to torture them until they die. How does that make you any better than the murderer?
I have heard of Giles Corey’s story and his place in the witch trials, but I had forgotten he was 81 when he was pressed to death. It is miraculous that he lasted for two days and was still able to hold strong in his beliefs.
I can’t believe Giles Corey lasted as lonas he did, given his advanced age. I feel like I wouldn’t last long at all, I would give a plea just to get out of it. He was very stubborn, and Corey’s story is yet another tragic story coming from Salem, Massachusetts regarding the witch trials.
N.W.
It somewhat surprises me how long it took Giles Corey to die and the fact that he asked for more weight.
AM
I am against torture and I don’t see justification in it. The fact that the pressing would take a day or two disgusts me. A person should not have to suffer for that long, no matter the crime.
Giles Corey’s heirs better have been really thankful he was willing to die such a painful death just to protect his land from the government for them. I would never make my self suffer like that to protect something as trivial as land.
I remember hearing about this is seventh grade from my teacher, Mr. Cory, who is said to be related to Giles (they changed the spelling of ‘Cory’ along the way) and he always had a great passion when teaching us about this. I think it is great that Giles is said to haunt the people still, they deserve it after what he went through
No, I do not believe torture is necessary or understandable under any circumstances. The idea that someone who was innocent, like Giles Corey, had to endure that punishment is far too extreme to be necessary.
I think that being pressed to death would be the most miserable way to die because it takes so long. I don’t think I would be able to make that sacrifice for my heirs.
The hardest thing to wrap my brain around is that you could be said to be practicing witchery when you really are not. But they will find a way to say you are because they are so paranoid.
I thought being hanged to death was harsh, it does not even compare to the torture of being pressed to death… Doing this to someone who was actually innocent is gut wrenching. The Salem Witchcraft Trials got so out of hand and it is almost sickening. However, much respect to Giles Corey for protecting his families belongings and his heirs by doing this.
Even though he would have probably lost all of his possessions, it is still very interesting/cool to know he immediately took the torture and death to protect his possessions and his family’s heirs. He was also 81 years old when this event occurred!
the fact that someone would rather be smashed to death rather to hanging is a noble but at the same time an idiotic decision in my opinion. However it was for the pertection of his family.
I don’t believe torture is ever justified and I don’t think it should ever be used as a method to get information out of someone. I would rather be killed instantly than slowly be crushed to death for 2 days!
I find it interesting that it was not until 80 years later that pressing was found illegal. It seems as such a long and horrible death that should not have been in place in the first place. I do not believe that torture should something that should be permitted.
The death of Giles Corey really shows how much paranoia was going on in America at the time. If only they had known about ergot and the problems it causes, the trials never would have happened.
I would say torture is justified in situations where the accused is without a doubt guilty and more information is needed from them to help drag other people down with them.
I had actually heard the story of Giles Corey a long time ago, but was not aware that his wife had been accused of witchcraft as well.
Being pressed to death sounds so much worse than being hung!
I heard about this story in my high school English hearing what he had to go through from a over paranoid town and his time in history represents his strength.
Giles Corey is a bad ass for sure. “More weight.” Like he just found the best way to flip off the people executing him.
Giles Corey is a legend. He knew what was happening to him was wrong and he knew he wouldn’t get out alive so he went out as a legend. His last words “more weight” still lives on today!
It is disturbing to think of the people who mastermind the ideas of different forms of torture. I think once you okay torture for one specific reason it then progresses into other areas and on from there. It would be difficult to distinguish it and draw lines.
The story of Giles Corey is brave. Thinking of the witch trials makes me sick since these people were falsely accused.
I believe torture is okay when it comes to gaining information from people when it comes to public security and gaining information that could help keep citizens safe.
Wow this is a rather gruesome form of torture. I’ve heard of some bad forms of torture but when they said this process takes a day or two I could not believe that.
I find it gruesome that they would go to these measures to make someone confess.
One of my worst fears is tourture, so find it very intersting that they used such a drastic form of it
It’s crazy that they crushed him with a giant rock just
because he chose not to plead innocent or guilty.
He had to give up all his land and his heirs could not inherit any?! Seems like false accusation to me. I don’t find his torture justified but I do find his response to be pretty bad a**!
To think some torture methods are still used today
Torture is wrong no matter the situation, especially something as cruel as this. I will say that Giles had a lot of fortitude to endure this.
that sad to save your heirs you had to be tourted so the state and such would not come in and take everything from you. but i feel this man had alot of guts to with stand two days of the pressing to death and keep asking for more weight he must of been strong to do so being 81.
I had no idea what pressed to death meant before this article, but now I do. It is a very sad reality that prisons now in the 21st century still continue to torture prisoners; they’re still human beings even though they made poor choices.
Being pressed to death sounds HORRIBLE
“more weight” Wow he stood his ground. Brave man. I respect Giles Corey.
Good for him, if he knew he was going to be killed anyway, why not scare the hell out of his persecutors in the process instead of giving them the satisfaction.
Oh my gosh. Being pressed to death sounds like a horrible way to die! I am so glad we are not this heinous in punishment with our system today.
I could never imagine being pressed to death. just the thought of it makes me cringe. that would be an awful way to die, talk about torture.
I have heard of many terrible ways that people were executed during these times, but I have never heard of being pressed to death, how scary!
I think this was very brave of him. It is very likely that he would have died either way, so he might as well save his wealth for his heirs.
I watched the Crucible in high school and the whole idea of “pressing” as torture is so scary and it was hard to watch, but I do think that in his position just saying “more weight” was his best bet since they couldn’t take his land from his heirs if he didn’t plea.
Being pressed to death sounds in theory to be one of the most simple yet painful methods of killing ever. Slow, agonizing torture.
I dont mess with ghosts, dont expect to see me visiting that graveyard!
Adding pressing to my list of worst ways to die. I can’t believe it took 2 days to kill him.
This definitely seems like the worst way to die. I could not imagine being tortured like that for an entire two days. His character and courage certainly was demonstrated during this disturbing time period. This seems worse than being burned at the stake, especially due to the amount of time it takes to endure the punishment.
This seems like an awful way to die. It is shocking that the torture that some of the United States prisoners has not surfaced earlier than it has been recently.
Any type of torture would be painful to endure, but two days of being suffocated to death seems really bad. I know I couldn’t last and something has to be said about Giles Corey’s pride those last two days of his life. Very barbaric torture.
I think that this was an awful way to die. I think that it was honorable that he wanted to protect the rights of his heirs and was willing to suffer such a horrific death. Poor guy was probably innocent, too.
No type of torture is justifiable. One where the victim is dying slowly in from t go a person’s eyes is especially gruesome. Every person deserves to be treated like a person.
Torture should never be used on any human being. It is cruel and inhumane to use torture methods. Methods such as pressing should never be allowed again. Some of the torture methods in the past really are gruesome.
This way of torture I believe is a form of dictatorship. The courts were not hearing the right answer that was wanted so by way of force the courts tried to get an answer or they died.
It is amazingly bold for the man to sacrifice himself like that for the sake of his family. It is also amazing to hear about what humans were willing to do to each other in such a public forum.
Torture is a concept that I cannot wrap my head around. Yes, people should be punished if they are guilty, but why torture them? That is against human rights and nature. The length of Corey’s torture is what made it even worse, but his courage was vivid throughout the whole length of it and that is something noteworthy.
Torture is a terrible tool, and many believe it is a war tactic that is used to get information. It is hard to have an opinion about torture when talking about war and saving lives and fighting for your country and something you believe in. For me, it is easy to say that I believe torture is terrible, but I have never been put in an extreme situation like war.
What Giles Corey did is amazing, because he was willing to take on torture for his heirs down the road. That man was brave and he had to have known ahead of time that he would die from this torture. It is surprising though that he was the only one to undergo torture and not be hung during this time.
This article was horrifying! I can’t believe men and women used to be pressed to death when they would not plead guilty or not. Giles Corey was certainly a brave man for refusing to plead in order to save his family’s property. I can’t imagine being accused of a crime today and then tortured until i pleaded guilty resulting in the loss of all the property my family owns. I feel adamantly that torture is wrong, but i also can’t deny there are situations in which i could not see any other choice. Although, I think no matter the circumstances, torturing is never okay but it is still done.
I learned about this in a prior history class and it continues to be one of my favorite facts about the Salem witch trials. A man would rather die than succumb to the interrogators accusing him of something he was innocent of. He put his family heirs and reputation above all else. Facing death, he was steadfast in his beliefs. Now that takes true courage. I’m glad this story has stood the test of time and is still being told today.
This form of torture takes one to two days which I can’t imagine taking. Brave guy for doing something like that for his family, people back then were sick though in their forms of death and torturing.
This is the first I’ve heard of this in the Salem witch trials history and it was very interesting. I’d like to first start off saying that I’m surprised that this is the first time I’ve heard of a male being accused of being a warlock. The act of pressing seems to be, in this case, a noble choice for Corey. He chose not to plea because he wanted his heirs to keep what was rightfully theirs.
I was familiar with this particular story before reading this article. Giles Corey’s actions were brave and took a large step towards ending these crazy trials. He was willing to fight for what he believed in. Rather than pleaing guilty or not guilty, he suffered and suffocated. The people watching the execution of that suffocation had to be astonished that Giles did not simply make a plea to have the weight removed and be able to live.
I think it was brave and cool of Giles Corey to fight for what he believed in. It is amazing that he was the only man to die in the Salem witch trials. It takes a lot of courage to die for something you believe in, especially when all he had to do was plea guilty or not guilty and he could have lived. It is also crazy that every time he was asked to plea he just called for more weights instead.
Giles Corey was a very brave man to do what he did and to stand up for what he believed in. I still cannot believe these acts had occurred and that people were accused of witchcraft. I am curious to see how many people made a plea during this act of suffocation and chose not to die this way. I do not believe torture should be justified.
I cannot even imagine the torture Giles Corey went through, and the amount of courage that had taken. I remember learning about this and I as always interested to learn more about this part of it
If Corey is said to haunt the graveyard, then really, the witch trials seem to be not as crazy as they sound. But this type of torture sounds as if it came from the stone age.
This form of “justice” is obviously flawed, but I have read about more gruesome methods. Nevertheless, this particular method is still horrifying.
But if you believed this man to be an evil warlock, an extension of Satan, would you show him mercy? Probably not.
That is a very brave act to have gone through all that pain and torture in order to keep and protect his belongings. That takes a strong man.
Giles Corey has a ton of courage. To go through that torture just so his heirs can inherit his estate is insane. That torture and cause of death haunts me.
I remember learning about Giles Corey in middle and high school. Although in both cases I was not aware of the reasoning for the pressing. We simply were told that it happened. This also shows how our judicial system has changed from one of “guilty until proven innocent” to our modern “innocent until proven guilty.”
I enjoyed reading this, but even thinking about being tortured this way pains my chest. I understand completely why you would rather be tortured though. Anything for my family! I’m not against torture I suppose, and I think there’s definitely people out there who should be crushed by rocks haha. I’m sure his ghosts haunts the graveyard because of course he wasn’t a witch! I definitely believe in ghosts.
Very interesting read.
I am not a big fan of torture but too each there own. Giles Corey was a of courage to go through all of that.
I’ve never agreed with torture but believe if you execute someone make it quick. If you can’t find grounds to execute them they should put them in jail and then just leave them.
That just sounds drawn out and painful beyond ever needed.
sounds like a crazy process and one tough guy.
I hate the idea of torture. No human deserves to go through that no matter what they did. Just kill them quick
This was an eye opener for me. I have heard of the Salem Witch trials but I didn’t know the story of Giles Corey. My major is criminal justice so I wonder what people’s thoughts would be today on this form of justice. BR
Being in criminal justice I found it interesting during the Salem Witch Trials that someone was put to death just to get them to enter a guilty or not guilty plea. Br