Dudley Bradstreet was a resident of Massachusetts Bay and a magistrate of Andover during the Salem Witch Trials.
He would be accused of witchcraft and then fled the area and returned after the Salem Witch Trial hysteria had calmed down.
Early Life and Family
Dudley was a native of the New England Colonies and was born to Simon Bradstreet and Anne Dudley Bradstreet in 1648.
In 1648, the Massachusetts Bay Colony governor was John Winthrop, whose deputy mayor was Thomas Dudley. Thomas would go on to become mayor of the colony after Winthrop.
Thomas Dudley was the father of Dudley's mother, Anne, whose surname was the origin of his first name.
Dudley's paternal side also was successful in politics. His father, Simon, was elected governor of the colony twice for a total of en years.
The well-connected Dudley Bradstreet served as a colonel in the colonial militia, a Deputy to the General Court of Massachusetts, and in the Massachusetts Governor's Council from 1698 until 1702.
Bradstreet married Anne Wood Price, daughter of Richard and Anne (Priddeth) Wood and widow of Theodore Price. Their children were:
- Margaret Bradstreet
- Dudley Bradstreet
- Anne Bradstreet (died as an infant)
Salem Witch Trials
In 1692, Dudley Bradstreet was serving as a Justice of the Peace and was told to issue warrants to those who were accused of witchcraft.
He went on to issue 48 warrants for the arrest and imprisonment of the accused. He also heard confessions from three of the accused children:
- Elizabeth Johnson
- Sarah Carrier
- Thomas Carrier
Elizabeth was the granddaughter of Reverent Francis Dane, and the Carrier children were those of the accused Martha Carrier.
After issuing the 48 warrants, he refused to issue any more against his fellow citizens.
In reaction to his defiance, he, along with his wife Anne, was accused of witchcraft. After being accused, he and his wife fled to New York Colony or New Hampshire (sources disagree), where they stayed until the hysteria died down.
Bradstreet returned to Andover and signed a petition to release the accused from prison in 1693.
He and his family would be captured by Native Americans in 1698 but released when the Indians were pursued.
Dudley Bradstreet died November 13, 1702.