John Hale (Beverly minister)

John Hale (3 June 1636-15 May 1700) was the pastor of the Church of Christ in Beverly, Massachusetts during the Salem witch hunt in 1692. He became one of the most prominent and influential opponents of the witch trials.

Born in Charlestown, Massachusetts, he was educated at Harvard College in Boston, graduating in 1657. He was ordained as the first minister of the parish church in Beverly on 20 September 1667, where he remained until his death.

He was heavily involved in prosecuting people for witchcraft, but had a dramatic change of attitude when his second wife, Sarah, was accused. She was acquitted and the trials collapsed shortly afterward. Following his wife's death on 20 May 1697, at the age of 61, [ [http://www.salemwitchmuseum.com/tour/site25.html 1692 Salem Witch Museum] ] he wrote a short book, "A Modest Enquiry into the Nature of Witchcraft", [cite book | title = A Modest Enquiry into the Nature of Witchcraft | author = John Hale | year = 1697 | publisher = Benjamin Elliot, Boston | url= http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/salem/witchcraft/archives/ModestEnquiry/ facsimile of document at the Salem witch trials documentary archive, Universityof Virginia] which was highly critical of the trials.

His house from 1694 until his death, at 39 Hale Street, Beverly, is now a museum, the John Hale House.

Hale was the Great-Grandfather of American Revolutionary War hero Nathan Hale (1755-1776).

End of the Trials

By September of 1692, doubts were developing as to how so many townspeople could possibly be guilty. Reverend John Hale said, "It cannot be imagined that in a place of so much knowledge, so many in so small compass of land should abominably leap into the Devil's lap at once".

Fiction

In Arthur Miller's 1952 play "The Crucible", Hale appears in Act I in response to a request from Samuel Parris that he examine Betty Parris, the daughter of Reverend Parris. Hale's quick visit to help with Betty actually causes him to become one of the main characters in the play. Hale stirs the witchcraft cauldron that is brewing in Salem Village.

Hale, a young minister, devoted most of his life to the study of witchcraft and other demonic arts in the hope of being able to destroy them in the name of God. He has found a 'witch' in his home town of Beverly, where he preaches. Ironically, Hale is the impetus behind the witch trials and later is the advocate against them. As a devout Christian, Hale sees it as his duty to seek out the witches, and to 'save their souls'. Hale, after seeing the horrors of the witch trials and watching the loss of both civil and human rights, has a conversion of heart and speaks out against them telling Judge Danforth that they are morally wrong. Hale leaves the court when Mary Warren accuses John Proctor of witchcraft, famously declaring, "I denounce these proceedings. I quit this court!" to which Danforth replies, running after him, "Mister Hale, Mister Hale!" [ [http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/LitNote/id-68,pageNum-42.html Cliff's Notes] ]

In the 1996 film version of the play, he was portrayed by Rob Campbell.

References

* [http://www.primaryresearch.org/PRTHB/halloffame/jhale.htm Short biography of John Hale]

* [http://trees.ancestry.com/RelationFinder/relate.aspx?pid=-1740670811&tid=3389854&pt=1 Famous relatives of Rev. John Hale]