tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34182491.post4534030700693962848..comments2023-10-11T23:46:08.194-04:00Comments on West in New England: SIMON WILLARD'S LETTER TO HIS DESCENDANTSBill Westhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01266937924453737084noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34182491.post-68230624168520927552022-11-27T03:59:31.661-05:002022-11-27T03:59:31.661-05:00Simon Willard may have been talking about the Poss...Simon Willard may have been talking about the Possession of Elizabeth Knapp. That happened before he died and when it was over Rev Samual Willard doubted she was ever possessed. Just a thought. I am a descendant and I did a lot of research on the Willards years ago. I am sure you can find stories about the possession and what Rev Samuel Willard went through to help this girl. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10814562071851212698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34182491.post-64429203520989193552022-02-28T02:53:39.015-05:002022-02-28T02:53:39.015-05:00I can't say who the letter is written by for s... I can't say who the letter is written by for sure, but I have one of the 500 1st. editions.. No where in it do I see any kind of disclamer or such that implies any thing like that. Last paragraph mentions a trail, but it doesn't mention witchcraft. Implies something such but never states a charge that I can see. He was very carful with great help in researching this book back then. No fact checkers today could hold a candle. Yeah, he's my grandpa too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34182491.post-42128102240312324442020-08-31T10:39:25.373-04:002020-08-31T10:39:25.373-04:00I am not only a Simon Willard descendant, but also...I am not only a Simon Willard descendant, but also a member of First Parish in Concord. Rev Peter Bulkely was our first minister and Simon Willard one of our first members. It is interesting to see the caveat that this letter may not truly be by Simon Willard, but by his descendant...however I would hope that even with Joseph's liberties, that the spirit of the letter remains true. Thanks!cbcopphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09802973440189864943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34182491.post-16053758222685255242019-01-12T09:08:19.512-05:002019-01-12T09:08:19.512-05:00Witch trials at the time were quite common with th...Witch trials at the time were quite common with the Puritans. Hence, the reference to Simon Willard protesting the witch trials in 1692 doesn't detract from the "descendents" letter having been written by his father who would have seen multiple witch trials over his own life from Kent, England to the new Colony. Simon II would have had moral authority in Boston to protest witch trials due to his leading of the Old South Church (he also baptized Benjamin Franklin). Major Simon Willard is my 10th Great Grandfather (daughter Sarah is my 9th Great Grandmother). <br />On another branch of my family tree (another of the "Men of Kent" like Major Simon) at nearly the same timeframe is Walter Woodworth (9th Grandfather came to Plymouth Colony in 1640; lived in Scituate) whose daughter Mehitable was inflicted likely with epilepsy. A charge of witchcraft was leveled against a Mary Ingram in Plymouth Colony in 1677 and after a trial was found not guilty. Mehitable was born in 1662 and died in 1685. https://www.quia.com/files/quia/users/kschaefersvhs/Americanlit/The_Seeds_of_Salem.pdfAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08915247743188989113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34182491.post-27680195164546831432015-08-24T01:30:08.999-04:002015-08-24T01:30:08.999-04:00Also willard descendant. .and very interested in l...Also willard descendant. .and very interested in learning more.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06319500784333598980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34182491.post-81419626177427753432015-06-04T10:43:31.960-04:002015-06-04T10:43:31.960-04:00The full Willard Memoir is online now as a pdf; I ...The full Willard Memoir is online now as a pdf; I believe it was on google books that I found it.<br />When I read the letter I too noticed the issue with the mention of Rev. Samuel and the witch trials. Also, if you read the beginning of the biography and then read the letter you'll notice a lot of the same language repeated. So, apart from quite a lot of what must be Joseph's own interpretation and values, the letter is not a bad condensed version of the biography, with all the biographer's best rhetorical flourishes.<br />Much of what's in the book seems to be good research. The thing with the letter is unfortunate, as I found myself wondering what other liberties Joseph might have taken. Still, the "memoir" is more than worthwhile.<br />13th-generation descendent of Maj. Simon here. Thanks for the blog posts!J.R.https://www.blogger.com/profile/10406264570410058033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34182491.post-7919913860140591052012-06-18T21:33:45.934-04:002012-06-18T21:33:45.934-04:00I will forever be proud to be one of the many desc...I will forever be proud to be one of the many descendants of Simon Willard and his family. My great grandparents on my father's side were levi and lucy Willard of Mendon, MA.<br /><br />Evelyn Jean Foley MacomberAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34182491.post-29064825472821536762009-04-01T00:21:00.000-04:002009-04-01T00:21:00.000-04:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34182491.post-41995953625110636342009-01-30T17:49:00.000-05:002009-01-30T17:49:00.000-05:00Great find! I imagine it will forever be out there...Great find! I imagine it will forever be out there as Simon's own words but at least you have shared the truth with some of us.Charley "Apple" Grabowskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07193646109965731249noreply@blogger.com