West in New England: Salem Witchcraft Trials

Showing posts with label Salem Witchcraft Trials. Show all posts

Monday, October 30, 2023

THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS: OTHER PARTICIPANTS

This is the last of my "witch lists" of ancestors and relatives who had some connection to the witch trials: I made the lists with the help of In The Shadow of Salem: he Andover Witch Hunt of 1692 by Richard Hite and by using Custom Tags I created on my Ancestry.com tree using the MyTreeTags app:

CONSTABLE

Joseph Herrick-8x great grandfather

JUROR

Henry Herrick-9x great grandfather

VICTIMS (supposedly killed by witchcraft)

Ralph Farnum Sr-9x great grandfather

Elizabeth Phelps-8x great grandaunt

A few thoughts:
The lists are a work in progress. As I add more siblings and extend consanguineous lines I suspect I will find more relatives involved with the witch trials.

As it is, I am struck by how many of my ancestors were involved. I knew about a few of them already, especially Rebecca (Blake) Ames/Eames and Mary (Towne) Easty/Esty who were my direct ancestors. But there were other things that came as a surprise, such as the death of Ralph Farnum Sr. supposedly being a result of witchcraft. I also was unaware of my connection to Martha (Allen)Carrier.

As I find other connections, I will be blogging about them here.

Sunday, October 29, 2023

THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS: THE OPPOSERS

Here's the list I've made of my ancestors and relatives from Andover, Ma who opposed the witch trials by signing petitions There are some who earlier had made accusations of witchcraft against others,

I made this list using Ancestry.com's MyTreeTag function

Thomas Chandler Sr.-9x great grandfather
Thomas Chandler Jr-8x great granduncle
John Chandler-8x great granduncle
William Chandler-10x great granduncle
Francis Dane Sr.-9x great grandfather
Francis Dane Jr-8x great grandfather
Nathaniel Dane-8x great granduncle
Phebe Dane-8x great grandaunt
Oliver Holt-7x great granduncle
Mary Holt-8x great grandaunt
Joseph Herrick-8x great granduncle
Thomas Johnson- Mary Holt's husband
George Abbott-9x great granduncle
John Abbott-8x great grandfather
William Abbott-9x great granduncle
Ephraim Stevens-8x great grandfather
Joseph Stevens-9x great granduncle
Benjamin Stevens-9x great granduncle
Hannah (Poor)Dane-8x great grandmother
Henry Ingalls Sr.-7x great grandfather
Henry IngallsJr.-6x great grandfather
John Ingalls-7x great granduncle
Samuel Ingalls-7x great granduncle
John Barker-7x great granduncle
Ebenezer Barker-7x great granduncle
Samuel Endecott--8x great grandfather
Christopher Osgood-Hannah Barker's husband
Nathaniel Felton-9x great grandfather
Joseph Robinson-married to Mehitabel Ames.

Thursday, March 04, 2021

THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS: OTHER PARTICIPANTS

(( This week is the 329th anniversary of the start of the Salem Witch Trials.I made several lists of relatives involved in the trials and am reposting them to mark that anniversary))

Wednesday, March 03, 2021

THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS: THE OPPOSERS

(( This week is the 329th anniversary of the start of the Salem Witch Trials.I made several lists of relatives involved in the trials and am reposting them to mark that anniversary))

Monday, March 01, 2021

SALEM WITCH TRIALS:THE ACCUSED

((Today 1Mar 2021 is the 329th anniversary of the start of the Salem Witch Trials.I made several lists of relatives involved in the trials and am reposting them to mark that anniversary))

Here's the list I've made of my ancestors and relatives from Andover, Ma who were tried for witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials. Three of them were executed. I made this list using Ancestry.com's MyTreeTag function

Accused Witches

Mary (Towne) Estey-9x great grandmother- (executed)
Rebecca (Towne)Nurse 9x great grandaunt (executed)
Sarah (Towne)Cloyce 9x great grandaunt
Rebecca (Blake) Ames-9x great grandmother
Sarah (Hooper) Wardwell-widow of 10x great grandfather Adam Hawkes
Samuel Wardwell husband of Sarah (Hooper)Wardwell (executed)
Sarah Hawkes-9x great grandaunt
Abigail (Wheeler)Barker--wife of 8x great granduncle
William Barker Sr-7x great granduncle
William Barker Jr.-1st cousin 8x removed
Mary Barker-1st cousin 8x removed
Daniel Ames-8x great granduncle
Abigail (Dane)Faulkner-9x great aunt
Elizabeth (Dane)Johnson-9x great aunt
Dorothy Faulkner-1st cousin 9x removed
Abigail Faulkner-1st cousin 9x removed
Elizabeth Johnson-1st cousin 9x removed
Stephen Johnson-1st cousin 9x removed
Rose Foster-1st cousin 9x removed
Deliverance (Hazeltine)-wife of 9th great-uncle
Mary (Allen) Hazeltine-1st cousin 8x removed
Martha (Allen)Carrier 1st cousin 8x removed
Roger Toothaker-Mary Allen's husband
Mercy Wardwell- step 10x great aunt

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

MY WITCH LISTS: OTHER PARTICIPANTS

Monday, August 26, 2019

MY WITCH LISTS:THE OPPOSERS

John Chandler-8x great granduncle
William Chandler-10x great granduncle
Francis Dane Sr.-9x great grandfather
Francis Dane Jr-8x great grandfather
Nathaniel Dane-8x great granduncle
Phebe Dane-8x great grandaunt
Oliver Holt-7x great granduncle
Mary Holt-8x great grandaunt
Joseph Herrick-8x great granduncle
Thomas Johnson- Mary Holt's husband
George Abbott-9x great granduncle
John Abbott-8x great grandfather
William Abbott-9x great granduncle
Ephraim Stevens-8x great grandfather
Joseph Stevens-9x great granduncle
Benjamin Stevens-9x great granduncle
Hannah (Poor)Dane-8x great grandmother
Henry Ingalls Sr.-7x great grandfather
Henry IngallsJr.-6x great grandfather
John Ingalls-7x great granduncle
Samuel Ingalls-7x great granduncle
John Barker-7x great granduncle
Ebenezer Barker-7x great granduncle
Samuel Endecott--8x great grandfather
Christopher Osgood-Hannah Barker's husband
Nathaniel Felton-9x great grandfather
Joseph Robinson-married to Mehitabel Ames.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

MY WITCH LISTS:THE ACCUSERS

Here's the list of my ancestors or relatives who were witnesses/accusers in the Salem witch trial. I made this using the MyTreeTags on my family tree at Ancestry.com. Some of them would later sign petitions to support the prisoners.

Thomas Chandler-9x great grandfather
Hannah (Brewer) Chandler-9x great grandmother

Sarah (Farnum)Abbott-8x great grandmother
Benjamin Abbott-8x great grandfather
Jeremiah Swain-9x great grandfather
Ralph Farnum-8x great grandfather
John Farnum-8x great granduncle
Samuel Farnum-8x great granduncle
Joseph Ballard-9x great granduncle
Elizabeth Ballard--9x great grandaunt
Sarah Phelps-7x great grandaunt
Robert Swan-6x great granduncle
John Swan-6x great granduncle
Timothy Swan -6x great granduncle
Hannah (Foster) Ames- 8x great grandaunt
Ephraim Foster-married to Hannah Ames
Allen Toothaker-2nd cousin 7x removed

MY WITCH LISTS:THE ACCUSED

Friday, August 23, 2019

MAKING LISTS WITH ANCESTRY'S MYTREETAGS:THE WITCH LISTS

I wrote recently about using the Ancestry.com MyTreeTags to make a list of my ancestors who were all blacksmiths. Then a few weeks back I bought a book, In The Shadow Of Salem: The Andover Witch Hunt of 1692 by Richard Hite. Now I have many ancestors who lived in Andover, Ma. during that period and some were involved in the Trials. Two of my direct ancestors wereb among the accused, one of whom was hung. I also knew some were witnesses against those accused. I decided I wanted to make lists of who was who.

Mr. Hite's book is excellent and the many Appendices about the families involved were very helpful.Using them I created Custom Tags on my Ancestry.com tree and then tagged each Ancestor ancestor and relagtive with the appropriate Tag. These are the labels I used:

Accused Witch
Executed as Witch
Opposed Witch Trials
Witch Trial Constable
Witch Trial Juror
Witch Trial Witness
Witch victim

There are some complications, because in some cases an ancestor was an accuser but late came to oppose the trials and signed a petition against the Trials. It's also a work in progess as I add collateral lines. But it's a start. I call them the "witch lists" and I'll discuss them in the next few posts.

And if you have relatives from the Witch Trial era who lived in Andover, ou should get a copy of Richard Hite's book.

Friday, April 24, 2015

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2015 WEEK 15: JOSEPH HERRICK PT3

My 8x great grandfather Joseph Herrick took accused witch Sarah Good in custody
as ordered, but before taking her on to the Ipswich jail, they and his deputies spent the
night at the Herrick home. During the night something strange supposedly occurred.
Four months later, Joseph and his wife Mary (Endicott) Herrick were called on to testify
about the events of that night:

"Joseph Herrick Sr. and ux vs. Sarah Good.

The Deposition of Joseph Herrick senr. who testifieth and saith that on the first day of March 1692 I being the Constable for Salem, there was delivered to me by warrant from the worshipfull Jno Hathorne and Jonathan Corwin Esqrs. Sarah Good for me to cary to their majesties Goal at Ipswich and that night I sett a gard to watch her at my own house, namely Samu1 Braybrook Michaell dunell Jonathan Baker and the affore named parsons, Informed me in the morning that that night Sarah Good was gon for same time from them both bare foot and bare legde, and I was also Informed that that night Elizabeth Habbard one of the afflicted persons Complaned that Sarah Good came and afflected her being foot and bare legded, and Samuell Sibley that was one that was attending of Eliza Hubbard Strock Sarah Good on the Arme as Elizabeth Hubbard said, and Mary Herrick the wife of the abouesaid Joseph Herrick testifieth that on the 2th March 1692 in the morning I took notis of Sarah Good in the morning and one of her Armes was bloody from a little below the Elbow to the wrist, and I also took notis of her Armes on the night before, and then there was no sign of blood on them.

Joseph Herrick senr and Mary herrick appearid before us the Jury for Inquest, and did on the oath which the had taken owne this their evidence to be the truth this 28. of June 1692 Sworne in Court.
-p26
Records of Salem Witchcraft: Copied from the Original Documents ... (Google eBook)
Priv. print. for W.E. Woodward, 1864

Sarah Good was hung as a witch on 19Jul 1692 and one of the others executed that day was
Rebecca Nurse. Two petitions had asked the Court to spare Rebecca, one of which had been
signed by Joseph and Mary Herrick. Perhaps they signed it because Mary's parents were
among the other thirty eight signers.

I've only found two other documents so far involving Joseph Herrick with the witch trials, the
warrant ordering him to arrest Giles Corey, and Joseph's report that he had done so. Whether
it was the horrific method of Giles Coreys' death or some other factor that led to Joseph
later opposing the trials, I do not know.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

52 ANCESTORS IN 52 WEEKS 2015 WEEK 15: JOSEPH HERRICK PT2

In my previous post about my ancestor Joseph Herrick a brief biography by William
Richard Cutter mentioned that Joseph was involved with the "early proceedings"of the
witchcraft hysteria. As Constable for Salem, he was there from the very beginning, as the
following warrant and Joseph's response shows:

Whereas Mrs. Joseph Hutcheson Thomas Putnam Edward Putnam and Thomas Preston yeomen of Salem Village in ye County of Essex personally appeared before vs. And made complaint on behalfe of theire Majestees against Sarah Osborne the wife of Alexr Osburne, of Salem Village aforesd, and Titibe an Indian Woman Servant of mr. Saml Parris of sd place also; for Suspition of witchcraft, by them committed and thereby much injury don to Elizabeth Parris Abigail Williams Anna Putnam and Elizabeth Hubert all of Salem Village aforesd Sundry times within this two months and lately also dont at sd Salem Village Contrary to ye peace and Laws of our Sour Lord and Lady Wm & Mary of England & King and Queene.

You are there fore in theire Majs names hereby required to aprehend and forthwith or as soon as may be bring before vs ye abouesd Sarah Osburne and Titibe Indian at ye house of Lt Nathl Ingerfalls, in sd place. and if it may be by tomorrow aboute ten of ye clock in ye morning then and there to be Examined Relateing to ye abouesd premises. You are likewise required to bring at ye same tyme Eliz. Parris Abigl Williams Anna Putnam, and Eliz Hubert, or any other person or persons yt can giue evidence in ye abouesd Case.. and hereof you are not to faile.

Dated Salem ffebr 29. 1691/2

John Hathorne } Affissts.
Jonathan Corwin

To Constable Joseph Herrick Const. in Salem.

Joseph carried out orders of the warrant and sent this report back:

According to this warrant I have apprehended the parsons with In mentioned and haue brought them accordingly and haue made diligent search for Images and such like but can find none.

Salem Village this ist March 1691/2

p me Joseph Herrick Constable. pp41-42

Records of Salem Witchcraft: Copied from the Original Documents ... (Google eBook)
Priv. print. for W.E. Woodward, 1864

A few days later, Joseph Herrick and his wife Mary Endicott were called upon to testify
about something that happened after Sarah Good was taken into custody.

To be continued...

Saturday, May 31, 2014

OF WITCHES AND ANCESTORS

While researching Samuel Endicott last week I discovered this from Cyrus Felton's
family genealogy:

"At the pretended trial of John Proctor, who was executed in the year of the witchcraft delusion, 1692, Nathaniel Felton and the neighbors living near the bounds of Salem Village presented the following paper, written by Nathaniel Felton the first signer. "We, whose names are underwritten, having several years known John Proctor and his wife, do testify that we never heard or understood that they were ever suspected to be guilty of the crime now charged upon them: and several of us, being their near neighbors, do testify that, to our apprehension, they lived Christian-like in their family, and were ever ready to help such as stood in need of their help."

In the original paper, there were some, perhaps many names cut oft' by scissors, says C. W. Upham's History of Witchcraft. Below are the twenty names found on the paper.
Nathaniel Felton Sen., and Mary Felton, his wife.
Samuel Marsh, and Priscilla Marsh, his wife.
James Houlton, and Ruth Houlton, his wife.
John Felton, and Nathaniel Felton Jr.
Samuel Frayll, and Ann Frayll, his wife.
Zachariah Marsh, and Mary Marsh, his wife.
Samuel Endicott, and Hannah Endicott, his wife.
Samuel Stone, and George Locker.
Samuel Gaskill, and Revidal Gaskill, his wife.
George Smith, and Edward Gaskill.
-P5
A Genealogical History of the Felton Family: Descendants of Lieutenant Nathaniel Felton, who Came to Salem, Mass., in 1633; with Few Supplements and Appendices of the Names of Some of the Ancestors of the Families that Have Intermarried with Them. An Index Alphabetically Arranged, of the Felton Families ... (Google eBook) Pratt Brothers, printers and publishers, 1886

Many of the same group of people signed a similar letter of support for Rebecca Nurse. Unfortunately, neither letter swayed the judges; both John Proctor and Rebecca Nurse were executed.

I have ancestors among both the accusers and the accused in the witchcraft trial hysteria. It's nice to see My ancestors Nathaniel Felton, Mary (Skelton)Felton, Samuel Endicott and Hannah (Felton) Endicott trying to do the brave thing in these two cases.

I need to make a list of who in my family did what to whom during this dark period.
When I have it done, I'll post it here.