Hi Joan and Deborah -- Thoughts? I'm afraid I don't have any, as I changed the channel after the (painful) first hour. Leering green faces and Ann Putnam's "vision" of Rebecca Nurse and the man in black carrying away three or four of her stillborn babies was about all I could take! - Vicki Brooker ----Original Message Follows---- From: "Deborah Ray Piper" <allpiper@swindiana.net> To: SALEM-WITCH-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Fw: [SALEM-WITCH-L] CBS Movie Date: Tue, 4 Mar 2003 06:20:33 -0600 Deborah Ray Piper Spencer Co., IN allpiper@swindiana.net ----- Original Message ----- From: "Deborah Ray Piper" <allpiper@swindiana.net> To: <Jma8763@aol.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2003 5:23 AM Subject: Re: [SALEM-WITCH-L] CBS Movie > Dear Joan, > > As a descendent of both sides of the sad history of Salem. I was the first > half and kept wondering where my Putnam line was. they did mention the > mistrust of envy of the two towns, The Town of Salem, merchants and wealth > and the farmers from the Salem Village. > > True, I would have liked to see more on the lives of the accused families. > But, Thomas Putnam comes across as a man full of hate and envy. Thank God, I > am not a woman of that time. It looked to me as a battered woman as being > shamed for defending herself from her abusive husband. > > I will wait for the ending tonight. Better not be any bats flying from the > hands of the accused as seen on the trailer. > > Putnam, Gould, Dane, Faulkner, Pudeator, Osgood, Hutchinson,Tufts, Ingalls, > and others > > Deborah Ray Piper > Spencer Co., IN > allpiper@swindiana.net > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <Jma8763@aol.com> > To: <SALEM-WITCH-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Monday, March 03, 2003 6:31 PM > Subject: [SALEM-WITCH-L] CBS Movie > > > > Hi all, > > > > I JUST had my first chance to check my mail today, and was REALLY > surprised > > to find NO comments about the first half of the CBS movie from last night! > > SO, let me be the one to get things started!! > > > > First, I have some questions for anyone who might know! > > > > 1) Is there any evidence to suggest that Ann Putnam Sr had a still birth > in > > conjunction with the accusations of 1692? I know that she lost several > > children, I was just curious about whether the timing depicted in the > movie > > was accurate, or just used for dramatic affect. > > > > 2) I know that public humiliation was in fact a popular form of > punishment, > > but is there any evidence to suggest that people were really paraded, > > shackled and naked, from town to town, or again, did the producers/writers > > decide that dumpy, naked female bottoms would increase ratings? > > > > > > As for MY opinion of the movie so far...NOT TOO MUCH!!! I was disgusted > by > > the opening scene, which appears as though there was good reason to > believe > > that Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne and Tituba were in fact witches, or at the > > VERY least, evil individuals! > > I was also unpleasantly surprised by the "characters" who have so far > > emerged as the "stars" of the movie. The entire first half focuses on the > > families of Thomas Putnam and Samuel Parris, and portrays them in a VERY > > sympathetic light, while only barely "introducing" A FEW of the people who > > were eventually tried and/or murdered, and does NOTHING toward shedding a > > sympathetic light on any of them except Tituba!! > > I guess I'm just a bit confused as to how someone can write a four hour > > movie which hails itself as "THE TRUTH" about the events of 1692 Salem, > and > > in the entire first half fail to even mention MOST of the 19 who died, let > > alone the hundreds who were accused and lived to see another day! > > > > I DID actually TRY to go into this movie with no bias, but unless I'm > > completely fooling myself, this doesn't even make a good work of fiction!! > > It feels like the writer has tried to roll every imaginable theory into > one, > > while not actually having a theory of his or her own! Well, I guess > that's > > not entirely true, since I don't recall hearing anything about moldy rye > > bread yet!! > > > > Okay, and one last complaint....SO FAR....did anyone else have a problem > > with the volume, or is my one year old SONY dying on me??? I had the > volume > > CRANKED through half the movie, and STILL had a hard time hearing them, > and > > then all of the sudden, something REALLY LOUD would happen that scared me > > half to death before I could get the volume turned back down!! Was this > just > > my TV, or was this their way of making a tragedy into a thriller??? > > > > ANY other thoughts??? > > Joan > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ MSN 8 helps eliminate e-mail viruses. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus

And when did Bridget live in a cave-like dwelling, fronted by leaves/trees? Or a small shack? She never ran off to live in Witches' Woods that I remember... Beth ----- Original Message ----- From: <Jma8763@aol.com> To: <SALEM-WITCH-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, March 03, 2003 7:31 PM Subject: [SALEM-WITCH-L] CBS Movie > Hi all, > > I JUST had my first chance to check my mail today, and was REALLY surprised > to find NO comments about the first half of the CBS movie from last night! > SO, let me be the one to get things started!! > > First, I have some questions for anyone who might know! > > 1) Is there any evidence to suggest that Ann Putnam Sr had a still birth in > conjunction with the accusations of 1692? I know that she lost several > children, I was just curious about whether the timing depicted in the movie > was accurate, or just used for dramatic affect. > > 2) I know that public humiliation was in fact a popular form of punishment, > but is there any evidence to suggest that people were really paraded, > shackled and naked, from town to town, or again, did the producers/writers > decide that dumpy, naked female bottoms would increase ratings? > > > As for MY opinion of the movie so far...NOT TOO MUCH!!! I was disgusted by > the opening scene, which appears as though there was good reason to believe > that Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne and Tituba were in fact witches, or at the > VERY least, evil individuals! > I was also unpleasantly surprised by the "characters" who have so far > emerged as the "stars" of the movie. The entire first half focuses on the > families of Thomas Putnam and Samuel Parris, and portrays them in a VERY > sympathetic light, while only barely "introducing" A FEW of the people who > were eventually tried and/or murdered, and does NOTHING toward shedding a > sympathetic light on any of them except Tituba!! > I guess I'm just a bit confused as to how someone can write a four hour > movie which hails itself as "THE TRUTH" about the events of 1692 Salem, and > in the entire first half fail to even mention MOST of the 19 who died, let > alone the hundreds who were accused and lived to see another day! > > I DID actually TRY to go into this movie with no bias, but unless I'm > completely fooling myself, this doesn't even make a good work of fiction!! > It feels like the writer has tried to roll every imaginable theory into one, > while not actually having a theory of his or her own! Well, I guess that's > not entirely true, since I don't recall hearing anything about moldy rye > bread yet!! > > Okay, and one last complaint....SO FAR....did anyone else have a problem > with the volume, or is my one year old SONY dying on me??? I had the volume > CRANKED through half the movie, and STILL had a hard time hearing them, and > then all of the sudden, something REALLY LOUD would happen that scared me > half to death before I could get the volume turned back down!! Was this just > my TV, or was this their way of making a tragedy into a thriller??? > > ANY other thoughts??? > Joan > > >

I was disappointed the movie of the "truth" depicted the accused as being credible witches. Also, maybe my records are wrong but I believe Thomas Putnam died May 5, 1686, prior to the marriage in 1690 of Joseph and Elizabeth Porter. Anyone else have better information? Thanks Marty Illinois

Deborah Ray Piper Spencer Co., IN allpiper@swindiana.net ----- Original Message ----- From: "Deborah Ray Piper" <allpiper@swindiana.net> To: <Jma8763@aol.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2003 5:23 AM Subject: Re: [SALEM-WITCH-L] CBS Movie > Dear Joan, > > As a descendent of both sides of the sad history of Salem. I was the first > half and kept wondering where my Putnam line was. they did mention the > mistrust of envy of the two towns, The Town of Salem, merchants and wealth > and the farmers from the Salem Village. > > True, I would have liked to see more on the lives of the accused families. > But, Thomas Putnam comes across as a man full of hate and envy. Thank God, I > am not a woman of that time. It looked to me as a battered woman as being > shamed for defending herself from her abusive husband. > > I will wait for the ending tonight. Better not be any bats flying from the > hands of the accused as seen on the trailer. > > Putnam, Gould, Dane, Faulkner, Pudeator, Osgood, Hutchinson,Tufts, Ingalls, > and others > > Deborah Ray Piper > Spencer Co., IN > allpiper@swindiana.net > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <Jma8763@aol.com> > To: <SALEM-WITCH-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Monday, March 03, 2003 6:31 PM > Subject: [SALEM-WITCH-L] CBS Movie > > > > Hi all, > > > > I JUST had my first chance to check my mail today, and was REALLY > surprised > > to find NO comments about the first half of the CBS movie from last night! > > SO, let me be the one to get things started!! > > > > First, I have some questions for anyone who might know! > > > > 1) Is there any evidence to suggest that Ann Putnam Sr had a still birth > in > > conjunction with the accusations of 1692? I know that she lost several > > children, I was just curious about whether the timing depicted in the > movie > > was accurate, or just used for dramatic affect. > > > > 2) I know that public humiliation was in fact a popular form of > punishment, > > but is there any evidence to suggest that people were really paraded, > > shackled and naked, from town to town, or again, did the producers/writers > > decide that dumpy, naked female bottoms would increase ratings? > > > > > > As for MY opinion of the movie so far...NOT TOO MUCH!!! I was disgusted > by > > the opening scene, which appears as though there was good reason to > believe > > that Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne and Tituba were in fact witches, or at the > > VERY least, evil individuals! > > I was also unpleasantly surprised by the "characters" who have so far > > emerged as the "stars" of the movie. The entire first half focuses on the > > families of Thomas Putnam and Samuel Parris, and portrays them in a VERY > > sympathetic light, while only barely "introducing" A FEW of the people who > > were eventually tried and/or murdered, and does NOTHING toward shedding a > > sympathetic light on any of them except Tituba!! > > I guess I'm just a bit confused as to how someone can write a four hour > > movie which hails itself as "THE TRUTH" about the events of 1692 Salem, > and > > in the entire first half fail to even mention MOST of the 19 who died, let > > alone the hundreds who were accused and lived to see another day! > > > > I DID actually TRY to go into this movie with no bias, but unless I'm > > completely fooling myself, this doesn't even make a good work of fiction!! > > It feels like the writer has tried to roll every imaginable theory into > one, > > while not actually having a theory of his or her own! Well, I guess > that's > > not entirely true, since I don't recall hearing anything about moldy rye > > bread yet!! > > > > Okay, and one last complaint....SO FAR....did anyone else have a problem > > with the volume, or is my one year old SONY dying on me??? I had the > volume > > CRANKED through half the movie, and STILL had a hard time hearing them, > and > > then all of the sudden, something REALLY LOUD would happen that scared me > > half to death before I could get the volume turned back down!! Was this > just > > my TV, or was this their way of making a tragedy into a thriller??? > > > > ANY other thoughts??? > > Joan > > > > >

Hi all, I JUST had my first chance to check my mail today, and was REALLY surprised to find NO comments about the first half of the CBS movie from last night! SO, let me be the one to get things started!! First, I have some questions for anyone who might know! 1) Is there any evidence to suggest that Ann Putnam Sr had a still birth in conjunction with the accusations of 1692? I know that she lost several children, I was just curious about whether the timing depicted in the movie was accurate, or just used for dramatic affect. 2) I know that public humiliation was in fact a popular form of punishment, but is there any evidence to suggest that people were really paraded, shackled and naked, from town to town, or again, did the producers/writers decide that dumpy, naked female bottoms would increase ratings? As for MY opinion of the movie so far...NOT TOO MUCH!!! I was disgusted by the opening scene, which appears as though there was good reason to believe that Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne and Tituba were in fact witches, or at the VERY least, evil individuals! I was also unpleasantly surprised by the "characters" who have so far emerged as the "stars" of the movie. The entire first half focuses on the families of Thomas Putnam and Samuel Parris, and portrays them in a VERY sympathetic light, while only barely "introducing" A FEW of the people who were eventually tried and/or murdered, and does NOTHING toward shedding a sympathetic light on any of them except Tituba!! I guess I'm just a bit confused as to how someone can write a four hour movie which hails itself as "THE TRUTH" about the events of 1692 Salem, and in the entire first half fail to even mention MOST of the 19 who died, let alone the hundreds who were accused and lived to see another day! I DID actually TRY to go into this movie with no bias, but unless I'm completely fooling myself, this doesn't even make a good work of fiction!! It feels like the writer has tried to roll every imaginable theory into one, while not actually having a theory of his or her own! Well, I guess that's not entirely true, since I don't recall hearing anything about moldy rye bread yet!! Okay, and one last complaint....SO FAR....did anyone else have a problem with the volume, or is my one year old SONY dying on me??? I had the volume CRANKED through half the movie, and STILL had a hard time hearing them, and then all of the sudden, something REALLY LOUD would happen that scared me half to death before I could get the volume turned back down!! Was this just my TV, or was this their way of making a tragedy into a thriller??? ANY other thoughts??? Joan

Hello Crys I'm new to the list also, sort of. Been here only a very few weeks. The list has been very peaceful lately and might otherwise be disappointing, BUT there is a CBS movie about the witch trials on TV tonight and tomorrow night (if I have the schedule correcly), and this has several list members atwitter. I think we can expect lots of opinion here shortly. I won't see the CBS made-for-TV movie myself, but I believe it should ignite a good deal of discussion. I am looking forward to that phase of the event. So hang on! Here we go!!!! Lester ________________________________________________________________ Sign Up for Juno Platinum Internet Access Today Only $9.95 per month! Visit www.juno.com

Hello to all! My name is Crys Hodgens and I am new to the list. I have been looking to join a list to discuss and learn more information about the Salem Trials. I have had a fascination about the events of 1692 for five years now. I took a course in college in which I had to study a part of American history for 10 weeks and then write a 10-page paper on what my research showed. I chose the witch trials because it is a subject you see spoofed often, but I did not know much about it. Now I cannot seem to learn enough. I spent four days in Salem over the summer - and loved every minute of it. I loved to share my knowledge of the trials and colonial culture with my 11th grade English students and anyone else who will listen. I am excited about being a member of this list and cannot wait to learn more from those of you who are direct descendants. I would like to write a book one day on this topic. Have a great day! Crys

At 06:52 AM 3/2/03, Irene Del Bono wrote: >Speaking if imperilled property - I received a call from the new owners of >the Sara Clayes house in Salem End, Framingham. They are having a >difficult time finding a way to restore this beautiful old house (it will >cost a lot more than they anticipated). I thought of contacting This Old >House, but even with them you have to pay the construction costs. The >"Historic Treasures of America" funds public property only, apparently. >Does anyone know of any funding sources or other ideas that will help save >this house? Thanks in advance. It is almost impossible to get public money to fund a private restoration, but before giving up, I'd try: 1. The National Trust for Historic Preservation based in Washington, DC 2. The state of Massachusetts -- not just Housing, but I'd try Tourism, too 3. The county and/or city, again trying Tourism as well as Housing Hope that one of these pans out!

Speaking if imperilled property - I received a call from the new owners of the Sara Clayes house in Salem End, Framingham. They are having a difficult time finding a way to restore this beautiful old house (it will cost a lot more than they anticipated). I thought of contacting This Old House, but even with them you have to pay the construction costs. The "Historic Treasures of America" funds public property only, apparently. Does anyone know of any funding sources or other ideas that will help save this house? Thanks in advance. _________________________________________________________________ Help STOP SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail

Please change my address to: csmariposa@ EarthLink.net

AND that they were all -- even those just accused and not yet adjudged -- paying for their incarcerations out of their own pockets, into the pockets of the jail administrator (usually a sheriff). My current home state, Virginia, is trying to bring back this charging-prisoners-rent idea. Talk about punishment on top of punishment! And I heard some West Coast state is trying the same thing. Every time I hear about it, I think of my own ancestress, trapped in prison and knowing that not only were her garden and cow not being taken care of, they were being imperiled by her mounting prison costs... At 07:56 PM 2/28/03, Halloween Queen wrote: >I'm not a Redgrave fan to say the least but I thought the movie was very >good. Slow? I think it had to be to keep the tension and set the pace. >Months in jail...I can't imagine one day let alone the aloneness these >people must have suffered. Pamela

I'm not a Redgrave fan to say the least but I thought the movie was very good. Slow? I think it had to be to keep the tension and set the pace. Months in jail...I can't imagine one day let alone the aloneness these people must have suffered. Pamela ----- Original Message ----- From: <Csmariposa@aol.com> To: <SALEM-WITCH-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, February 27, 2003 9:55 PM Subject: [SALEM-WITCH-L] Re: SALEM-WITCH-D Digest V03 #16 > I'm a descendant of Sarah, and I ordered "Three Sovereigns for Sarah" to help > teach my adult children about Sarah. In my opinion, it's better than most > films I've seen because it has Vanessa Redgrave and was filmed in > Massachusetts, although it's a slow moving film. > > When will a director make a historically correct film on the Salem Witch > Trials? The truth is better than anything filmmakers can sensationalize. > > Thanks for the alert on the new show. I'll be watching! > >

If anyone else is interested, I can set up a live chat room during the airing of this CBS miniseries. Apparently no one in our households wants to hear us sputter and fume, but perhaps in mutual support? If anyone has AOL's Instant Messaging chat software installed, just email me with your AIM username so I can put you on the invitation list. Misery loves company! (Of course, notice that none of us have said anything about planning NOT to watch it! LOL!) --Margo

I'm a descendant of Sarah, and I ordered "Three Sovereigns for Sarah" to help teach my adult children about Sarah. In my opinion, it's better than most films I've seen because it has Vanessa Redgrave and was filmed in Massachusetts, although it's a slow moving film. When will a director make a historically correct film on the Salem Witch Trials? The truth is better than anything filmmakers can sensationalize. Thanks for the alert on the new show. I'll be watching!

Nope. I'm afraid the big sweeps ends in February and we won't see it again until May. Guess the big networks don't believe our ancestors are interesting enough to attract the big numbers. Adrienne Original Message: ----------------- From: davisk davisk@sprynet.com Date: Tue, 25 Feb 2003 23:13:21 -0800 To: SALEM-WITCH-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [SALEM-WITCH-L] "Salem Witch Trials" on CBS, 3/2 & 3/4 ...Must be sweeps season. Crossing my fingers and hoping for the best, Kurian -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ .

On Wednesday, February 26, 2003, at 08:13 PM, Vicki Brooker wrote: > I'm going to a lecture tomorrow night given by Lori Lee Wilson, author > of "Salem Witch Trials - How History Is Invented". Just looked the > book and author up on Amazon.com and discovered it's a book geared to > 9 - 12 year olds ... but hey, when you live in Duxbury VT, you learn > to take what you can get! ;-) > > Is anyone familiar at all with this author and her work? I think her book is pretty good as an introduction for kids, and I recommend it as a starting place for them. She touches on all the historical points and players, but also discusses how the story was perceived over time, witchcraft in general, McCarthyism, ergostism, Wicca & Lori Abbot specifically -- essentially hitting all the bases when it comes to Salem, but she does so fairly and objectively. She leaves the reader with a chapter on "How to Become an Historian," the most important line from which is: "One has to get the facts right before interpreting them." Hurrah! Overall, I found her text pretty even-handed. The pictures range from a reproduction of one of the witchcraft papers to a photograph of Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz, a photograph of a bottle of "real" witch pins from the Peabody-Essex to a photograph from one of the scenes in the wax museum. I think she'd be interesting speaker. Do give us a report back on how it went! --Margo

On Wednesday, February 26, 2003, at 09:35 PM, Lisa Small wrote: > You mentioned "Three Sovreigns for Sarah" -- is that another Salem > retelling? Yes -- it was on PBS a while back, starring Vanessa Redgrave as Sarah Cloyce, the only one of the three Towne sisters to survive the trials. --Margo

At 09:35 AM 2/26/03, Margo Burns wrote: >I've already heard from my household that no one wants to be around when I >watch this thing because they know I will get annoyed! LOL! Oh! My family has told me the same thing! >And, yes, it must be a major night for ratings on TV: in the same Sunday >time slot, HBO is starting its third season of "Six Feet Under" and >Showtime a new season of "Queer as Folk." Dang. Gotta get out the tape. You mentioned "Three Sovreigns for Sarah" -- is that another Salem retelling?

Yes, we do have a way to go...when I visited a relative's photo site yesterday, just before my photo came up there was a quick little message....'looking for a broom?' You never know what you might learn at that lecture! Beth, in Maine. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Vicki Brooker" <vbrooker@msn.com> To: <SALEM-WITCH-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2003 8:13 PM Subject: [SALEM-WITCH-L] Lecture by Lori Lee Wilson > Hi all, > > I'm going to a lecture tomorrow night given by Lori Lee Wilson, author of > "Salem Witch Trials - How History Is Invented". Just looked the book and > author up on Amazon.com and discovered it's a book geared to 9 - 12 year > olds ... but hey, when you live in Duxbury VT, you learn to take what you > can get! ;-) > > Is anyone familiar at all with this author and her work? Anybody have > questions they'd like me to pose? I regret to tell you that when I informed > a co-worker I was attending the lecture and was interested because I'm a > descendant of one of the women who was executed, she offered to loan me her > broom. We still have a long way to go! ... > > Cheers! > Vicki Brooker > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online > http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963 > >

Hi all, I'm going to a lecture tomorrow night given by Lori Lee Wilson, author of "Salem Witch Trials - How History Is Invented". Just looked the book and author up on Amazon.com and discovered it's a book geared to 9 - 12 year olds ... but hey, when you live in Duxbury VT, you learn to take what you can get! ;-) Is anyone familiar at all with this author and her work? Anybody have questions they'd like me to pose? I regret to tell you that when I informed a co-worker I was attending the lecture and was interested because I'm a descendant of one of the women who was executed, she offered to loan me her broom. We still have a long way to go! ... Cheers! Vicki Brooker _________________________________________________________________ Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963