I also use www.google.com and enter "Mary Towne Easty" and other variations, using the quotation marks will narrow your search, try it several different ways. Google is the best search engine, I have had great success with it. Nicol ----- Original Message ----- From: <ALums48454@aol.com> To: <SALEM-WITCH-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, July 04, 2002 3:06 PM Subject: Re: [SALEM-WITCH-L] Salem Connection > This is a good site for Mary Eastie information. It has a link to the Salem > Witchtrials Homepage which has a number of documents too. > > http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/SAL_BEAS.HTM > > Abby >

This is a good site for Mary Eastie information. It has a link to the Salem Witchtrials Homepage which has a number of documents too. http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/SAL_BEAS.HTM Abby

I'm new to this resource but wanted to post my connection and see if anyone can point me toward information about my ancestor Mary Towne. I would also appreciate it if anyone has information about the ancestors of Celestia Case, (1813-1884). Isaac Estey and Mary Towne (accused and hung in 1692) Isaac Estey, Jr and Abigail Kimball Joseph Cummings and Sarah Estey Thomas Cummings and Lydia Richardson Lydia Cummings and Ebenezer Porter John Porter and Sarah Fuller Marshall Porter and Celestia Case Luther Porter and Josephine Butcher James Jackson Porter and Elizabeth Kennedy Orlando Ells Porter and Anna Clarke Orlando Ells Porter and Alice Austin (parents) Thank you.

In a message dated 7/4/02 3:42:31 AM Eastern Daylight Time, LSHOLLINGSWORTH@aol.com writes: > Also I am looking for information on Nehemiah Abbot. Does anyone know who > his > father was? According to "Salem Witchcraft and Hawthorne's House of the Seven Gables" by Enders A. Robinson, pp. 284-285, Nehemiah Abbott was the son of Nehemiah and Mary (Howe) Abbott, and grandson of George Abbott (1600-1647) of Rowley MA. Regards, Rick Turner "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."---The Declaration of Independence "I love the word 'friends'. It means so much, for we are, and should be, friends for the glory of God and the salvation of the world."---Alice C. Winslow (1856-1927), 1913

Hi I am new to this list and wanted to write what my connections are. In my lines the accused where Elizabeth Bassett Proctor (a 9th Great Aunt) married John Proctor Esther Dutch or Gutch Elwell (a wife to a 10th great uncle) married Samuel Elwell Ann Dolliver (a wife of a 9 th Gen. cousin) married William Dolliver Rebecca Dolliver (a wife of a 9th Gen. cousin) married Samuel Dolliver Sarah Hood Bassett (wife to 9th Great Uncle) married William Bassett JR. Was there a family feud of sorts going on there? Seems to be........... Also I am looking for information on Nehemiah Abbot. Does anyone know who his father was? Thanks Linda

>From : Marilynne Roach <mkr12y@yahoo.com> >Mass. Archives does have a few list of prisoners and unpaid jail bills for >1689 that name a Mary Glover in 3 different documents (35: 95, 96, 254). Presumably this Mary is the woman accused of witchcraft, although the charge is not stated in these documents. Thank you for this information. I wonder, though, if it really is Goody Glover. Supposedly she was hung in 1688. There might be unpaid bills still in 1689, but would she appear on prisoner lists for then? Francine Nicholson _________________________________________________________________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com

Cotton Mather's account of Goody Glover does not state her first name. Court records for the period under the royally appointed Governor Sir Edmund Andros, apparently no longer exist -at least not in the Massachusetts Archives. Mass. Archives does have a few list of prisoners and unpaid jail bills for 1689 that name a Mary Glover in 3 different documents (35: 95, 96, 254). Presumably this Mary is the woman accused of witchcraft, although the charge is not stated in these documents. Marilynne K. Roach __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com

Hello all... I have been trying to find some information on a woman referred to as Goody Goodell, who was mentioned briefly in one of my books as an accuser. I have not been able to find out her full name, though I believe she was married to a Goodell man. I am descended from the following Goodell couple who were living in Salem in 1692: ISAAC GOODELL b. 29 Mar 1670, Salem, Essex, MA d. 26 Apr 1739, Salem, Essex, MA m. 31 Dec 1692 MARY ABBEY (dau. of Samuel Abbey & Mary Knowlton) b. abt. 1674, Wenham, Essex, MA d. abt. 1739 I am descended from their son Samuel Goodell who was born in Salem in 1694. Isaac's parents were: ISAAC GOODELL b. Nov 1633, Dennington, Suffolk, England d. 1679, Salem, Essex, MA m. PATIENCE COOK I have no information about Patience yet, and I don't know when she died, so she could have been in Salem as a widow in 1692. I am guessing that she was also born in England, and they probably married there before they came here, but I only have one birthdate for and location for their children, and it is Salem in 1670. It seems to me that my Mary Abbey couldn't be this Goody Goodell, since they weren't married until after the whole thing blew over. Although, Isaac did have lots of brothers and sisters (not to mention aunts and uncles), so the "accuser" has to be in there somewhere! Can anyone help me with this? I have some more information on siblings names and such if anyone would like to e-mail me privately. I am happy to share. Thanks! -Tamara (9th-great-granddaughter of Rebecca Towne Nurse) Researching PUTNAM, GOODELL, FOSTER, BRADSTREET, ALDEN, TOWNE, NURSE, CARR, MARTIN, CONANT, WOODBURY, and many more in Salem and surrounding areas in 1692. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com

In "Popular and Theological Meanings of Witchcraft" by Richard Weisman, on p 66 he calls her "Mary Glover, an old Irish washerwoman, was called out by the goodwin children during their lenghty affliction of 1688." He mentions "Mary Glover" again on p. 68 and goes into more detail on p 113 & 114, telling the story: "Mary was charged with the affliction of four children of a respected member of Cotton Mather's own Boston congregation. Four ministers and several physicians testified to the validity of the afflictions. The investigation of the suspect was far more thorough than any conducted for previous trials. Mary's house was searched for puppets and images, and her body was examined for witch's marks. She was also requested by the magistratres to recite the Lord's Prayer, a task she could not complete without blaspheming. Finally, she confessed." (p 113) "But judicial rigor was applied even to this testimony. Five doctors decided that she was compos mentis and that her confession could be accepted by the court." (p. 114) "Mary Glover was hanged in Boston on November 16, 1688. Just before her death, she revealed the names of several confederates who had assisted her in delivering the afflictions. This time, however, the investigation was not pursued. Four years later, when the opportunity srose once again, the magistrates were prepared to be more diligent." (p. 114) Nancy Enright University of Illinois -----Original Message----- From: Francine Nicholson [mailto:sorcha432@hotmail.com] Sent: Friday, June 21, 2002 12:43 PM To: SALEM-WITCH-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [SALEM-WITCH-L] Goody Glover Hello All: I'm new to the list, though I've been looking through the archives. I'm related to Elizabeth Morse of Newbury through her husband's brother, Anthony Morse. However, my question concerns "Goody Glover", the Irish woman whose trial and execution at Boston was described by Cotton Mather and mentioned by John Hale (both of whom cover E. Morse, too). Does anyone know what Glover's first name was? Neither Mather nor Hale mentions a first name. In books and on web sites I've seen both Ann and Mary, but no one cites a source I've been able to verify. The Boston Irish Heritage Trail web site, which describes "Ann or Annie" Glover seems to be quoting the Catholic Encyclopedia which doesn't cite any sources. Does Robert Calef have anything to say about this? (I haven't been able to get a look at his bit on Goody Glover.) Thanks! Francine Nicholson _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp.

Hello All: I'm new to the list, though I've been looking through the archives. I'm related to Elizabeth Morse of Newbury through her husband's brother, Anthony Morse. However, my question concerns "Goody Glover", the Irish woman whose trial and execution at Boston was described by Cotton Mather and mentioned by John Hale (both of whom cover E. Morse, too). Does anyone know what Glover's first name was? Neither Mather nor Hale mentions a first name. In books and on web sites I've seen both Ann and Mary, but no one cites a source I've been able to verify. The Boston Irish Heritage Trail web site, which describes "Ann or Annie" Glover seems to be quoting the Catholic Encyclopedia which doesn't cite any sources. Does Robert Calef have anything to say about this? (I haven't been able to get a look at his bit on Goody Glover.) Thanks! Francine Nicholson _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp.

Dear Natasha, A bit heavy on the ergotism theory, but very nice piece of work for an 8th Grader. You might want to end the Paper with one last thought: On Halloween 2001, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts exonerated the last of the so-called Witches of Salem. Good Luck Cheers, Bob

Here is my full paper! Tell me what you think! I will appreciate it! Thank so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Salem was a small town, in the west corner of Massachusetts. The village was a Puritan community. The inhabitants were all very social, and close-knit. Gossip was common, and word spread quickly. When strange things started happening in their peaceful town, everyone knew about it. The first occurrence was that several children took sick. Many infants died, and cattle perished as a result of an unknown substance. The community, being Puritan and believing strongly in devilish lore, blamed this on witchcraft. To be a witch in a town such as Salem was a heinous crime. All were strongly against anything to do with Satan. Anyone who did consort with him was a traitor to their fellow people .Those convicted would be examined for “witch marks” then punished. Few were killed by any other means than hanging, but many died while serving prison terms. What many interested in the field don’t know is that when an accused person walked into the courthouse, they were immediately presumed guilty. Evidence was always thrown against them. There was little or no time for them to defend themselves. Almost everyone accused of witchcraft wasn’t charged guilty. The people would generally complain of afflictions, missing property, deaths in the family due to unknown reasons, et cetera. Then they would pick a person and blame him/her for it under the title “witch”. The evidence was slight. In some cases there was no evidence except the testimonials of the accusers. Even these remained inconsistent, but as they were supposed victims, their word was higher than the defendants’. Many suggestions of possible sources of the afflictions have been presented over time, including encephalitis lethargica. Yet that occurrence remains highly improbable. The more prevalent explanation is ergotism. Ergotism comes from eating rye, barley, or wheat contaminated with ergot. Ergot is a mold that grows on several different types of grain; it contains lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). LSD is best known of the hallucinogenic class of drugs. In Salem people who ingested this drug experienced all sorts of bizarre inexplicable behavior. Ergotism, and not witchcraft, or disease was the source of the pains, visions, and spasms of the villagers. Proof of this is that symptoms of LSD and afflictions of “victims of witchcraft” are the same. The inhabitants of Salem Village grew rye, and other grains as a main food source. There was an outbreak of ergot in the late 1990s. The accused were innocent of inflicting or stealing anything from victims. The symptoms of the victims in the trials perfectly match those of symptoms of LSD users. In several instances girls experienced the sensations of being pricked and pinched. One of the effects of LSD is to experience unusual body sensations. Betty and Abigail Parris, experienced these exact ambiances. “Both girls were bitten and pinched by invisible agents. Their arms, necks, and backs turned this way and that…” (Story pg.1) The second most noticeable symptom was hallucinations. John Hughes himself saw a dreary haze every time he ate. Common hallucinations were birds uncharacteristic to the lands of Massachusetts. These were seen by Tituba, Johanna Childen. Ann Putnam Sr., and Sarah Nurse. Animals seemed to generally appear to a person. In addition birds, dogs and discolored rats emerged in their imaginations. John Hughes had seen a dog at the foot of his bed repeatedly. Lights were another common hallucination; Eliaser Keysar saw them in his chimney. One of the lesser known indications of LSD poisoning (ergotism) is the onset of flashbacks. Johanna Childen saw her dead child playing in the yard as it used to on several days. The Shattucks saw the “reincarnation” of their dead grandmother in fits on the floor, the way she had been right before she died. Most physical afflictions were these fits. When LSD was consumed multiple times a day, the results were nausea, sour stomach, paranoia, and even muscle spasms. Consequently younger children and middle aged women were recorded to have fits more and more often. “Between 1689 and 1700 the citizens complained of symptoms that included fits, spectral visions, mental distraction, pinching, pin pricking and bites on their skin, lethargy, and even death. They ‘barked liked dogs’, were unable to walk, and had their arms and legs ‘nearly twisted out of joint’” (Fever pg.8) The citizens had no idea what was happening to them. Cattle were dropping dead periodically. The parries family lost seventeen head of cattle in one year preceding the trials. It was recorded in Reverend Parris’s journal that the cattle ate the grain that grew in their fields. When LSD is consumed by cows or horses, tests prove, that large amounts can kill the animal by means of disrupting the digestive tracts. This explains why when they cut open their livestock to investigate, there was no sign of infliction. The results would have been purged from the body before the animal died, as it was in tested animals. Their children were sickening. Worst of all strange things kept materializing without a known cause. It was perfectly logical for them to blame the afflictions on witchcraft. They did not surmise that their troubles came form what they were eating. There was an outbreak of ergot in the rye the year of the trials. One proof is that the weather conditions that year were perfect for growing the mold. Ergot grows in semi-hot, humid, rainy springs and summers. When Ms. Linnda Caporael searched through the records of the Salem residents, she found that the same conditions were present in 1691. Mostly all of the accusers lived in the western section of Salem village, an area of swamps and wet plains that would have been perfect breeding ground for the fungus. “The rye crop consumed in the winter of 1691-1692 -- when the first usual symptoms began to be reported -- could easily have been contaminated by large quantities of ergot. The summer of 1692, however, was dry, which could explain the abrupt end of the 'bewitchments.' These and other clues built up into a circumstantial case against ergot that Caporael found impossible to ignore.” (Secrets pg.2) A few of the populace in the towns wrote in their journals of rainy days. A few of the more aged persons who had seen other years noted that it was unusually damp, bad for the arthritis. The people of the area noticed that there was something wrong with their crops. Rye had an unusually high price that year because of the infection. Certain prodigious members of the community were selling off their land or giving it away. Then there was the fact that The Sheldons saw a slimy yellow pus on their barley plants. Claviceps purpurea, one species of ergot which is said to grow on barley, gives of a orange-ish mucus shortly after infecting is host. The farmers living in the surrounding suburbs, and rural areas once petitioned not to be sent to the coast guard, for the Native Americans of the area were raiding. They stole mostly food. This indicates that the Native Americans, with out the technology of the day, were suffering the contamination of their main food source worse than the Puritan population. Why else would they have raided farmers shacks for their bread? The other foods that were largely consumed by those involved in the trials were dairy, and fish. The dairy and fish prices dropped that year because more of these food groups were being consumed. The townspeople had to eat more of other substances because their bread was bad. It was a shame though that they didn’t connect bad food with the convulsions of their neighbors. The bad crop in addition to affecting the inflicted, also played a role in the lives of the accused. Sarah Good, at her testimony, after claiming that she was innocent because she was ill, then requested leave of a court trial “so that I [she] could tend to my [her] bad field, as the workers have quit saying it was hopeless” (Story pg.22) There had to have been an outbreak of the mold in the 1691-1692 farming year, or else Ms. Good’s fields would have been in better shape than they were when she left the magistrate’s office. The final proof of ergotism causing the afflictions that led to the Salem Witch Trials is that. The accused were innocent of the crimes that they were convicted for. In almost all books and documents about the trials, this appears beside some other explanation for the illnesses. On one side of convicting witches was the Devil. The inability to pray was supposed to be a trait of an evil person. Almost all who were convicted (with the exception of Sarah Osborne, who died in prison) the accused would say the Lord’s Prayer, often on the day of their hanging. That totally negates the idea of real witches by the fact that it goes against the Puritan’s ideal witch. Some of the charges presented against loyal citizens were in no sense related to witchcraft. For instance, Rebecca Nurse was charged with stabbing a young man in the chest with a knife. First of all, stabbing someone is a charge of assault that should have been brought up in an entirely separate case. Second, if Rebecca had stabbed the man there was no evidence of it, there was no knife wound, no knife for that matter. The apparitions of witches supposedly seen by the afflicted were in no way proved, but as stated above the accused were presumed guilty from the start of the trial; so a person claiming to be hurt by their next door neighbor, as a victim was automatically alleged to be telling the truth. Another part of the Puritan witch myth was “witch marks”. A witch would have had some kind of mark, extra nipple or scar from which a familiar would feed. In the physical examinations of the seventy-some suspects, very few marks were found. They could have been attributed to moles, birth-marks, or even as a result of LSD poisoning. One of its affects is, in test subjects, to have strange rash-like marks to appear on the body. In another case, George Burroughs, a Eucharistic minister in the community, was accused of witchcraft on the grounds of having supernatural strength. He could supposedly lift and carry a filled barrel of molasses with two fingers. How is this the evil so hated in that community? He had admitted to his clergy that his strength was odd, but his family had possessed such abilities for generations. This base of his “supernatural powers” was truly just part of genetics. The evidence of some of the trials is sketchy. As noted in certain books, such as A Fever in Salem by Laurie Winn Carlson, the testimonials of victims were often changed so as to suit the purpose of seeming more incriminating. There is no proof of witchcraft, but testimonies that were inconsistent, changed, rebuted or dismissed in the later recounts of the trials. Fraud was not an option for this particular chain of events. Linnda Caporeal had the same sentiments and proved her theory by writing multiple essays on the topic. Several websites that have been found greatly dispute the idea of ergotism; though it is vast becoming popular. Sometimes it is found in some examinations that confessions of witchcraft were made. These were in the lesser trials where testimonies are changed from source to source. The inconsistence of actual confession by accused persons presents a lack of defined evidence for those accused persons. If a person exposed themselves of practicing witchcraft the trial would not be furthered. Instead a sentence would immediately be delivered. In other cases, victims present at the trials would fall in to fits at the mention of their name by their torturers. Some say that this points indefinitely to fraud. Instead, does this evidence point even more to ergotism? If victims are falling into fits in public places it is because of forces beyond their control. Furthermore, why do accounts of these “courthouse fits” vary from source to source? No, the theory of fraud does not have enough proof to back it. Ergotism is the most logical, and most proved explanation for these horrible happenings. The symptoms of victims and tested subjects of LSD are the same. Rye was grown there, as well as other important grains susceptible to ergot. The accused were innocent of witchcraft, therefore something else had to have been the source of pains, ergotism was that source. Works Cited · Rosenthal, Bernard The Salem Story Press Syndicate, New York, 1993 · Carlson, Laurie A Fever in Salem Dee, Chicago, 1999 · Boyer, Paul, Stephen Salem-Village Witchcraft Northeastern University Press, Massachusetts 1993 · Robinson, Enders The Devil Discovered Hippocrene Inc., New York,1991 · Hill, Frances The Salem Witch Trials Harvard University Press, Massachusetts, 2000 · Littell, Mary Ann LSD Enslaw Publishers, New Jersey, 1996 · http:// www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets2/case1_clues.htmlIn · Http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi1037.html · Saari, Peggy Witchcraft In America Wood Bridge, Connecticut, 2001 · www.erowid.org/chemicals/lsd/lsd.shtml _________________________________________________________________ Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com

In April, 1669 Susanna Martin had to post 100 pounds bond to appear in court on suspicion of witchcraft. On the same day, George Martin sued William and Thomas Sargent for slander against Susanna. In the suit against them, George claimed that William had said that Susanna "was a witch and he would call her a witch." He had also accused Susanna of having had a child out of wedlock and of "wringing it's neck" shortly after it's birth. George Martin accused Thomas Sargent of saying "that his son George Marttin was a bastard and that Richard Marttin was Goodwife Martin's imp." George dropped the charges against Thomas Sargent and the jury found William Sargent guilty of accusing Susanna of "fornication and infanticide" but George was only awarded a "white wampan peague (colonial currency) or the eighth part of a penny damage" by the magistrates. As for the witchcraft slander, the jury acquitted William Sargent however, the "Court did not concur." Susanna was bound over to the higher court to be tried for witchcraft. It appears that she was acquitted at that trial but, unfortunately, the records did not survive. Of course, the outcome in 1692 would be quite different for Susanna. Bonnie Johnson

In a message dated 5/5/2002 3:47:53 PM Eastern Daylight Time, ajfoster@pacbell.net writes: << As Bob points out, Natasha didn't say what grade she is in >> Dear Adrienne, Natasha contacted me off List--She is an 8th Grader. Complimented her on paper and forwarded a couple of nice sites that recap Salem's History of Witch Hysteria. Have a great evening. Cheers, Bob

Natasha, I was once a firm supporter of the Ergot theory, but after much discussion amongst this mailing list, I have somewhat changed my mind. Your paper is well-written, and there are a few reputable scholars who would agree with you, but you may want to consider other issues as well. The Ergot idea at first seems to be the answer, for it explains the outbreak and the hysteria - A bad batch of rye causes hallucinations, and without an explanation and in a very religious atmosphere, the community blames it on witchcraft. One problem with this theory is that mostly the girls experience the hallucinations. A bad batch of rye would likely have been shared by an entire family if not by a few families. There is one family that seems to have been affected, but the outbreaks generally center around individual girls. Putting aside this problem, there are further problems within the transcripts themselves. The "hallucinations" appear at times when the girls need the sympathy of the court. I'm not saying the Ergotism was not involved, but if it was, there was also some manipulation - and some major political manuvering within the community that cannot be put aside. What the Ergot theory does - is it excuses the girls' from being blamed. (The girls were only about 11 years old and living within a very repressed community.) It is implied (in a letter about the trials) that one girl (likely Abigail) continued to suffer from some kind of physical ailment after the trials had been over and for the rest of her life. Could it have been from ergotism? No ones knows, and many are anxious to dismiss the possibility and consequently - anxious to blame 11 year old girls for this tragedy. I personally believe that the girls had initially been struck by something, that they eventually learned to believe their own press, and that older community members took advantage of the situation. It is easier for me to imagine young and impressionable girls as victims rather than as the "little witches" in Miller's The Crucible. Anyway, no one knows. But, the ergot theory, while it sounds good, has some holes. Julie Jirout >From: "natasha barbosa" <nbshopgurl@hotmail.com> >To: Cindy.Abel@creighton.edu, Conjer@aol.com, fnewby@getus.com, >frstabby@aol.com, gwestey@cs.com, joanswrid@aol.com, judi3158@aol.com, >juliejirout@hotmail.com, kc61kx@mscamm.com, Salem-witch-l@rootsweb.com, >SALEM-WITCH-L-request@rootsweb.com, terry_garlaw@am.exchip.com >Subject: Salem, Please HELP >Date: Sat, 04 May 2002 20:35:39 +0000 > >Please Read!! >I am writing a paper on this for school. Write what you think of it. Thank >you so much. > >Salem was a small town, in the northeast corner of Massachusetts. The >village was a Puritan community. The inhabitants were all very social, and >close-knit. Gossip was common, and word spread quickly. When strange things >started happening in their peaceful town, everyone new about it. The first >occurrence was that several children took sick. Many infants died, and >cattle perished as a result of an unknown substance. The community, being >Puritan and believing strongly in devilish lore, blamed this on witchcraft. >To be a witch in a town such as Salem was a heinous crime. All were >strongly against anything to do with Satan. Anyone who did consort with him >was a traitor to their fellow people .Those convicted would be examined for >“witch marks” then punished. Few were killed by any other means than >hanging, but many died while serving prison terms. What many people don’t >know is that when an accused person walked into the courthouse, they were >immediately presumed guilty. Evidence was always thrown against them. There >was little or no time for them to defend themselves. Not one single person >accused of witchcraft wasn’t charged guilty. The people would generally >complain of afflictions, missing property, deaths in the family due to >unknown reasons, et cetera. Then they would pick a person and blame him/her >for it under the title “witch”. The evidence was slight. In some cases >there was no evidence except the testimonials of the accusers. Even these >remained inconsistent, but as they were supposed victims, their word was >higher than the defendants’. Many suggestions of possible sources of the >afflictions have been presented over time, including encephalitis >lethargica. Yet that occurrence remains highly improbable. The more >prevalent explanation is ergotism. Ergotism comes from eating rye, barley, >or wheat contaminated with ergot. Ergot is a mold that grows on several >different types of grain; it contains lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). LSD >is best known of the hallucinogenic class of drugs. In Salem people who >ingested this drug experienced all sorts of bizarre inexplicable behavior. >Ergotism, and not witchcraft, or disease was the source of the pains, >visions, and spasms of the villagers. Proof of this is that symptoms of >LSD and afflictions of “victims of witchcraft” are the same. The weather >conditions in Salem that year were perfect for growing ergot. People in the >villages grew rye and the other grains as a staple food source. > _________________________________________________________________ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com

As Bob points out, Natasha didn't say what grade she is in, but I am mighty impressed at her obvious interest in the subject and the research she has started to do. She was awfully brave to post her paper to an e-mail list that would scrutinize her facts and not hesitate to dispute them. I hope the criticism doesn't discourage her from pursuing the subject further. I hope she has the testicular fortitude to handle our responses. Julie does an excellent job of pointing out the weaknesses of the ergot poisoning theory. The Salem Witch Trials smack with scam, especially when several of the "uncorrupted" people reaped from the rewards of confiscated properties of those prosecuted. The girls probably started it to save their own skins after being caught with Tituba while she exhibited some of her native practices, then were probably encouraged by their elders when it became obvious they could manipulate the situation to their benefits. Susannah Martin had also been accused of witchcraft once before the trials. Her husband, George, was still alive at the time and quickly put a stop to it. (I don't know the details, but it would be interesting to hear how he dealt with her accusers.) This made her an easier target in 1692. Julie isn't kidding about the girls believing their own press. Please keep in mind that these girls were as hot a topic in the press as Elian Gonzalez was when his story peaked. In situation unblindingly similar to George Martin's, the girls' undoing was when the governor of the colony learned they were accusing his wife as well. Shortly thereafter, laws were passed saying defendents could not be convicted on spectral evidence. Adrienne Foster

In a message dated 5/5/2002 8:19:39 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Jma8763@aol.com writes: << First, I have to ask, did you by any chance read the archives of this list before you wrote your paper? If not, you might want to do a search for the Ergotism theory, cuz there are those who believe it is NOT a likely explaination!! >> Hi, Although I have no idea what Grade your in, I agree--a reread of the Archives will vastly improve your paper. Cheers, Bob

Hello, everyone... I wanto to Know if there someone out there that speaks spanish... I've been in Salem and I'm writting a radio soap opera about 1692... have a lot of questions... Spanish is my first language... thank you all... ----- Mensaje original ----- De: Jma8763@aol.com Enviado: Sunday, May 05, 2002 8:19 AM Para: SALEM-WITCH-L@rootsweb.com Asunto: Re: [SALEM-WITCH-L] Salem, Please HELP Hi all, First, I have to ask, did you by any chance read the archives of this list before you wrote your paper? If not, you might want to do a search for the Ergotism theory, cuz there are those who believe it is NOT a likely explaination!! Also, what was your source for the following statements: "There was little or no time for them to defend themselves. Not one single person accused of witchcraft wasn’t charged guilty." There was certainly a defense given for Sarah Averill Wildes, Rebecca Nurse, Mary Esty and Sarah Cloyse, AND, Rebecca Nurse WAS found NOT GUILTY at her first trial, and was then arrested a second time and found guilty. If you have a source to cite on any of these points, I would be very interested in checking into them. Thanks, JoanObtenga el máximo provecho del Web. Descarga GRATUITA de MSN Explorer: http://explorer.msn.es/intl.asp#es

Hello, everyone... I wanto to Know if there someone out there that speaks spanish... I've been in Salem and I'm writting a radio soap opera about 1692... have a lot of questions... Spanish is my first language... thank you all... ----- Mensaje original ----- De: Jma8763@aol.com Enviado: Sunday, May 05, 2002 8:19 AM Para: SALEM-WITCH-L@rootsweb.com Asunto: Re: [SALEM-WITCH-L] Salem, Please HELP Hi all, First, I have to ask, did you by any chance read the archives of this list before you wrote your paper? If not, you might want to do a search for the Ergotism theory, cuz there are those who believe it is NOT a likely explaination!! Also, what was your source for the following statements: "There was little or no time for them to defend themselves. Not one single person accused of witchcraft wasn’t charged guilty." There was certainly a defense given for Sarah Averill Wildes, Rebecca Nurse, Mary Esty and Sarah Cloyse, AND, Rebecca Nurse WAS found NOT GUILTY at her first trial, and was then arrested a second time and found guilty. If you have a source to cite on any of these points, I would be very interested in checking into them. Thanks, JoanObtenga el máximo provecho del Web. Descarga GRATUITA de MSN Explorer: http://explorer.msn.es/intl.asp#es

Hi all, First, I have to ask, did you by any chance read the archives of this list before you wrote your paper? If not, you might want to do a search for the Ergotism theory, cuz there are those who believe it is NOT a likely explaination!! Also, what was your source for the following statements: "There was little or no time for them to defend themselves. Not one single person accused of witchcraft wasn’t charged guilty." There was certainly a defense given for Sarah Averill Wildes, Rebecca Nurse, Mary Esty and Sarah Cloyse, AND, Rebecca Nurse WAS found NOT GUILTY at her first trial, and was then arrested a second time and found guilty. If you have a source to cite on any of these points, I would be very interested in checking into them. Thanks, Joan