Rick, I have searched the internet searching for a society like you mentioned, because I thought I had heard of one in the works as well, I had thought it was descendants of the accused, defenders, and/or accusers of the 1692 Salem Trials. Christine Matha in Erie, PA Towne>Cummings>Ball
Hello everyone. I am a descendent of Mary Easty and Elizabeth Hart(t). I am also a certified nurse-midwife who am well aware (from an unfortunate personal experience) that modern day witch hunts still take place for midwives. I just recently found out about my Salem ancestors through genealogy tracking by a cousin. I edit and publish a national midwifery and women's issues newsletter and want to write about the witch hunts in Salem, focusing on my kin and on any midwifery ties. I know the following and am seeking any additional info: Rebecca Nurse (gr aunt) has been depicted as a midwife (Crucible) and was certainly at least a healer (used herbs). Rebecca Nurse was accused of murdering the stillborn children of Ann Putnam Sr.'s sister during the trials. Midwives in European witch hunts were often forced to confess that they had sacrificed (murdered) the children they had delivered to the Devil. The first witch to be hung in New England (pre-Salem witch hunts) was a midwife named Jones. The accused witches were examined for witch's marks by "midwives". One account says midwives delivered Sarah Good's infant while she was jailed. The Towne sisters are tied through marriage to Martha Ballard, the midwife from Boston during the mid to late 1700's who is the main character in The American Experience's A Midwives Tale. Martha's daughter married a Towne boy (probably a gr nephew to Rebecca, Sarah and Mary) and they lived on the Towne estate after they married. That is all I know and would love any additional ties of this sort. My URL for the newsletter is below - I am happy to add new subscribers who are interested in the series I will be doing on this topic over the next several months. Thanks! Cathy Hartt, RN, CNM, MS Editor - Empower! women empowering women www.HarttWeb.com/empower (Brand New Email) cathycnm@msn.com "Challenges make you discover things about yourself that you never really knew. They're what make the instrument stretch; what makes you go beyond the norm." - Cicely Tyson
Hi Christine. Welcome to the list. One of the deepest regrets that I have is that the Associated Daughters of Early American Witches will induct only female descendants. There was a society called "Son of a Witch" some years back that I believed accepted only male descendants. I believe the society is now defunt. There was some talk in TAG years ago about the formation of a society for descendants of colonial witches, but nothing ever came of it, as so far as I know. Does anyone on the list know of any other societies dedicated to male and female descendants of people who were accused and/or found guilty of witchcraft in colonial times? Regards, Rick Turner in MA A descendant of Susannah (North) Martin, via descent from Peaslees and Pa[i]ges of NH
Hi List, Is this still active? I have not heard anything in a while nor can I find the list on Rootsweb. Has anybody joined this: THE ASSOCIATED DAUGHTERS OF EARLY AMERICAN WITCHES I just wanted to talk to somebody who has joined. Thanks, Christine Matha Towne Descendant "Genealogists don't die, they just lose their census"
This website has an ancestor profile of Rebecca Ames. http://homepages.together.net/~jdresser/witch2.html I have also seen the name spelled Eames. You might try researching under both names. Good luck in your search...................... Bonnie descendant of Susanna (North) Martin
Greetings: I just learned that I am related to Rebecca (Blake) Ames who married Robert Ames. She was condemned as a witch on Sept. 17, 1692. She got a general reprieve on July 22, 1693-the day her husband, Robert Ames died. This information came out of The Essex Antiquarian (Vol III, page 88 1899). Does anybody have any information they would like to share on why Rebecca was condemned as a witch? Thank you, Charles Beal
I am a decendant of Susanna Martin what are you looking for -----Original Message----- From: Barbara Kruse <bkruse@suffolk.lib.ny.us> To: SALEM-WITCH-L@rootsweb.com <SALEM-WITCH-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Thursday, January 17, 2002 4:44 PM Subject: [SALEM-WITCH-L] Susanna North Martin >A dillemma....I have the article of Nov 2, 2000 that I cut out of L.I. Newsday re the exoneration of Susanna North Martin BUT... > >Now that I want to find the info on the internet, I can't find a thing. Went to the archives of Boston Globe, L.I. Newsday, NY Times as well as putting various words on google.com > >There are tons of pages re Susanna, but nothing re exoneration. >Any ideas? > >Barbara > >
Dear Barbara, Try SALEM-WITCH-L Archives. Cheers, Bob
On 1/17/02, Barbara Kruse <bkruse@suffolk.lib.ny.us> wrote: >Now that I want to find the info on the internet, I can't find a thing. The actual bill is located on-line at http://www.state.ma.us/legis/laws/seslaw01/sl010122.htm, if that helps! Cheers, Margo -- Margo Burns, List Owner of the SALEM-WITCH List at Rootsweb.com margo@ogram.org
<A HREF="http://www.cbsnews.com/now/story/0,1597,302443-412,00.shtml">CBS News | Setting Record Straight On Witches | Fri, 20 Jul 2001 20:55:03 EDT </A> > > > > >
A dillemma....I have the article of Nov 2, 2000 that I cut out of L.I. Newsday re the exoneration of Susanna North Martin BUT... Now that I want to find the info on the internet, I can't find a thing. Went to the archives of Boston Globe, L.I. Newsday, NY Times as well as putting various words on google.com There are tons of pages re Susanna, but nothing re exoneration. Any ideas? Barbara
Hi all, I'm new to the list and right now I am searching the archives. I have recently found out that the John Proctor who was executed on Gallows Hill is in my family line. I have been looking for pictures related to the witch trials as well as the Proctor geneaology prior to John's grandfather. Any info or advice on where to look would be greatly appreciated. Janet Roberson
> I'm new to the list and right now I am searching the archives. I have > recently found out that the John Proctor who was executed on > Gallows Hill is in my family line. I have been looking for pictures > related to the witch trials as well as the Proctor geneaology prior to > John's grandfather. Any info or advice on where to look would be > greatly appreciated. > > Janet Roberson Janet, Write to Sandy Delano at sdelano@mediaone.net. John Proctor is in his line, too. Sandy lives in Ipswich, where John Proctor lived prior to moving to Salem. Sandy told me that John was called One-eyed John. That would be one reason for persecution. John had a lot in Ipswich, in 1640, on Meeting House Green. John Slaughter http://john-slaughter.rootsweb.com/VitalRecords http://john-slaughter.rootsweb.com/Bradford http://john-slaughter.rootsweb.com/IpswichHistory In loving memory of my son, Brennan. 11/10/88-5/31/01
Hi Brooke - What's the name of the book? Who's the author? Tell us more!
Hi. I just returned from Salem, MA, and I think that maybe one of the girls could have had schizophrenia and maybe the others were faking, or maybe one had a disease that got transmitted to the girls. maybe a flea or something transferred it. This is just a guess based on a book I read. >..(`'·.¸(`'·.¸ ¸.·'´)¸.·'´).. >«´·.¸¸.*Brooke*¸¸.·`» >..(¸.·'´(¸.·'´ `'·.¸)`'·.¸).. www.webzine4kids.com
Dana, I realize that you are a little passionate about this but can we consider for a moment that 300 years have passed. Much of what we discuss here is conjecture - I was merely inquiring as to the facts. One parent does not make all parents. Assumptions are what I was trying to avoid. Julie >From: WARLOCK92@aol.com >To: SALEM-WITCH-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: Re: [SALEM-WITCH-L] Ergot poisoning >Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2002 16:28:08 EST > >Hello Julie, > Let's assume for a moment that these girls, as a group, were not >actually bewitched. Then it is safe to say that, for whatever reason, they >were lieing. Correct? Now, lets look at the transcripts of the trials. In >several of them Ann Putnam SR., Young Ann's MOTHER, was actually in court >among the afflicted participating in the staged group fits, etc.. That's >awful strong documentation of parental guidance in, if nothing else, a role >model capacity. When a grown woman and parent of one of these >adolescent/young adults is play acting in a court at the cost of a person's >life, That's strong parental involvement. How much more documentation do we >need? If you're looking for a lost diary somewhere that says "I did it", >that's not going to happen. That's why we research deeply to find the truth >as best we can. No person will probably ever know for sure and it's all >opinion, but the best we can do is to each make our own educated opinions >with the information that's available. I too am very opinionated and I >sometimes come off as trying to push my opinions off on others. My >apologies >for that. I'm passionate about the subject because it directly affected my >family. How many generations are too many? I'd feel strongly if it were my >mother, my grand mother, or my great grand mother. A few more generations >does not diminish the atrocity of the event. > I hope my initial point may have answered your question, if not at >least >given you more questions to seek out answers for. > >Thanks, >Dana A. Wildes > _________________________________________________________________ Join the worlds largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com
Hello: I would like to correspond with others who are researching the Herrick family of Salem and their involvement in the witch affair. John P. Hatch San Antonio, Texas
Hello Julie, Let's assume for a moment that these girls, as a group, were not actually bewitched. Then it is safe to say that, for whatever reason, they were lieing. Correct? Now, lets look at the transcripts of the trials. In several of them Ann Putnam SR., Young Ann's MOTHER, was actually in court among the afflicted participating in the staged group fits, etc.. That's awful strong documentation of parental guidance in, if nothing else, a role model capacity. When a grown woman and parent of one of these adolescent/young adults is play acting in a court at the cost of a person's life, That's strong parental involvement. How much more documentation do we need? If you're looking for a lost diary somewhere that says "I did it", that's not going to happen. That's why we research deeply to find the truth as best we can. No person will probably ever know for sure and it's all opinion, but the best we can do is to each make our own educated opinions with the information that's available. I too am very opinionated and I sometimes come off as trying to push my opinions off on others. My apologies for that. I'm passionate about the subject because it directly affected my family. How many generations are too many? I'd feel strongly if it were my mother, my grand mother, or my great grand mother. A few more generations does not diminish the atrocity of the event. I hope my initial point may have answered your question, if not at least given you more questions to seek out answers for. Thanks, Dana A. Wildes
Dear Margo, You might want to point out to the newbies that Ann Putnam's Confession of 1706 "the Devil made me do it" can be found in the Archives. Happy New Year To All. Bob A descendent of Rebecca Towne Nurse
On 12/31/01, "Julie Jirout" <juliejirout@hotmail.com> wrote: >In the trial transcripts it's clear that the magistrates and others >were manipulating the children - Parents were motivated to >manipulate them too - but where is the documentation? Have you a >quote or something indicating that the parents were involved in the >manipulation? I have a good one for you: When John Tarbell and Samuel Nurse, Rebecca Nurse's son-in-law & son, went to the Putnam residence to inquire about Ann Putnam Jr.'s accusations of their mother, this is their statement of what transpired: "John tarball being at the house of thomas putnams upon the 20: day of this instant march being the yeare 1692 upon descource of many things i asked them some questions and among others i asked this question wheter the garle that was afflicted did first speack [of] of goody nurs before others mentioned her to her they said she told them she saw the apperishton of apale fast woman that Sat in her granmothers seat but did not know her name: then i replyed and said but who was it that told her that it was good nurs: mercy lewes said it was goody putnam that said it was goody nurse: goody putnam said it was mercy lewes that told her: thus they turned it upone one an other saying it was you & it was you that told her: this was be fore any was afflicted at thomas putnams beside his daughter that they told his daughter it was goody nurs Samuel nurs doth testifie to all above written" (Boyer & Nissenbaum, p. 603) It seems that early on, Ann Putnam, Jr., did *not* accuse Rebecca Nurse -- but that Nurse's name was put into her mouth by others, including her mother and Mercy Lewis, then a servant in the Putnam household, and soon to be one of the afflicted herself. Happy New Year, one and all! Cheers, Margo -- Margo Burns, List Owner of the SALEM-WITCH List at Rootsweb.com margo@ogram.org