I sent queries to Northeast Roots and Essex Roots regarding my recent Mary PARKER questions. A couple of the responses were quite informative, so I thought I would share them with the members of this list. Susie > In a message dated 4/27/99 10:17:39 AM, [email protected] writes: > > <<I'm hoping someone out there can help us with our Mary PARKER > dilemma: > > One of the people hanged in Salem in 1692, was Mary PARKER, a > widow from Andover. > > Her sons, John & Joseph, signed petitions in 1692, 1702, and 1709, > asking, in the first, for help to keep the sheriff at bay, and in > the later ones, that her name be cleared. > > My understanding is that there have, traditionally, been two > candidates: > > Mary (?Stevens) Parker, widow of Joseph (1614-1678); and > Mary (Ayer) Parker, widow of Nathan (????-1685) > > The first is eliminated by the Andover VRs -- her sons, John and > Joseph died before the hangings, in 1677 and 1684, respectively. > That leaves Mary (Ayer) Parker, widow of Nathan. Her son John > lived until 1738, but I can find no vital record in either Andover > or Newbury for the birth of a son named Joseph to this couple. > > Do any other listmembers have either, a birth VR for Joseph, or > the text of Nathan's will (d. 25 June 1685)? > > Or any evidence that clearly identifies the Mary PARKER hanged in > Salem? > >> > [email protected] wrote: > Hi: > The answer is, Yup, sure do. > > Mary Parker, wife of Joseph, left an estate and it was a subject for the > court. Actually, it was a lack of an estate, it consisted of debts. But, by > the court action, her death is identified as 2 October 1695. > > The identification of Mary Parker, witch, wife to Nathan Parker, is with the > property which the sheriff tried to confiscate. Nathan Parker left his estate > to his wife, Mary, and to his oldest son John, as administrators of the > estate. It was this property which became the issue. As stated above, the > estate of the Widow of Joseph consisted of debts. > > There are other factors, please contact me for details. I am also very > interested in your connection to this line, again, please contact me. > > Willis Don Merrill, [email protected] wrote: "Entertaining Satan," by John Putnam Demos, (p66) in "Age of witches (Salem group: special sample)" lists Mary Parker residence, Andover; age 1692, ca. 62; Yr first accused, 1684; age first accused, ca. 54.