Ok, there are a few things that have intrigued me. While the accused families and the more notable accusers ancestory and survivors are of interest to researchers and their families, there naturally hasn't been the same interest for the accusers and their families of lesser promenance in the trials. Also some of the accusers and accused had life experiences that differed only in a few details. Sarah Good, for instance, was dispossessed of her inheiritance by actions of a stepparent(her mother remarried after her father died, which was ruled a suicide, and after her mother's death, her children had to take their father-in-law to court to get their inheiritances or what they could get. Sarah got only a piece of land she had to sell to pay debts incurred by her and her first husband). Her real loss of a physical home was both lesson and source of fear to probably many she begged from. Sarah was understandably bitter and her many neighbors torn between pity for her, blaming her for her misfortune, feeling guilt or even hatred of Sarah. Our feelings towards the homeless haven't changed all that much since. The Protestant religion in all its denominations, was still a new faith, and having destroyed its monasteries, nunneries of the Catholic religion and the accompanying practices that did provide some poor relief and help for the unwanted, was still too new to have social safety nets. This could be one reason for the witch episode in Salem.But no matter what the religion, the fear of heresy within that religion has sparked many a witchhunt. Ann Putnam Sr and her sister got little or nothing from their father's will. Both accusers and accused were experiencing social and economic changes for good and ill. Very real fear of attack from Native Americans was preventing those losing what they did have from moving west. Consequently, traditional English inheiritance laws were coming more to the fore as many estates shrank. Some of the afflicted "children" have been lost to history as well, or their lives post 1692 recently discovered. Their stories and descendants require discovery and discemination so we can get a more complete picture Cindy Abel