King Charles I ruled England from
March 27,
1625 to 1649.
Elizabeth Grafton Saunders Kitchen was born about 1625. Her father was Salem sea captain, Joseph Grafton.
Her first husband was seaman, John Saunders, Sr. On October 3, 1640, Elizabeth Saunders was admitted to the First Church. Their children and life together are described in detail in the section on John.
Elizabeth suffered in Puritan Salem for her Quaker beliefs. She was presented for absence from the Puritan church and while she was riding with a man on the highway at Strong Water, Edmund Batter and Contable Roots seized her horse by the reins and demanded she dismount. They called her a "base quaking slut." She miscarried after the incident.
Salem is in Essex County, Massachusetts and was a significant seaport in early America. John Endicott obtained a patent from England and arrived there in 1628. Salem originally included much of the North Shore, including Marblehead. Salem Village also included Peabody and parts of Beverly, Middleton, Topsfield, Wenham and Manchester-by-the-Sea.
The Society of Friends (Quakers) began in England in the 1650s, when they broke away from the Puritans. Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn, as a safe place for Friends to live and practice their faith.
To be presented to the court meant to be charged or indited.
