Abigail Williams and Ann Putnam, Jr.
v. Mary Easty,
John Willard, and Mary Witheridge
Essex County Archives, Salem -- Witchcraft Volume 1, Page 122
Sarah Trask was born on June 14, 1671/72 in Salem. Her parents were William Trask and Ann Putnam. She married John Williams.
The Salem witch trials were between February, 1692 and May, 1693.
Mercy Lewis was a servant in Thomas Putnam's home. She was born in Maine about 1673 and lost both parents in Indian attacks at a young age.
The Deposistion of Abigaill williams and Ann putnam who testifieth and saith that we both goeing along with goodman [Samuel] Abby and Sarah Trask the 20th of may 1692 to the house of Constable Jno
putnam to se mercy lewes
as we ware in the way we both saw the
Apperishtion of Gooddy Estick the very same woman that was sent
whom the other day and also
the Apperishtion of Goody Estick
tould us both that now she was afflecting of Mircy lewes because
she would not clear hir as others did and w'n came to who laye
speachless and in a sad condition we saw there the apperishtions of
gooddy Estick and Jno willard and mary [Buckley] witheridgeafflecting and
choaking mircy lewes in a most dreadfull maner which did most
greviously affright us and immediatly gooddy Estick did fall upon us
and tortor us allso Redy to choake us to death
Abigail Williams and An putnam Testified to the truth of the
abous'd Evedence
Salem Village May the 23d 1692
Before us John Hathorne Jonathan Corwin
Abigail Williams was about 11 at the time of the trials. She lived with her uncle, the Reverend Samuel Parris.
Samuel Abbe (Abbey, Abbey) was the son of John Abbe and was born about 1646. He died in Windham, Connecticut on March, 1697/98.
John Willard was accused of witchcraft at the end of April 1692, after refusing to arrest people that he believed were innocent. Willard was hanged on August 19, 1692.
Mary Buckley Witheridge married Sylvester Witheridge on November 17, 1684 and was a widow at the time of the trials.
She and her mother Sarah Buckley were both imprisoned as witches. She married
Benjamin Proctor on December 18, 1694.
Judge Jonathan Corwin was born 14th of November, 1640. He presided at the Salem court on June 2 and 28, August 3 and September 9 and 17 where nineteen persons were tried, condemned and executed for witchcraft.
John Hathorne was born August 5, 1641 in Salem. He was distinguished in civil and military life and participated in the Indian wars. He was a magistrate and a cruel and intolerant judge during the witchcraft delusion.
Deacon Edward Putnam (1654-1747) was about 38 at the time of the trials. His parents were Thomas Putnam and Ann Holyoke. He married Mary Hale. His brother was Thomas Putnam. Ann Putnam was 12 years old at the time of the trials. She was the daughter of Thomas and Ann Putnam. Ann died in 1716 and was the only girl to apologize. Constable John Putnam. Jr. (1627-1710). His parents were John Putnam and Priscilla Gould. He married Rebecca Prince.
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.
Goodman was a courtesy title before the surname of a man not of noble and Goodwife or Goody was the courtesy title for a married woman not of noble birth.
Many factors led to the witchcraft accusations in Salem.
