Our 7G Great Uncle Samuel Abbe and his wife Mary (Knowlton) Abbe testified a lot in the Salem Witch Trials. They exhonorated some (Rebecca Nurse). Later Rebecca was re-charged. They testified against Sarah Good.
On June 8 Bridget Bishop is hanged for being a witch. In the second round of convictions, Rebecca Nurse, Susannah Martin, Sarah Wildes, Sarah Good and Elizabeth Howe are tried, pronounced guilty and sentenced to death by hanging. On July 19, 1692 all 5 are hanged. Mary Easty is hanged September 22, 1692.
Mercy Lewis was born in Suffield, Hartford, Connecticut, and was the servant in Thomas Putnam’s household. She is also one of the featured characters in Arthur Miller's play The Crucible.
On May 20, of the same year she fell very ill and Mary Easty was blamed for it; consequently she was arrested again for witchcraft.
Mercy was among the accusing girls during the Salem Witch Trials. This group was known as the afflicted children and consisted of Betty Parris, Abigail Williams, Ann Putnam, Jr., Mary Walcott, Elizabeth (Betty) Hubbard, Elizabeth Boot, Susannah Sheldon, Mary Warren, and Sarah Churchill. Sometimes Goody Bibber, and a Mrs. Pope also testified with the girls.
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John Abbe=Mary Loring
Sarah Fairfield=Thomas Abbe =>brother: Samuel Abbe=Mary Knowlton
Tabitha Abbe=John Warner
Abigail Warner=Jacob Kibbe
Abigail Kibbe=Timothy Baker
Hollister Baker=Rebecca Crowell
Erede Baker=Nathan Howes
Jennie Howes=Emil Bechtold
Frederick Emil Bechtold=Marie Caroline Dresser
4 Bechtold Children
Bechtold Miller, Bechtold Immel, Cary Bechtold, Bechtold
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/salem.htm
Samuel and Mary (Knowlton) Abbe
Testified for Nurse and Easty, against Snow
- Nurse: Samuel Abbe was living in Salem during the days of witchcraft and was one of those opposed to its fanaticisms. One Rebecca Nourse, on trial as a witch, produced a paper signed by several "respectable inhabitants" of Salem, among whom was Samuel Abbe. This document as to her good character caused her to be set at liberty but the sentence was later changed for some reason and she was put to death as a witch. Only a few years ago a monument to her memory was erected by her descendants.
Good: Samuel Abbe and his wife, Mary, were witnesses in a witch trial in Salem in 1692 against Sarah Snow [Good?], a woman of vicious temper who had lived in their home for a time but was dismissed on account of her disagreeable ways. She vowed vengeance upon them and when several of their cows and hogs were taken sick, the blame was laid to her as a witch. The following are taken from Records of Salem Witchcraft, copied from the original documents, Volume 1, pages 24 and 25. Samuel Abbey Et ux vs. Sarah Good Samuel Abbey of Salem Village Aged 45 years or thereabouts and Mary Abbey his wife aged 38 years or thereabouts, Deposeth and saith. That about this Time Three Years past Wm Good and his wife Sarah Good being destitute of a house to dwell in these Deponents out of Charity; they being Poor lett them live in theirs some time untill that the said Sarah Good was of so Turbulant a Sperritt, Spitefull and so Mallitiously bent, that these Deponents could not suffer her to Live in their howse any Longer and was forced for Quiettness sake to turne she ye said Sarah with her husband out of their howse ever since, which is about two years 1/2 agone, the said Sarah Good hath carried it very Spitefully and Mallitiously, towards them, the winter following after the said Sarah was gone from our house we began to Loose Cattle and Lost several after an vnvsall manner, in a drupeing condition (sic) Condition and yett they would Eate: and your Deponents have Lost after that manner 17 head of Cattle within this two years besides Sheep and Hoggs, and both doe believe they Dyed by witchcraft, the said William Good on the last of May was twelve months went home to his wife the sd Sarah Good and told her, what a sad Accident had fallen out, she asked what, he answered that his neighbovr Abbey had lost two Cowes, both dyeing within halfe an hower of one another, the sd Sarah good said she did not care if he the said Abbey had Lost all the Cattle he had as ye said Jno Good told vs. Just that very Day that the said Sarah Good was taken up, we yr Deponents had a Cow that could not rise alone, but since presently after she was taken up, the said Cow was well and could rise so well as if she had ailed nothing. She the said Sarah good ever since these Deponents turned her out of their howse she hath behaved herselfe very crossely and mallitiously to them and their Children calling their Children vile names and hath threatened them often. Jurat in Curia. Warrant for Sarah Good was given at Salem, February 29, 1691-2, in response to complaints of Sarah Vibber, Abigail Williams, Elizabeth Hubbard, Ann Putnam, and Jno. Vibber. Among the many depositions in witness to her malign practices were those of Samuel Abbey and wife. Records of Salem Witchcraft, copied from the original documents, Vol. 2, pp. 41-2, old series.
Lewis and Easty: Samuel Abbey testifies as to Merey Lewis, May 20, 1692, she being at the house of her neighbor, John Putnam, jr., and accused of witchcraft. Samuel Abby v. Mary Easty The Deposition of Samuel Abby aged about 45 years who testifieth and saith that on the 20th of May 1692 I went to the house of Constable Jno putnam about 9 a clock in the morning and when J came there: Mircy lewes lay on the bed in a sad condition and continuing speachless for about an hour: the man not being at whom: the woman desired me to goe to Tho: putnams to bring Ann putnam to se if she could se who it was that hurt Mircy lewes: accordingly J went: and found Abigail williams along with Ann putnam and brought them both to se mercy lewes: and as they ware a goeing along the way both of them said that they saw the Apperishtion of Goody Estick and said it was the same woman that was sent whom the other day: and said also that they saw the Apperishtion of the other woman that appered with gooddy Estick the other day, and both of them allso said that the Apperishtion of gooddy Estick tould them that now she was afflecting of mircy lewes and when they came to Mircy lewes both of them said that they saw the Apperishtion of gooddy Estick and Jno willard and Mary witheridge afflecting the body of mircy lewes: and J continueing along with mircy who contineued in a sad condition the greatest part of the day being in such tortors as no toungue can express; but not able to spake: but at last said Deare lord Received my soule and againe said lord let them not kill me quitt, but at last she came to hir self for a little whille and was very sensable and then she said that goody estick said she would kill hir before midnight because she did not cleare hir so as the Rest did, then againe presently she fell very bad and cried out pray for the salvation of my soule for they will kill me. Jurat in Curia Sepr 9th '92.
To Goerge: Corwine Gent'n High Sheriff of the county of Essex
Whereas Sarah Good Wife of William Good of Salem Village Rebecka Nurse wife of Francis Nurse of Salem Village Susanna Martin of Amesbury Widow Elizabeth How wife of James How of Ipswich Sarah Wild wife of John Wild of Topsfield all of the County of Essex in thier Maj'ts Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England Att A Court of Oyer & Terminer held by Adjournment for Our Severaign Lord & Lady Kind Wiliam & Queen Mary for the said County of Essex at Salem in the s'd County onf the 29th day of June [torn] were Severaly arrigned on Several Indictments for the horrible Crime of Witchcraft by them practised & Committed On Severall persons and pleading not guilty did for thier Tryall put themselves on God & Thier Countrey whereupon they were Each of them found & brought in Guilty by the Jury that passed On them according to their respective Indictments and Sentence of death did then pass upon them as the Law directs Execution whereof yet remains to be done: Those are Therefore in thier Maj'ties name William & Mary now King & Queen over England &ca: to will & Command you that upon Tuesday next being the 19th day for [torn] Instant July between the houres of Eight & [torn] in [torn] forenoon the same day you Safely conduct the s'd Sarah Good Rebecka Nurse Susann Martin Elizabeth Howe & Sarah Wild From thier Maj'ties goal in Salem afores'd to the place of Execution & there Cause them & Every of them to be hanged by the Neck untill they be dead and of the doings herein make return to the Clerke of the said Court & this precept and hereof you are not to fail at your perill and this Shall be your sufficient Warrant given under my hand & seale at Boston th 12't day of July in the fourth year of Reign of our Soveraigne Lord & Layd Wm & Mary King and Queen &ca:
*Wm Stoughton
Annoq Dom. 1692
(Reverse)
Salem July 19th 1692
I caused the within mentioned persons to be Executed according to the Tenour of the with[in] warrant
*George Corwin Sherif
Sarah Good
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sarah Good (July 11, 1655 – July 19, 1692) was one of the first women to be accused and convicted of witchcraft during the Salem witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts.Sarah Good was the first person to be accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692 along with Sarah Osborne and Tituba. Sarah Good, who was homeless, was described by the people of Salem as being filthy, bad-tempered, and strangely detached from the rest of the village. She was often associated with the death of residents' livestock and would wander door to door, asking for charity. If the resident refused, Good would walk away muttering under her breath. Although she maintained at the trial that she was only saying the Ten Commandments, those who turned her away would later claim she was chanting curses in revenge. Also of note is that when asked to say the Commandments at her trial, she could not recite a single one.
Sarah Good was accused of witchcraft on February 25, 1692, when Abigail Williams and Betty Parris, related to the Reverend Parris, claimed to be bewitched under her hand. The young girls appeared to have been bitten, pinched, and otherwise tormented. They would have fits in which their bodies would appear to involuntarily convulse, their eyes rolling into the back of their heads and their mouths hanging open. When Reverend Samuel Parris asked “Who torments you?” the girls eventually shouted out the names of three townspeople: Tituba, Sarah Osborne, and Sarah Good (Hill, 1995).
On March 1, 1692, Good was tried for witchcraft. When she was brought in, the accusers immediately began to rock back and forth and moan, seemingly in response to Good’s presence. Later on in the trial, one of the accusers fell into a fit. When it had stopped, she claimed Good had attacked her with a knife; she even produced a portion of it, stating the weapon had been broken during the alleged assault. However, upon hearing this statement, a young townsman stood and told the court the piece had broken off his own knife the day before, and that the girl had witnessed it. He then revealed the other half, proving his story. After hearing this, the judge simply scolded the girl for exaggerating what he believed to be the truth.
Others who testified in Good’s trial claimed to have seen her flying through the sky on a stick, presumably to get to her “witch meetings.” Even her husband testified against her, stating he had seen the Devil’s mark on her body, right below her shoulder. He also told the court he had reason to believe she was either presently a witch, or would soon become one. Dorothy Good, Sarah's four year old daughter, was later forced to testify against her, saying that she was a witch and she had seen her mother consorting with the devil.
Although both Good and Sarah Osborne denied these allegations, Tituba admitted to being the “Devil’s servant.” She stated that a tall man dressed all in black came to them, demanding they sign their names in a great book. Although initially refusing, Tituba said, she eventually wrote her name, after Good and Osborne forced her to. She also said that Good had ordered her cat to attack Elizabeth Hubbard, causing the scratches and bite marks on the girl’s body. She spoke of seeing Good with black and yellow birds surrounding her, and that Good had also sent these animals to harm the girls. When the girls began to have another fit, Tituba claimed she could see a yellow bird in Good’s right hand. The young accusers agreed.
When Good was allowed the chance to defend herself in front of the 12 jurors in the Salem Village meeting house, she argued her innocence, proclaiming Tituba and Osborne as the real witches. In the end, however, Sarah Good was convicted of witchcraft and sentenced to death. Good was pregnant with a second child at the time of her trial. She gave birth while awaiting her execution; the infant died shortly thereafter in the Ipswich Jail. Dorothy was later accused of witchcraft herself. Mary Walcott and Ann Putnam Jr. claimed she was deranged, and repeatedly bit them as if she were an animal. Dorothy, who was incorrectly called "Dorcas Good" whilst on trial, received a brief hearing in which the accusers repeatedly complained of bites on their arms. She was then convicted and sent to jail, becoming at age five the youngest person to be jailed during the Salem Witch Trials. Two days later, she was visited by Salem officials. She claimed she owned a snake—given to her by her mother—that would talk to her and suck the blood from her finger. The officials took this to mean it was her "familiar," which is defined as a witch’s spiritual servant. Dorothy was released from jail several months later, and evidently suffered from psychological issues for the remainder of her life.
On July 19, 1692, Sarah Good was hanged along with four other women convicted of witchcraft. While the other four quietly awaited their ill-fortuned death, Good firmly proclaimed her innocence. Reverend Nicholas Noyes was persistent in his attempts to force Good to confess but was unsuccessful. With a noose around her neck on Gallows Hill, Good declared: “You are a liar. I am no more a witch than you are a wizard, and if you take away my life God will give you blood to drink." 25 years later, Noyes died from a severe brain hemorrhage, choking on his own blood.
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