Two Sides of the Salem Witch Trials: Accused & Accusers

One thing I've been especially interested in while tracing our family history has been the maternal lines, because they're so much more difficult to follow back.  Traditionally, women have taken the surnames of their husbands, and in early records are often denied even their given name and are simply recorded as "wife of X."  While researching Martha Luella (Chase) McGlew's ancestors, I was able to get back to her ancestors who first immigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony...and along the way discovered connections to the Salem Witch Trials, as both accused and of accusers.

Martha Luella Chase's parents were Mary Abby Ricker and Charles Frederick Chase.
Mary Ricker was born in Bradford, MA on May 1st, 1850, and passed away in Ipswich MA on Feb 3rd 1904.

Mary's parents were Eliza Pallacier Harriman and William H. Ricker.
Eliza was born in Bradford, MA on March 10th, and passed away in Groveland on April 16th, 1885.

Eliza's parents were Sarah Brocklebank and Enoch Harriman, Jr.
Sarah Brocklebank was born in Rowley, MA on Oct 4th, 1774, and passed away in Bradford on June 7th, 1860.

Sarah Brocklebank's parents were Sarah Fowler and John Brocklebank.
Sarah Fowler was born in Ipswich, MA on Nov 3rd, 1745, and passed away in Rowley MA on  June 2nd, 1823.  (We're connected to the Fowler family through another line, as well, which I'll delve into more in a later post.  Many of same surnames and families kept popping up as I researched our Puritan New England genealogy!).

Sarah Fowler's parents were Mercy Howe and John Fowler.
Mercy was born in Ipswich MA on March 3rd, 1714 and passed away in Ipswich on Oct 24th, 1773.  Mercy and John are buried in the Old Linebrook Cemetery in Ipswich.  (source)

Mercy Howe's parents were Abraham Howe, Jr. and Hephzibah Andrews.
Abraham Jr. was born on June 27th, 1686, in Ipswich, MA, and passed away on March 6th, 1770.  Both Abraham Jr and Hephzibah are buried in the Old Linebrook Cemetery in Ipswich, where their gravestones can still be found today.

Link to source, including a transcription
of the inscription on the stone.  

Link to source, with transcription
of the gravestone inscription.  

Abraham Howe, Jr.'s parents were Abraham Howe, Sr. and Sarah Peabody. 

Abraham Sr. was born in Ipswich on March 28th, 1649, and passed away on Jan 21st, 1718, 

also in Ipswich.  Abraham Sr. was a weaver, as his father James had been.

Abraham Howe, Sr.'s parents were James Howe and Elizabeth Dane.  James was born in May of 1598 in Hatfield, Broad Oak, Essex, England, and passed away on May 12, 1702 in Ipswich, MA -- having lived during three different centuries.   

James and Elizabeth immigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635 from Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England.  They settled first in Roxbury, then moved to Salem, before eventually settling permanently in Ipswich.  James was a weaver, and also served as a constable.  "James lived at 'Ipswich Farms,' south of the Rowley-Ipswich boundary line, where he built two houses, the second of which had a front door driven full of nails to prevent the Indians from cutting through."  (source)

James and Elizabeth (Dane) Howe had at least five children together, including our direct ancestor, Abraham Sr.  Abraham's brother, James (b. March 23, either 1632 or 1633) married Elizabeth Jackson, and settled in the Linebrook Parish area of Ipswich, MA.

Elizabeth (Jackson) Howe was one of those accused, tried, convicted, and executed during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692.  On June 30th, Elizabeth was one of five women arraigned in the first Salem witch trial. When asked how she plead to the charges made against her, Elizabeth Howe response was, “If it was the last moment I was to live, God knows I am innocent of any thing of this nature”. One of the witnesses who testified against Elizabeth was Abraham and James' other brother, John.

Elizabeth Howe’s brother-in-law John testified that he told Elizabeth that “if she would confess” he would accompany her to Salem, but she had refused. He recounted that the next day at sunset his sow leaped up three or four feet high. gave one squeak and fell dead. He cut off the ear of the sow and the hand he used to do this became numb, and thus concluded “I suspected no person other than my said sister Elizabeth Howe." It has been speculated that because James and Elizabeth had no sons, John may have hoped that he would someday inherit his brother’s estate. (source).

However, other family members (including her father-in-law, James Howe) and neighbors served as witnesses and signed petitions in support and defense of her, to no avail.  On July 19, 1692 Elizabeth (Jackson) Howe, Rebecca (Towne) Nurse, Sarah (Solart) Poole Good, Sarah (Averill) Wildes and Susannah (North) Martin were hanged on Gallows Hill in Salem Towne and buried in a nearby crevice.

Mural in Ipswich, featuring Elizabeth (Jackson) Howe

These two articles are both excellent summaries of the circumstances surrounding Elizabeth's arrest and trial.

* Elizabeth Howe: Innocent Mother or Horse Witch?

* Stories from Ipswich: The Witchcraft Trial of Elizabeth Howe

This website has transcriptions of Elizabeth Howe's arrest warrant, court proceedings, indictment, along with statements from both the witnesses against her and in support of her.

* * *

Unlike many of the other women accused as witches, Elizabeth was not known to have a harsh tongue. In fact, from the statements made in her support by family members and neighbors, it seems that she was considered to be a sweet, kind grandmother who doted on her children and grandchildren.  Elizabeth's husband James went blind when he was about 50 years old, and Elizabeth had to take over the running of the household and farm as a result. By all accounts, it appears that they continued a loving relationship and their farm remained successful. However, the perception that she was in charge could have caused discomfort in this deeply Puritan society.  Another strong motivator for being charged with witchcraft during this time period was being and independent woman, especially one who owned property.  Because James and Elizabeth had only girls, she was likely to inherit her husband's estate, which may have inspired her brother-in-law to stand as a witness against her. 

Elizabeth Howe's original accusers were the Perely family of Ipswich, Massachusetts.  Samuel and Ruth (Trumbell) Perley had a ten year old daughter, Hannah, whom they had claimed was being afflicted by Elizabeth when she fell ill in 1682. Because of this accusation, Elizabeth was denied membership at the Ipswich church.  They also had other accusations against Elizabeth, including that the sudden illness and death of the family's cow was her doing, claiming that the cow suddenly went mad and ran into a pond, drowning herself.  

Samuel Perley was born around 1640 in Ipswich, MA. On 15 Jul 1664, he married Ruth Trumble (b. Apr 23, 1645), who was the daughter of John Trumble and Elinor Chandler.  Samuel and Ruth were also farmers, and were neighbors of James and Elizabeth Howe.  They had six children, including Hannah, who passed away in 1685 from "fits" and whom they believed had been bewitched by Elizabeth Howe.  Their eldest daughter, Sarah, was born on Jun 7th, 1665.

Sarah Perley married Captain Joseph Andrews, on 1 Feb 1st 1681, in Topsfield, MA.  She died on Jan 15th, in either 1693 or 1694, in Oxford, MA, at age 28.  Joseph Andrews was a house carpenter. He was also very active in town affairs, and served as assessor, town surveyor, selectman, constable, on a committee to select a site for the church, as well as the church building committee. Joseph was outspoken in his opposition to the 1692 witch hunt, and signed a petition in support of John and Elizabeth Proctor, who were both accused of witchcraft.

Joseph and Sarah Andrews had eight children together, including Hephzibah Andrews, who was born in 1693.  Just shy of twenty years after her grandparents, the Perleys, accused Elizabeth Howe of witchcraft, sending her to her death, Hephzibah married Abraham Howe, Jr, who was Elizabeth's nephew.