When traditional records fall short, especially in the case of enslaved ancestors, oral histories can be a crucial resource for filling in the gaps. Researcher Jeff Record demonstrates how these narratives can supply details and point to new avenues of inquiry. Read More
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Behind the Golden Doors: American Jewish Life in the Age of Immigration Restriction
Join us for a lively exploration of the twentieth-century American Jewish experience, which will teach you how to engage with historical analysis in new and exciting ways. Live Broadcasts: Wednesdays, March 14, 21, and 28 at 4 p.m. (ET).Register Now
Share your thoughts about the survey at weeklygenealogist@nehgs.org. Responses may be edited for clarity and length and featured in a future newsletter.
Last Week's Survey:
Ancestors Involved in Witchcraft Accusations
Total: 4,130 Responses
42%, One or more of my ancestors or relatives was accused of witchcraft.
22%, One or more of my ancestors or relatives was executed for witchcraft.
15%, One or more of my ancestors or relatives accused at least one person of practicing witchcraft.
31%, At least one of my ancestors or relatives was accused of witchcraft or accused someone of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692.
14%, At least one of my ancestors or relatives was accused of witchcraft or accused someone of witchcraft elsewhere in the American colonies.
1%, At least one of my ancestors or relatives was accused of witchcraft or accused someone of witchcraft in Great Britain or Ireland.
1%, At least one of my ancestors or relatives was accused of witchcraft or accused someone of witchcraft in continental Europe.
<1%, At least one of my ancestors or relatives was accused of witchcraft or accused someone of witchcraft elsewhere in the world.
47%, No, none of my ancestors or relatives were accused of witchcraft or accused someone of witchcraft.
Readers Respond
Pauline Karabogias, Lorain, Ohio: My ancestor Katharn (Layce) Garner was accused of being a witch in 1636 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. The authorities sentenced her to trial by ordeal. She was placed in a seat at the end of a long pole, and was dunked in the river. The belief was that if she lived, she was a witch, and if she drowned, she was not a witch. She drowned. Her husband, Richard Garner, and her two-year-old son, John, immigrated to Virginia because of this.
Moe Crosby, Lawrence, New Jersey: Your witchcraft survey is missing an option: "Sentenced to be executed but released before execution." My ancestor Dorcas (Galley) Hoar was tried for witchcraft on September 6, 1692, and three days later sentenced to be executed. However, the night before her execution she confessed to being a witch and was granted time to pray for her soul. The next day, September 22, eight other "witches" were hanged. On October 29, 1692, Governor Phips dissolved the special witchcraft court and released many accused witches held in prison. Dorcas Hoar was one of those released.
Jennifer Liskow Waltner, Nashua, New Hampshire: I'm a practicing witch and have shop space in Salem, Massachusetts. I have accused witches on both sides of my family. Ancestors on my father’s side include Thomas Farrar, Sr., who was imprisoned in Boston for several months during the Salem Witch Trials, but ultimately released, and Welthian Loring Richards of Weymouth, Massachusetts, who was accused of witchcraft in 1653/4, but never tried. An ancestor on my mother’s side, Alse Young of Windsor, Connecticut, wasn't so fortunate—in 1647 she was the first person hanged in the American colonies for witchcraft. Thirty years later, her daughter, Alice Beamon, was accused of witchcraft in Springfield, Massachusetts, but nothing seems to have come of that accusation.
Nancy Besemer, Scottsdale, Arizona: My ancestors Michael Beck, Andreas Conrad, Fidel Wanger, and Maria Tanner were all burned as witches in Schaan, Liechtenstein, in 1679. Michael Beck’s parents and four siblings were also burned, as were Fidel Wanger's grandfather, father, and two aunts. The circumstances are documented and available online. In most cases, remaining family had to pay the expenses of the executions. At the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, I had a spooky experience. I examined a 1710 Jahrzeiten (census) for Schaan and found the listing for Andreas Conrad’s residence. Someone at that time had drawn a picture of a man in flames.
Jack Parker, Danvers, Massachusetts: I live in Danvers, Mass., which incorporates Salem Village. Two of the victims bear my surname. I believe they are different Parker lines, but on Hanging Day (September 22) I try to visit one or more of their memorials and leave flowers. In 2017, I attended the Rebecca Nurse Day commemoration at the Nurse homestead. There were scores of her descendants there. While those events are not a common local conversation point, one cannot move far without stumbling over some sign of these victims. Such a sad episode in local history. I wish them all peace.
What We’re Reading
1 Side Owned Slaves. The Other Side Started Black History Month. How a Family Heals. “It's not just that the Black and white Woodsons tell the story of America's past, from the first enslavers to the ship that brought the first Africans to America to the man responsible for Black history month. It's that they also give us a possible path forward.”
The province of Alberta is located in western Canada. The University of Lethbridge Library hosts the Southern Alberta Newspaper Collection on its website, comprising 35 titles from 1885 to 2014. Search by keyword and filter results by subject, date, or format. Click the thumbnail to view the digitized newspaper page with your keywords highlighted. You can also browse individual titles or the entire collection. Search Now
Chief Genealogist David Allen Lambert discusses key resources for researching War of 1812 veterans, including compiled service and pension records, muster rolls, correspondence from officers, and town histories.
Volume 37 (2017) of The Essex Genealogist is now available to search. This quarterly journal is the leading publication for genealogical research in Essex County, Massachusetts, and has been published since 1981 by the Essex Society of Genealogists. This update adds over 200 pages and 1,200 searchable names. Search Now
Your Legacy. Your Peace of Mind. Your Free Will.
As a family historian, you know that wills are important in your research—but have you created a will for yourself? Free Will, an easy and free online will creation tool, will guide you step-by-step through identifying beneficiaries for your assets, supporting the causes that are important to you, and planning for the preservation of your research. Learn More
