Popular culture likes to equate Salem with witches, especially this time of the year. The events behind the stories are about the lives of real people. Some of them met tragic endings.
See Vol. I, No. 4 of Gardner's Beacon for one perspective on the phenomenon.
Expect that there will be a continuing threads on this, and related, topics.
References: Emrys, Wendilyn A Preliminary Examination of the People of Salem ... paper; Hill, Frances Such men are dangerous: the fanatics of 1692 and 2004; Wikipedia, Rebecca (Towne) Nurse
12/15/2018 -- Added image to TGSoc.org, our new site. Also, will be reorganizing the witch-related information. Today, found another 'accused witch' in Dr. Frank's tree.
09/19/2018 -- Pulling together the posts related to the witch trials for future discussion.
09/04/2013 -- Again, the scene is built as follows. Those who came over are from the 10th to 13th generations back (for the most part) for someone alive now. By the time of 1692, lots of the earlier arrivals had passed on. So, that left the second generation (again, for the most part) as the elders. Now, taking a cohort mix (generational cut) round or about 1692 would give us someone on the current person's tree who would have about three generations living (including the level of their own cohorts). So, we would see siblings/cousins, parents/aunts/uncles, and the greats. In other words, it's a composite person that is built from that cohort mix (meaning, of course, that being on the tree implies ancestry) for which we can identify relationships blood (including 1/2 blood), in-law, and even friends. What Marjorie's chart does is to take someone who is in the mix and look at extended relationships. Now, consider what we would have if we did that for a large part of the composite mix. Would it not be an interesting view?
02/10/2013 -- Fan-in from the turmoil of all types of ancestors.
10/29/2012 -- See Afterthoughts & Modifications.
10/28/2012 -- 1692, again. Errata (for Vol. I., No. 4 -- will add a method to add corrections at the Newsletter site): where it says sons of Giles, it ought to be sons-in-law (he saved his daughters' property from the State).
03/03/2012 -- Nice little school project (7M hits, not bad).
12/29/2011 -- This Beacon does not get into the subject, but here is an article that does. We'll be getting back to the history and the sociology and all of that, at some point. Much to read, first.
12/19/2011 -- Added source listing from this page (scroll down). Will do this for all issues.
References: Emrys, Wendilyn A Preliminary Examination of the People of Salem ... paper; Hill, Frances Such men are dangerous: the fanatics of 1692 and 2004; Wikipedia, Rebecca (Towne) Nurse
Remarks:
12/15/2018 -- Added image to TGSoc.org, our new site. Also, will be reorganizing the witch-related information. Today, found another 'accused witch' in Dr. Frank's tree.
09/19/2018 -- Pulling together the posts related to the witch trials for future discussion.
09/04/2013 -- Again, the scene is built as follows. Those who came over are from the 10th to 13th generations back (for the most part) for someone alive now. By the time of 1692, lots of the earlier arrivals had passed on. So, that left the second generation (again, for the most part) as the elders. Now, taking a cohort mix (generational cut) round or about 1692 would give us someone on the current person's tree who would have about three generations living (including the level of their own cohorts). So, we would see siblings/cousins, parents/aunts/uncles, and the greats. In other words, it's a composite person that is built from that cohort mix (meaning, of course, that being on the tree implies ancestry) for which we can identify relationships blood (including 1/2 blood), in-law, and even friends. What Marjorie's chart does is to take someone who is in the mix and look at extended relationships. Now, consider what we would have if we did that for a large part of the composite mix. Would it not be an interesting view?
02/10/2013 -- Fan-in from the turmoil of all types of ancestors.
10/29/2012 -- See Afterthoughts & Modifications.
10/28/2012 -- 1692, again. Errata (for Vol. I., No. 4 -- will add a method to add corrections at the Newsletter site): where it says sons of Giles, it ought to be sons-in-law (he saved his daughters' property from the State).
03/03/2012 -- Nice little school project (7M hits, not bad).
12/29/2011 -- This Beacon does not get into the subject, but here is an article that does. We'll be getting back to the history and the sociology and all of that, at some point. Much to read, first.
12/19/2011 -- Added source listing from this page (scroll down). Will do this for all issues.
12/17/2011 -- Reformat right column, 2nd page, to allow missing text to be seen: Whatever turns out to be the factors, can we take comfort that the Gardners, and friends, remained sane during the period?
12/17/2011 -- Tim Lambert's A World History Encyclopedia will be used much in this blog and in related material. Here is his take on the Salem turmoils.
11/19/2011 -- Much is left to be said.
10/22/2011 -- The Beacon issue looks at a few of those who can be related closely with Thomas' kids and grand-kids. However, the whole mania would not have happened without the support of those who were in leadership roles. On the spiritual side, Cotton Mather can be shown to have meddled, such as in ensuring that Susannah Martin was hung. So, we can look at Cotton (et al) in depth. By the way, Susannah was a widow, as was Mary Parker. One motive was to strip widows of property, it seems. At least, Mary's kids were able to set some things right when they grew up.
On the political side, the Crown was involved. William Stoughton, for one, tried his best to be a Cromwell, do you not think? See Frances Hill on William. In regard to whether Samuel Gardner, or John Corwin who was the brother of Jonathan, could have any moderating influence, the approval (even if implicit) of those in power would have been difficult to overcome (as we all know, if it stinks at the top, so too does it trickle down -- or, does OWS show something otherwise?).
Modified: 12/15/2018