Mary (Clement) Osgood (1637 - 1710)

Born 1637 in Ansley, Warwickshire, England

Ancestors

Wife of John Osgood — married 15 Nov 1653 in Haverhill, Norfolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Descendants

Died 27 Oct 1710 at about age 73 in Andover, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Susan DeFoe [send private message]

Biography

Mary (Clement) Osgood was accused of witchcraft in the Salem Witch Trials

Name: Mary Clement; Name: Mary Clements. Birth: Date: 1637; Place: Coventry, Warwickshire, England^[1]; Place: Ansley, Warwickshire, England

Marriage

Husband: John Osgood

Wife: Mary Clement

Marriage:

Date: 15 NOV 1653^[2]

Place: Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts^[3]

Osgood: "John, and Mary Clemance, at Haverhill, Nov. 15, 1763"

Death: Date: 27 OCT 1710; Place: Andover, Essex, Massachusetts^[4]

"Mary, wid. Capt. John, Oct. 27, 1710"

Mary Clements Osgood (1637?-1710) - Born in England in 1637, her father was Robert Clements. When her father immigrated to the America in 1642, five year-old Mary was left with relatives. She later joined her father who was serving as a magistrate in Haverhill. When she married John Osgood, Jr. in November, 1653, her father performed the ceremony. Of Andover, John Osgood was a man of prominence, who had served thirty years in military service in which he had attained the rank of captain, was one of the first settlers in Andover and a church founder, was the first representative to the General Court from Andover, and owned a considerable amount of land.

Though Mary was described as a remarkably pious and good woman, she was accused of witchcraft. When she was examined, she was 55 years old. Though it is known that she spent some time in jail, she was later released, probably on bond. Her husband died on August 21, 1693. Mary lived until October 27, 1710.

Examination of Mary Osgood

She confesses, that about 11 years ago, when she was in a melancholy state and condition, she used to walk abroad in her orchard; and upon a certain time, she saw the appearance of a cat, at the end of the house, which yet she thought was a real cat. However, at that time, it diverted her from praying to God, and instead thereof she prayed to the devil; about which time she made a covenant with the devil, who, as a black man, came to her and presented her a book, upon which she laid her finger and that left a red spot: And that upon her signing, the devil told her he was her God, and that she should serve and worship him, and, she believes, she consented to it. She says further, that about two years agone, she was carried through the air, in company with deacon Frye's wife, Ebenezer Baker's wife, and Goody Tyler, to five mile pond, where she was baptized by the devil, who dipped her face in the water and made her renounce her former baptism, and told her she must be his, soul and body, forever, and that she must serve him, which she promised to do. She says, the renouncing her first baptism was after her dipping, and that she was transported back again through the air, in company with the forenamed persons, in the same manner as she went, and believes they were carried upon a pole. Q. How many persons were upon the pole? A. As I said before, viz. four persons and no more but whom she had named above. -- She confesses she has afflicted three persons, John Sawdy, Martha Sprague and Rose Foster, and that she did it by pinching her bed clothes, and giving consent the devil should do it in her shape, and that the devil could not do it without her consent. -- She confesses the afflicting persons in the court, by the glance of her eye. She says, as she was coming down to Salem to be examined, she and the rest of the company with her, stopped at Mr. Phillips's to refresh themselves, and the afflicted persons, being behind them upon the road, came up just as she was mounting again and were then afflicted, and cried out upon her, so that she was forced to stay until they were all past, and said she only looked that way towards them. Q. Do you know the devil can take the shape of an innocent person and afflict? A. I believe he cannot. Q. Who taught you this way of witchcraft? A. Satan, and that he promised her abundance of satisfaction and quietness in her future state, but never performed any thing; and that she has lived more miserably and more discontented since, than ever before. She confesses further, that she herself, in company with Goody Parker, Goody Tyler, and Goody Dean, had a meeting at Moses Tyler's house, last monday night, to afflict, and that she and Goody Dean carried the shape of Mr. Dean, the minister, between them, to make persons believe that Mr. Dean afflicted. Q. What hindered you from accomplishing what you intended? A. The Lord would not suffer it so to be, that the devil should afflict in an innocent person's shape. Q. Have you been at any other witch meetings? A. I know nothing thereof, as I shall answer in the presence of God and his people; but said, that the black man stood before her, and told her, that what she had confessed was a lie; notwithstanding, she said that what she had confessed was true, and thereto put her hand. Her husband being present was asked, if he judged his wife to be any way discomposed. He answered, that having lived with her so long, he doth not judge her to be any ways discomposed, but has cause to believe what she has said is true. -- When Mistress Osgood was first called, she afflicted Martha Sprague and Rose Foster, by the glance of her eyes, and recovered them out of their fits by the touch of her hand. Mary Lacey and Betty Johnson and Hannah Post saw Mistress Osgood afflicting Sprague and Foster. -- The said Hannah Post and Mary Lacey and Betty Johnson, jun. and Rose Foster and Mary Richardson were afflicted by Mistress Osgood, in the time of their examination, and recovered by her touching of their hands. I underwritten, being appointed by authority, to take this examination, do testify upon oath, taken in court, that this is a true copy of the substance of it, to the best of my knowledge, ^[5]

Massachusetts Remediation

1. 17 October 1710, Convictions Reversed, The General Court of Massachusetts Bay, An act, the several convictions, judgments, and attainders be, and hereby are, reversed, and declared to be null and void.^[6]
2. 17 Dec 1711, Compensation to Survivors, Governor Dudley, GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS BAY, approved compensation to such persons as are living, and to those that legally represent them that are dead
3. 28 Aug 1957, No Disgrace to Descendants, General Court of Massachusetts, ...such proceedings, were and are shocking, and the result of a wave of popular hysterical fear of the Devil in the community, and further declares that, as all the laws under which said proceedings...have been long since abandoned and superseded by our more civilized laws, no disgrace or cause for distress attaches to the said descendants or any of them by reason of said proceedings.^[7]
4. 31 Oct 2001, Additional Victims Included, Massachusetts Senate and House of Representatives in General Court, AN ACT RELATIVE TO THE WITCHCRAFT TRIAL OF 1692, chapter 145 is hereby further amended by adding Bridget Bishop, Susannah Martin, Alice Parker, Margaret Scott and Wilmot Redd.^[8]

Research Notes

From another source with some interesting detail, and perhaps speculative (John Osgood, it is agreed, died in August, not in April): Mary was one of nearly 50 men, women and children from neighboring Andover accused of witchcraft in the Salem witch craze of 1692. Arrested and taken to the Salem jail, September 7, 1692, she spent 15 weeks in jail. Mary was released on bail December 20, 1692, after tireless efforts by her husband and other Andover leaders. On January 5, 1693, the grand jury at the Superior Court of Judicature at Salem issued an indictment and Mary was taken back to jail to face trial. She was tried on January 12. The jury found her not guilty and she was released. Just 3 months later, on April 21, 1693, Mary’s husband, Captain John Osgood died.^[9]

Sources

1. ↑ Source: #S90
2. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPZ6-VFCW : 11 May 2022), John Osgood and Mary Clema*e, 15 Oct 1653; citing Marriage, Andover, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009715.
3. ↑ Source: #S31 Andover VRs, Vol. 2, Page 256
4. ↑ #S31 Andover VRs, Vol. 2, Page 515
5. ↑ Salem Witch Trials, Documentary Archive and Transcription Project, Mass. Archives, Vol. 135, no. 74. Massachusetts State Archives, Boston, MA. [Mass. Archives, Vol. 135, no. 74. Massachusetts State Archives, Boston, MA ]
6. ↑ “Salem Witchcraft : with an Account of Salem Village, and a History of Opinions on Witchcraft and Kindred Subjects : Upham, Charles Wentworth, 1802-1875, Author : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive, January 1, 1970.
7. ↑ https://www.mass.gov/doc/resolves-of-1957-chapter-145/download
8. ↑ https://malegislature.gov/Laws/SessionLaws/Acts/2001/Chapter122
9. ↑ Andover Phase of the Salem Witch Trials, Volume 7, Salem Witchcraft Series, by Enders Anthony Robinson, Goose Pond Press, 2020, pp. 122, 227.

• The New England Historical & Genealogical Register, Volume 13, pages 117-121
• "The history of Haverhill, Massachusetts, from its first settlement, in 1640, to the year 1860 : Chase, George Wingate, 1826." 1867 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/historyofhaverhi61chas. Accessed 21 Aug. 2023. [p. 48]
• "Historical sketches of Andover, (comprising the present towns of North Andover and Andover) : Bailey, Sarah Loring : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive." Archive https://archive.org/details/historicalsketch00bail. Accessed 21 Aug. 2023.
• A_Genealogy_of_the_Descendants_of_John%2C_Christopher_and_William_Osgood|A Genealogy of the Descendants of John, Christopher and William Osgood, Who Came from England and Settled in New England Early in the Seventeenth Century," compiled by the late Ira Osgood, edited by Eben Putnam, Salem, Mass., printed at the Salem Press, Gc, 929.2 Os34g, 1202861.[1]
• Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 08 April 2020), memorial page for Mary Clements Osgood (1637–27 Oct 1710), Find A Grave: Memorial #114659659, citing Old North Parish Burying Ground, North Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA ; Maintained by Nanny (contributor 47179467) . [no tombstone; burial here is presumed, not proven; cemetery office has no record of this person]
• Witches of Massachusetts - O-P [2]
• Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850 (Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2010).
• "SWP No. 096: Mary Osgood" Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive. Accessed 21 Aug. 2023.