Which Accused Witch are you most closely connected to?

Question

This week in the Connection Finder, we're featuring people who were accused of witchcraft, including Sarah Good, who was accused and executed during the Salem Witch Trials.

Featured alongside her are others accused in trials:

• Mary Estey, executed at Salem
• Sarah Cole, accused at Salem
• Margaret Mattson, accused in Pennsylvania
• Grace Sherwood, accused at the Ferry Plantation in Virginia
• Capt. John Alden, accused at Salem
• Bridget Bishop, executed at Salem (and was Salem's first hanged)
• Mary Bradbury, accused at Salem
• Mary Parsons, accused in New England
• Samuel Wardwell, executed at Salem
• Deliverance Dane, accused at Salem

Who are you most closely connected to? If you're one of the 24 million of us who are connected to each other on our big tree you can check with the Connection Finder.

You can check for shared ancestors with the Relationship Finder. Are you a cousin to any of them? Your Relationship Finder Quick Links page (see your profile pull-down menu under "Relationships") has quick links for several notable groups.

Special feature: Check out how you're connected to other accused witches by searching the Accused Witches of New England category and related categories like Witchcraft Accusers of New England and Scotland Witches using the green MyConnections button in the upper right hand corner of the page.

Let us know how you're related below! If you want to share your connection on social media with cousins and friends, click the "get shareable image" below the results, e.g. Sarah Good and Bridget Bishop. Then just upload it along with the URL of your direct connection. (Please refrain from sharing your connection on the featured profiles themselves, though. It clutters conversations on research and collaboration. Thanks!)

Help us with next week's feature: Modern Black Notables! Help us choose and improve profiles for it.

Comments

Next  weeks topic  is another example.Given the difficulties of connecting many people with African heritage, what hope is there to get many important  recent Black notables linked within a week? I looked at Kofi Annan; a  recent world leader but  not linked.  Nelson Mandela, not linked. 

I looked for examples from Black History Month materials (Black History month is October in the UK) and on a wikipedia page . https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_British_people

Every example I thought could be suitable and might conceivably get connected would have to be started from scratch. Not easy to do in a week.

 

commented by Helen Ford

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Other than all the "I'm related" comments (which could (should?) be archived), Rosa Parks is "modern", seeing she died in the last 20 years, and was born just 4 years earlier than one nominee (Lena Horne), and 3 years after another nominee (Scatman Crothers).

Without Rosa's stand for her rights as a human being, the cause of Black rights in the USA may not have taken as great a hold for years, perhaps decades.  

Specifically to Helen -- I would LOVE some help getting Amelia King Connected.  Rabbits dragged me away from being frustrated, but I can drop the current bunch of bunnies if need be, as I've made the linkages and just need biographies (which can wait).  

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I wonder if it would be a good idea to give two weeks' notice instead of one?  I realize that then two projects would be going on at once, but I'd hope that, with variety in the subject matter, there would be different people interested in the various challenges.

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Hi Helen,

I definitely understand time is an issue with the weekly features. That's one reason we try to share the tentative plans months in advance on the 2021 Connection Plans post. In some instances, though, like with the Modern Black Notables for next week, we're changing things at the last minute in order to accommodate a current event, in this case the recent death of Colin Powell. There are more in depth reasons for changing things at the last minute to feature someone who was recently in the news, but all lead to better cousin bait in regard to Google searches. The best option is if there's someone or something of interest to you, make sure the people involved are well-represented on WikiTree as you're able.

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Melanie,

You're correct-there had been some issues of late with profiles featured as support profiles, and for various reasons. We're working on making sure all the profiles are in better condition. Much of this falls on me, and I do the best I can given the time I have. I am constantly tweaking and improving the process and open to constructive criticism, though some things there isn't much I can do to change, such as the timing of things. Week to week works best for what some of the goals of the weekly connection posts were created for. As mentioned previously, the best we can do is try to plan themes ahead of time, so members can work on possible nominees. We can't really do much more than that. I really appreciate the input and time everyone puts into nominating and improving profiles. For the Modern Black Notables feature, please make sure to nominate on that post! I'll miss anything here, as I don't check back often.

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@ Helen -- further to my appeal re Amelia - never mind.  I have the linkage, just need a profile or two and she will be Connected before next week (probably sometime today).

@ Abby -- I'm not nominating anyone.  Just suggesting a couple of names for others to nominate.

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There were a lot of witch trials in England, but I don't have details, maybe someone else has one of them on WikiTree?

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Christine, for now the witches have come and gone on the Connection Finder feature, or at least the featured profiles have been chosen.

Here is the category for accused witches of England:  https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:Accused_Witches_of_England

Still pretty incomplete.  

There is a free-space page, Witch Trials, that lists some English incidents, and maybe someone with the energy and English expertise could begin to add information to WikiTree.

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Thanks for the info. Julie.

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My 10th great grandparents John and Joanne Carrington were both executed for witchcraft on March 6, 1651.

[[Carrington-184|John Carrington (1628-1651)]

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Carrington-184

WikiTree contributors, "Joanne (UNKNOWN) Carrington (1632-1651)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/UNKNOWN-121119 : accessed 29 October 2021).

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/UNKNOWN-121119

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My 10th great-grandmother was Susannah North Martin, who was hanged on July 19, 1692.  Visit her website at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susannah_Martin.  Like all the others, she was later exonerated.

Answer 1

None of the above, however, at least three others in Salem: 8th great grand uncle John Proctor and 1st cousins 9x removed Benjamin and William Proctor. An 8th great grandfather sat on the jury which convicted and later recanted the conviction of John.

Comments

Please provide links.  I'd be interested in seeing the profiles.

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Just click the Accused Witches of New England in the question and links are there.

Answer 2

I am most closely connected to Mary Parsons at 17 degrees.

Answer 3

Mary Bradbury is an 11th great grandmother, through both her parents.

Mary Estey is also an 11th great grandmother, through both her parents.

They were 4 degrees from each other.

12 degrees from Bridget Bishop

13 degrees from Sarah Cole

14 degrees from Deliverance Dane

15 degrees from Mary Parsons

15 degrees from John Alden

15 degrees from Sarah Good

16 Degrees from Sarah Wardwell

19 Degrees from Margaret Mattson 

23 Degrees from Grace Sherwood

Edit: for those in Accused Witches of New England, my closest connection is Sarah Bassett, a 9th great grandmother, through both her parents.

Answer 4

Samuel Wardwell is an 8th great grand uncle.

Mary Bradbury is a 9th great grandmother of mine.

Missy 

Comments

I am also:

12 degrees from Mary Estey through her sister’s husband, Moses Gill. I descend from Phebe (Buswell) Gill, Moses’s mother. 

14 degrees from John Alden.

Answer 5

13 degrees from Mary (Perkins) Bradbury and Sarah (Solart) Good.  I’m apparently Mary’s 10th great grand nephew.

Also 14 degrees from John Alden, Sarah Cole, and Mary Estey.

Comments

It looks like two of my ancestors were paired as accuser and accused.  Susannah (North) Martin, my 9th great grandmother, was among those accused by Henry (Kinne) Kinney my 9th great grandfather. Family drama .

Answer 6

I am 12 degrees from Capt. John Alden, who is my 9th great uncle.

Answer 7

14 degrees from Mary Parsons
15 degrees from Sarah Cole
15 degrees from Deliverance Dane
15 degrees from Samuel Wardwell
15 degrees from John Alden
16 degrees from Mary Bradbury
16 degrees from Mary Estey (2nd cousins, 12x removed)
16 degrees from Sarah Good
16 degrees from Margaret Mattson
18 degrees from Bridget Bishop
20 degrees from Grace Sherwood

Closest connection to a categorized AWNE:
11 Degrees from Elizabeth Scripture (Knapp-56) (9th ggm)

Answer 8

I'm closest to Samuel Wardwell, at 13 degrees, and pretty close to a number of others, but no direct relationships.

Answer 9

Mary (Bliss) Parsons is my 7x great-grandfather's older half-sister's grandmother (12 degrees).
Mrs. Mercy Marshfield is my 11th-great-grandmother (13 degrees).
Alice (Young) Beamon is my 9x-great-granduncle's mother-in-law. (14 degrees).
Mrs. Mary Bassett is my 2x-great-grandaunt's 6x-great-grandmother-in-law

Answer 10

Our family are related by blood to at least 5 and possibly a 6th and a direct descendant of one.
None are more than 23 degrees away, which all adds up to quite a bit of tragedy at the hands of intolerant people (or mobs).

Answer 11

I am 14 degrees from John Alden and 13 from Mary Parsons.

Answer 12

I am most closely connected to Mary Parsons at 17 degrees of separation.

• 17 degrees from Mary Parsons
• 18 degrees from Mary Bradbury
• 18 degrees from Deliverance Dane
• 18 degrees from Margaret Mattson
• 19 degrees from John Alden
• 19 degrees from Sarah Cole
• 19 degrees from Mary Estey
• 19 degrees from Samuel Wardwell 
• 20 degrees from Sarah Good
• 21 degrees from Bridget Bishop
• 22 degrees from Grace Sherwood

Comments

I have connections to ALL of them through my mother’s family Reeves and Brown ancestors. I have to say thank you that was so interesting, and I will use connection to me function a lot more in the future.

Answer 13

I am most closely connected to Elizabeth (Jackson) Howe of Salem - not included in your list. She is the wife of my first cousin, nine times removed or 11 degrees of separation.

Answer 14

Jane Lilly (Lillie) [Unknown-203875] is my maternal 9th g-grandmother.

"Jane Lilly was accused of witchcraft as part of the Salem Witch Trials (case SWP no. 90). ^[5] The court documents can be briefly summarized as:

1) Jane Lilly examined by Justices on 5 Sep 1692; accusers were Mary Warin, Eliz Boothe and others.

2) Jane was released from Jail on a recognizance of 200 pounds, posted by her sons George and Ruben Lilly and by John Pierson on 8 Dec 1692.

3) Jane was tried for witchcraft on 31 Jan 1693. The jury found her innocent and she was cleared by proclamation on 3 Feb 1693."

Comments

200 pounds was a lot of money in those days. She must have been an amazing woman.

Answer 15

I am closest to Mary Parsons (11 degrees) and Rebecca Towne, also at 11 degrees.  Both connections are through marrage.

Comments

I wondered why Towne wasn't on the list, it was the maiden name of three of the Salem ladies.  I have Towne in my tree, but haven't yet filled in my paternal lines here.

Answer 16

Mary Foster Lacy is my 10th Great Aunt, her mother Ann Foster is my 11th Great-Grandmother.

There might be a connection to Anne Hutchins and her husband John but it is unconfirmed.

Comments

I believe the accused witch is Anne Hutchinson.

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You are probably right.

Answer 17

12 degrees from Mary Parsons.

Answer 18

Not related to any of these, however I am the 8th great grandson of Sarah (clark) Davis, accused of witchcraft in Salem at the age of 72 and finally released 5 months later.

Answer 19

Which witch?

Well, I'm 12 degrees from Mary Parsons and she is my great aunt through MRCA Margaret (Hulings) Bliss.

I wouldn't say 'Bliss' in this case. More like 'Blister.'

Comments

From her profile, "She was acquitted and returned [from trial in Boston] but when her son Ebenezer was killed [by the Indians], neighbors said it was God's judgement. It was said that she possessed great beauty and talent, but was 'not amenable'."  Sounds like a case of jealousy from neighboring women during a difficult time for the community when blame was often cast about.  She was found innocent during both trials.  But it does sound like her life was far from Bliss.  Poor woman, enduring at least 18 years of accusations.  

Answer 20

Amazingly my step father connected to all them, Samuel Wardwell the closest at this point. My lines to Bridget Bishop not in there I will have to see if I can help with that line I have line almost directly to her.

Billie