An official transcript of the court proceedings doesn't exist but a local Puritan minister kept an unofficial record of the proceedings (though I can only imagine he was rather biased against the defendants!) Here is some of what he recorded:
As soon as she came in, Marcy had fits (one of the accusers of Susannah)
Magistrate: Do you know this woman?
Abigail Williams saith it is goody Martin, she hath hurt me often.
Others by fits were hindered from speaking. (likely fits of hysteria!!)
Marcy Lewis pointed at her and fell into a little fit.
Ann Putnam threw her glove in a fit at her.
................ Susanna laughed ................
Magistrate: What! Do you laugh at it?
Martin: Well I may at such folly.
Mag: Is this folly? The hurt of persons?
Martin: I never hurt man or woman or child.
Marcy: She hath hurt me a great many times and pulls me down.
Abigail Williams saith it is goody Martin, she hath hurt me often.
Others by fits were hindered from speaking. (likely fits of hysteria!!)
Marcy Lewis pointed at her and fell into a little fit.
Ann Putnam threw her glove in a fit at her.
................ Susanna laughed ................
Magistrate: What! Do you laugh at it?
Martin: Well I may at such folly.
Mag: Is this folly? The hurt of persons?
Martin: I never hurt man or woman or child.
Marcy: She hath hurt me a great many times and pulls me down.
Then Martin laughed again.
(Her offences included causing a neighbour's oxen to drown themselves, calling another neighbour a liar and a thief, her spectre had followed a farm hand, she had bitten a man's hand, she had driven another man mad, and had been seen at "witch meetings". )
 |
| Marker of Susannah Martin's home |
I can only imagine that Susannah's laughter at the events and accusations didn't help her case at all though I am proud that she stood up for herself and was defiant until the end.............................which involved a noose! She was hanged in 1692.
It took until 2001 (!!!) for an Act to be passed which amended a previous Act to include Susannah Martin's name and proclaim her innocence.
The wheels of justice do move slowly.
But gee genealogy is fun!
How cool is that! Although she died before her time and was falsely accused, I would be proud to have such an ancestor.
ReplyDeleteVery very neat history - not great for your 8th Great Grandmother but very very interesting. It would be so cool to go there and visit where her house was.
ReplyDeleteIgnorance and looking for someone-something to blame for every woe a person has still causes ridiculous accusations to this day. What fascinating history.
ReplyDeleteThat is a wonderful ancestry story. I would imagine her laughs would be more about the incredulity of the charges against her than finding anything truly funny.
ReplyDeleteBut like Cheapchick said, not a wnderful story for her.
There was me thinking your tale was going to end with trial by ducking. How wonderful instead to have found a court transcript.
ReplyDeleteHow tremendously vulnerable women were at that time (and even now in many parts of the world). Many years ago (1968 I think), I visited the Witches' Museum in Boscastle, Cornwall. It was fascinating (hence I still talk about it 50 years later) but so frightening what could be done to women, particularly if they had red hair, under the accusation of witchcraft!
ReplyDeleteUsually these women were poor or widowed and they made easy prey for the sick and twisted them selves, But I always knew you were a little ......:)
ReplyDeleteFascinating stuff! And to have an actual court transcript of her trial is amazing. Genealogy is a treasure trove of things! You've inspired me to keep digging on my dad's side. My uncle started years ago and we have hard copies of what he managed to collate (to about 199-?), but I can only imagine what's been made available since then. Here's to more fascinating discoveries! xx
ReplyDeleteWell well well.....I did a little research on Susannah North Martin after you posted this. Did you know that Susannah and George Martin had a daughter named Jane(coincidence?)who is the 4 x Great Grandmother of Pres. Chester Arthur?
ReplyDeleteThis all means that through marriage and such we are related in a way since I am related to Chester Arthur's wife, Ellen Lewis "Nell" Herndon.
Welcome to the family! lolz
It wasn't just women who were accused. A good percentage of the accused/persecuted were men. In the Salem Witchcraft Trials, a Rev. George Burroughs was one. Also, a man by the name of Giles Corey was accused, but refused to enter a plea. The court ordered he be pressed (with stones) to force him to enter a plea, apparently a somewhat common practice in England and the colonies. He still refused to enter a plea. More stones were added to the weight on top of him and he ended up succumbing (dying).
ReplyDeleteSusannah North Martin is my 9th great-grandmother through her daughter Jane who married a Samuel Hadley. Samuel Hadley's mother was a Mary/Marie Proctor, sister to John Proctor (Jr or II) who was another victim of the hysteria in 1692. William Sargent (Jr or II), who was Susannah's accuser in 1669 is also a 9th great-grandfather to me. I am also descended from his sister Mary Sargent Challis (probably twice from her). Their brother Thomas Sargent had also made accusations against Susannah in 1669 but later recanted. Pres. Chester Alan Arthur has 2 different lines from Samuel Hadley & Jane Martin. Both of his mother grandmothers were sisters, the daughters of a Hadley/Flanders marriage (my line includes a different Hadley/Flanders marriage) 2(?) generations after Samuel Hadley & Jane Martin, with the generation before that including a Hadley/Colby marriage. I also have a Colby line - William Sargent (Jr or II)'s wife was Mary Colby. I have other common ancestors with Pres. Arthur as well giving me at least about 15 or so different cousin relationships with him.
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