Friday, October 12, 2012

A witch in the family

I have been searching through different lines in my family and while trying to navigate some documents on Jacob Preston, his father Jacob Preston and his father, again, Jacob Preston,  I strayed off target to the elder Jacob's wife, Sarah Foster (1708-1751).
There are lots of documents about her and her father, Abraham Foster 1677-1753, thanks to the fact that they lived in MA. Following his family, I find that his grandmother, Ann Alcock Foster (1617-1693), was found to be a self professed witch and died in the Salem jail at age 75 before she could be hung. What a story! I am so happy things in the northeast were documented as well as they were. I cannot say the same for Ohio and West Virginia.

3 comments:

  1. Poor Ann Foster was only "self professed" because she was tortured into incriminating herself. She testified to save her daughter and grandchild, who were also being accused of witchcraft. Have you seen the 1999 Foster Genealogy book? There is much information in there that can help you with this line.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have not heard of the Foster Genealogy book. That sounds like a great resource.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have not heard of the Foster Genealogy book. That sounds like a great resource.

    ReplyDelete