A Witch!
(Picture from Salemweb.com)
I’ve told you before of my famous and semi-famous relations, the cousins of ancestors, who turned out to be Presidents, Poets, writers, scholars, and adventurers. My straight lines of ancestry, though…those that don’t branch off into cousins and second cousins, are fairly low key. There are a lot of farmers, some school teachers, salesmen, construction workers, oil men, whatever. On my father’s side, the illicit rumor is that the Marquis de Lafayette had his way with one of George Washington’s slaves, and she had his child – one of my ancestors. Hard to prove without exhuming him and checking DNA, and I sort of prefer the rumor to the possibility that it’s just that, and nothing more.
On my mother’s side (and she wrote about this today as well), our only ‘famous’ direct ancestor is well documented. Sarah Osborne, who died on this day in 1692, in Boston, MA. She was accused of being a witch during the hysteria of the Salem witch trials, most likely because she and her third husband tried to disinherit her sons from the land left to them by their father, her second husband. (Mayflowerfamilies.com shows that she married once before, but doesn’t say what happened to her first husband. I’m assuming he died.)
Getting your head around the situation, living the modern American life that I do, is sort of difficult. She was married for many years to Robert Prince, a wealthy man in Salem. They had 2 sons together, and worked to raise them. When Robert died, he left his estate in her care until his sons came of age, and then it was to go to the sons, leaving her at their mercy. Perhaps they would have cared well for her. Perhaps not. But she and her third husband, Alexander Osborne, decided to attempt to keep the land for themselves, which was strictly against the conventions of the time. Also against the conventions was that her third husband had been her indentured servant, and the rumor was that they had set up house as husband and wife before actually marrying. Not popular in the Puritan age…anyone read “The Scarlet Letter“?
So, she was accused of being a witch. She had the strength of character to not accuse anyone of bewitching her-one of the few to not do so. She was put in prison in Boston, where the conditions were horrible. She was in very poor health, had lost all of her wealth, and was in her 60s at the time. The conditions in prison proved too much for her, and she died in prison on May 10th, 1692, before she could be hung.
So, because I am a truly twisted individual, I will today honor her not only by telling her story, but also by laughing a little bit at the stupidity of it all. In that vein, please enjoy the famous witch trial from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrzMhU_4m-g[/youtube]
8 Comments
ann adams
Hasn’t been that long since the same situation (possibly without the witch trials) existed in many states. Women couldn’t inherit.
My only famous (sort of) ancestor is Henry Clay. Quite distant. My grandfather married a Clay. I have a great-great-grandfather (I think) who had a price on his head. He was impressed into the British Navy and jumped ship in Canada.
Beenzzz
Very interesting, yet tragic life your ancestor Sarah led. I wish I had the means to dig back that far into my family tree! No, you’re not twisted. Humor is the best band-aid for any wound, or so my philosophy goes.
ally bean
Interesting story. I wish that my ancestors were so interesting, but mine were more of the uptight religious, farm folk variety. Righteous and unhappy.
I agree with Beenzzz that “humor is the best band-aid for any wound” so Monty Python sounds about right to me.
Gina
Thank you J, for the early morning giggles from one of my favorite movies!
I think all of my ancestors were either farmers or grape pickers or something. They are ALL in Europe, so I have never really tried to do any tracing.
Autumn's Mom
I know absolutely nothing about my ancestors. But we used to have this huge painting of a spanish fighter in armor. I loved it! The man bore a striking resemblance to my father so I thought he was a relative. I think now that it was just a painting he got of himself. haha oh well.
Maya's Granny
You are a truly twisted individual! Right in the family tradition.
Chrissy
Wow! What an interesting story! You and your mom should write a book about your family lineage! 🙂
PS. The witch trial from Monty Python was golden! One of my faves.
Jimmy
Yea, like Granny said , Twisted Individual. But I like it.
I think most of my ancestors were either entering or leaving mental institutions?