Re: Mary Barnes the "witch"
Unlike the Salem situation, it seems that there was very little record keeping in CT. I am not familiar with the Barnes situation, but I can sympathize. When was Ms. Barnes allegedly hung? The Hartford fluffy took place around 1655-6 and was concentrated in Wethersfield. I believe, though I am not sure, that 5 women were hanged.
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Re: Mary Barnes the "witch"
Mary Barnes is believed to have been hanged 25 Jan 1662/3 -- but there is no firm documentation that I know of. We know that she was condemned to die, and we know that the Greensmiths were condemned at the same time, but details on the actual execution are hard to establish with great confidence.
You're quite right about the difference in record-keeping between Hartford and Salem. I'm related to many of the central figures in the Salem witch trials, including my 7th-g-grandfather, Deacon William Fisk, who was one of the 12 jurors who signed the Letter of Regret. There's a plethora of great documentation to sift through on Salem. Conversely, the Barnes case is hard to piece together because there's scant reliable info out there and a whole lot of erroneous info and unfounded speculation that keeps getting repeated.
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Fate of Carringtons in Wethersfield
From "The Enemy Within: A Short History of Witchhunting" by John Demos (Penguin: NY 2008), p. 106. (In case you don't know, John Demos is a professor of history at Yale and wrote a "seminal" book on witchcraft in NE entitled "Entertaining Satan: Witchcraft and the Culture of Early New England", which won the Bancroft prize.)
"In 1651 Wethersfield tried and convicted two more of its inhabitants, a married couple named Carrington, for 'having entertained familiarity with Satan, and by his help . . . done works above the course of nature.' Little else is known about this pair, and nothing about the trial."
If your family was living in Wethersfield then, they were neighbors of the Gilberts and others of my father's ancestors. My father's family is entirely CT with a little NH thrown in. My mother's is exclusively MA. Two of my maternal great grandmothers' families were descended from early settlers of Essex county and the whole tree is riddled with people connected somehow with the Salem/Andover event. 14 people were either hung, died in jail or were convicted but pardoned only because they were pregnant. And, I am still finding more because of the exclusive use of married namesin the transcripts.
Someone wrote a children's book called "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" which I loved as a child about the whole event. The author lived in Wethersfield.
Demos goes on to say that the 1650's were the "single most active period" for witchcraft prosecutions in New England before 1692. 27 trials, 8 convictions and 7 executions. There were 12 in MA, 7 in CT, 2 in NH and 1 in ME. Only Rhode Island escaped.
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Re: Mary Barnes the "witch"
After doing a bit more research, I now believe that Maybee Barnes was the son of Thomas Barnes from Middletown, and that Thomas Barnes of Farmington was indeed a different Thomas Barnes.
On the NEHGS website, in the Early CT Probate Records, I found two wills:
Thomas Barnes, (Sen) of Farmington (Vol 1, page 402) will date Jan 9, 1688, mentioning his wife Mary. It refers to her as his "sd." wife, not sure if this means second or stated? Also mentiones a son Thomas, Ebenezer, and other children "already gone from me and disposed in marriage". John Hooker of Farmington and John Stanley sen. both witnessed the will, and it was approved by the court on March 6, 1689/90, after Thomas Barnes' death (he died sometime before Feb 7th of 1689/90, based on John Hooker's oath of that date). This would be the THomas Barnes who made the contract on March 23 1662/3 with John "Androos" to marry his daughter and stating how he will provide for her on his death, and "putting out" all his children except Benjamin and possibly Hannah is his wife will allow her to stay.
Thomas Barnes, sen. of Middletown made a will (Feb 25, 1683?) which mentions his eldest son John, sons THomas, Daniel and Maibe, daughters Mercy Jacobs, Martha, Elizabeth, Abigail. Witnessed by Daniel Harris, jr. and John Hall, Sr. On Oct 6, 1692 John Hall swore that Thomas Barnes was of sound mind at the time of his will being written, and on Sep 7, 1693 the will was proved and recorded. The will does not mention his wife by name.
So, it looks like Maibe was not the son of Mary Barnes of Farmington who was burned as a witch. The Thomas Barnes of Middletown would be the one who signed the Colony Constitution in 1644. In the "Families of Ancient New Haven" (p.90) Mary Barnes is given as the mother of Elizabeth Barnes, who married John Austin, though I am not sure whether Eliz. Barnes birth/baptism date are correct. On p. 323 it lists the marriage of Benjamin Brockett to Elizabeth Barnes on 24 Mar 1668/9. All of this info is supposedly from the New Haven Vital Records.
Jen
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Re: Mary Barnes the "witch"
Jennifer, I just found this quandary myself. If you have or do solve the riddle with your research I would be most appreciative if you would post the findings back here! John Barnes (son of Thomas and whoever) was one of my ancestors. Thanks, Jack
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Re: Mary Barnes the "witch"
Hi Jack
Sorry for the long delay in replying, I needed time to go back through my notes/copies and compose a response. Here is what I have found:
1) There were 2 Thomas Barnes, one in Farmington and one in Middletown.
2) Thomas Barnes of Farmington made a will date 9 Jan 1688 in which he mentions his wife Mary, sons Thomas and Ebenezer and other children. This will was witnessed by John Stanley and John Hooker, and probated 7 Feb 1689 (nfo from NEHGS, Early CT Probate Records) . There is also record of a marriage contract made between him and John Andrews on March 23, 1662/3 in which he states his intention to marry Andrews' daughter. Along with other conditions in this contract, he agrees to "put out" his remaining children, except possibly Benjamin and Hannah. (The American Genealogist, volume 9, also from NEHGS website). I didn't find any baptismal records for his children, but I have not done research on this family in a while.
3) Thomas Barnes of Middletown made a will dated 25 Feb 1683/84 in which he mentions his wife (not named), sons John, Thomas, Daniel, daughters Mercy Jacobs, Martha, Elizabeth, Abigail and a son Maibee. This will was witnessed by Daniel Harris Jr and John Hall Sr. and probated 7 Sep 1693 (NEHGS, Early CT Probate Records). There are records of baptisms in the New Haven Church of children of Mary and Thomas Barnes, in particular Maibee b. 25 Jun 1663 and bapt. 20 Jul 1663. Also, "Families of Ancient New Haven" p.90 lists Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas and Mary Barnes (widow of Benjamin Brockett) as b. 28 May 1650 and bap. Winter 1695.
4) Some genealogists list Mary Brockett as the Mary Barnes of Farmington who was hanged for witchcraft, and attribute the list of children in the Tom Barnes of Middletown will (John, Thomas, Daniel, Mercy, Martha, Eliz., Abigail, Maibe) to the Mary who was hanged, but I believe that is not the case. I did find a reference to a Lisa Johnson, Dir. of the Stanley-Whitman House in Farmington, who gave a presentation about Mary Barnes at the Bristol Historical Society back in 2006. From the article, it appears that she is dealing with a Mary Barnes of Farmington, the one whose husband made a marriage contract shortly after her death. Ms. Johnson mentions Mary Barnes' hanging on 25 Jan 1663, well before our Maibe/Maybee Barnes' birth.
Hope this helps, and that you can flesh it out more!
Happy Holidays!
Jennifer
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Re: Mary Barnes the "witch"
I'm not sure I can provide you with "reliable" information. I can only tell you what my Grandmother told me. i.e. We are decendants of Mary Barnes who was hung as a witch in Connecticut. She and her husband, Thomas, owned a farm. Upon that property the Hartford Train Station was eventually built. It was a very valuable piece of land. Shortly after Mary was hung, Thomas married the judge's daughter. Mary and Thomas had several children. My family decends from the eldest, a daughter, who, if I remember correctly was namerd Elizabeth. This is the family tale that has come down to me.
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Re: Mary Barnes the "witch"
I am a grandson of the Mary Barnes that was hanged as a witch. I am descended through her daughter Sarah and through the Scoville line. My information states that her maiden name was Andrews. If you are also descended through the Scoville line then you are descended from all the Norman kings of England and had approximately 5 or 6 direct ancestors at the signing of the Magna Carta. Your relationship would be through the Bigod surname.
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Re: Mary Barnes the "witch"
Mary's surname was not Andrews. That was the surname of Thomas's second wife, whose first name was,coincidentally, Mary. The maiden name of Mary the witch remains undocumented, in spite of various claims.
The alleged Bigod ancestry of this Barnes/Scoville line is apocryphal, probably fabricated deliberately by some charlatan genealogist many decades ago and unfortunately widely repeated to this day on the Internet. There is, however, a legitimate royal ancestry through Selah Scoville, great-grandson of John the immigrant. Selah's 4G-grandmother was Agnes Harris, a documented royal descendant.
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Re: Mary Barnes the "witch"
I'm thinking there is some confusion that I might be able to help with. There are multiple Thomas Barnes that are all related but the last two are the applicable ones. Thomas Barnes SR married Mary Andrews and together they had Thomas JR. Thomas JR went on to marry Mary Brockett, the woman hung as a witch, and they had Sarah who married a Scoville, also my relation. After Mary Brockett was hung, Thomas JR married his cousin Mary Andrews, niece to his mother.
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