Tag Archives: William Way

William Way (1652–1725) and the accused witches

William Way (1652-1725)

11 William Way

William Way. Son of Aaron Way Sr. and Joanna Sumner. Born ca 1652 at Dorchester, Mass. Baptised 13 Nov 1652.80 Married at Mass. Persis Witt, born 1655, Lynn, Essex Co., Mass., daughter of John Witt.

William Way died 1725 at Dorchester, Berkeley Co., S. C.81 Will dated 2 Aug 1715 at Dorchester, S.C.82

He joined the Salem-Village (now known as Danvers) church with his wife in 19 Nov 1689. Three years later were the famous Salem Witchcraft Trials. During the course of the accusations by Rev. Samuel Parris against several people, several of the members, including Samuel Nurse, John Tarbell (Samuel’s next door neighbor83), and Thomas Wilkins, bore witness against the accusations. They were very careful.

“Their line of action was extremely narrow. It was necessary to avoid all personalities, and every appearance of passion or excitement; to make no charge against Mr. Parris that could touch the church, as such, or reflect upon the courts, magistrates, or any others that had taken part in the prosecutions. It was necessary to avoid Continue reading →

Defenders of the accused in the Salem Witch Trials 1692-10-18

The Salem Witch Trials took place all over Massachusetts colony. In Andover, almost everyone accused confessed, but, according to a petition mentioned in a TV show: “from the information we have had and the discourse some of us have had with the prisoners, we have reason to think that the extream urgency that was used with some of them by their friends and others who privately examined them, and the fear they were then under, hath been an inducement to them to own such things, as we cannott since find thay are conscious of;” I was familiar with that since some of my ancestors defended some of the accused, and more ancestors moved south after that nightmare.

[Petition and chart]
Petition and chart

Gretchen and I were watching Salem’s Lot, Season 9, Episode 2, of Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

An ancestor of guest Jeff Daniels signed a peition on behalf of their wives and daughters who had been accused of being witches. This petition was Continue reading →