Started off this morning with a little sleeping in and a great lecture from Prof. Baker on the witch trials of early New England. FYI- it was not a toxin/mold in the food supply that caused the hysteria! As I was listening to the professor I wondered: Is Salem haunted by the ghosts of its past or does it embrace its past?
Salem Witch craft Hysteria memorial and 17th century cemetery
Our first stop was the memorial dedicated to the 19 victims of the witch craft hysteria in Salem. The memorial is located next to a 17th century cemetery. The memorial’s location has nothing to do with the geography of the witch craft trails, other than the name of Salem. The memorial is in downtown Salem. It is an interesting memorial, a U-shaped walkway with inscriptions of quotes from the victims on stone pieces at as you enter. There are 19 horizontal rock slabs, each with the name of a victim, how they were executed (all but one were hanged- Giles Corey was pressed to death) and their day of execution.
The 17th century cemetery is an older (obviously) cemetery that houses the graves of John Hawthorn, the judge of the Salem witch trials and many of his relatives. I could not find a tombstone of famous author and relative Nathaniel Hawthorne. Was he buried in this cemetery? I’m not a fan of cemeteries, but one of the most fascinating headstones at the cemetery was the headstone of Mary Pitman from the late 1700s. Notated on her headstone was the statement “distinguished female excellence.” I have found what I want on my tombstone!
After the cemetery we took a quick trip to see the Samuel Parris parsonage. This was the site where the parsonage, owned by Salem Village (supported by tax dollars). The site demonstrates the foundations where his two room house laid. The site itself, a foundation of rocks surrounded by a housing development, is unimpressive. What is interesting about this place is the back story of the relationship between Rev. Parris and his community leading to the Salem witch trials. Here at this site, in 1692 two nine year old girls, Parris’ daughter and niece, most likely overheard the stresses of the community affairs from Rev. Parris and, whether intentional or not we do not know, began (with the help of the Putnam family) the accusations that snowballed out of control and resulted in nearly 200 persons accused and 19 victims executed. This site was intriguing because in one sense this was the location for the outbreak of witchcraft accusations!
Rebecca Nurse homestead
The homestead of Rebecca Nurse is a beautiful farm in Danvers Mass. We watched a short presentation in the reconstructed meeting house built by PBS to film Three Sovereigns for Sarah. We walked to ANOTHER grave site where a memorial for Rebecca Nurse is, although it is not her final resting place (most likely, we don’t actually know for certain). We toured the home that was originally built in 1636 by Townsend Bishop (a sundial commemorating the construction of the house still works!).
I was surprised by this site. It was not what I was expecting regarding witch craft. The site and docent focused on what life was like during the time period that Rebecca Nurse lived on the property. There was a lengthy discussion about the farming/gardening, cooking, recreation, heating, etc. What I did not hear during the tour was about who Rebecca Nurse WAS… what kind of person she was, what she did on the property, why she was accused of witchcraft, etc. I knew very little of Rebecca Nurse going into the homestead, and know that same amount leaving. I was expecting to hear more information (other than the 15 minute video at the beginning of the presentation) about the community of Salem Village, why Rebecca Nurse did not join as a member of the Salem Village church, why she was accused, information about her family, etc. The most interesting fact I learned at the Nurse homestead was down at the cemetery. Professor Baker told us that the Putnam family (rival family and accusers during the hysteria) had purchased the homestead and many of their decedents were buries on the property. It appears that there was internal strife in the Putnam family between the half-brother and his siblings. In fact, some Putnams (John and Joseph I believe) actually argued in defense of Rebecca Nurse, supporting the claim that she was a innocent. Unfortunatly, I have to admit that thus far, there has been one exhibit I was disappointed in.
*Disclaimer: I was not disappointed in the docent or the knowledge of the time period at this site, only in the fact that I was assuming I would see more colonial artifacts/replicas of items/information from the actual trials of Rebecca Nurse and some of the others and did not. I did not see any representation of the events that lead to her death, only a monument to remember why she died (and a 15 minute video).
My Question for fellow bloggers: Has there been a site that has not lived up to the “hype” that you were expecting? Have you been disappointed at any locations?
I thought that Dr. Baker’s explanation that the hysteria began through the private conversations occurring in the Parris house being overheard by the children who became “afflicted” was very powerful. It totally makes sense once you think about it in the context he provided.