THE ANDOVER DANES

Whereupon, we were all seized, as prisoners, by a warrant from the Justice of the peace and forthwith carried to Salem...

~ from a Declaration by Deliverance Dane, among others

Aunt Deliverance and the Danes

Deliverance Haseltine (9A) was born in 1653, the daughter of our grandfather Robert Haseltine (1GGF). Grandpa Robert took care of the herds for the town of Rowley and founded the village of Bradford. Had Deliverance stayed in Bradford, she might have lived a nice, quiet life, residing in an idyllic town with no witch accusations whatsoever on its record books. Instead, she married Nathaniel Dane and moved to Andover. Nathaniel was the son of the Reverend Francis and Elizabeth Ingalls Dane who had the singular distinction of having more family and extended family members accused of witchcraft than any other couple in the entire colony.

Fully twenty-eight of the forty persons accused in Andover were related in some way to Francis Dane and his wife. Accused were two daughters, four grandaughters, one grandson, two nieces, four grand-nephews, four grand-nieces and one daughter-in-law, our Aunt Deliverance. Then there were nine others related to the family by marriage. Nine was also the number of children in the family arrested and jailed who were between the ages of eight and fourteen.

Andover elite

While the bulk of women and men accused of witchcraft were poor or on the fringes of Puritan society, the Dane clan came from the social elite of the Colony. Reverend Dane was wealthy compared to most of his neighbors and his wife Elizibeth was born into the highly repected Ingalls family, pillars of the community. Both of their accused daughters married into the wealthy and respected Johnson and Faulkner familes.

Note: Elizabeth's Ingalls's brother Henry was Laura Ingalls Wilder's 8th great-grandfather.

Despite what should have been pristine standing in the community, the Dane family had a few strikes against them. The fact that Reverend Dane had spoken out against the belief in witchcraft as early as 1658 did not endear him to those in the community still living in "worlds of wonder." Then there was daughter Elizabeth who had been accused of fornication with Stephen Johnson in 1660. She went on to marry Stephen the next year but that couldn't quite quell the scandal, even thirty years later. A third strike was the fact that daughter Abigail's husband Francis Faulkner had become incapacitated in 1688 and Abigail had taken over the management of his quite extensive estate. Her position of power didn't go over well with the Puritan men of Andover.

The three reasons just mentioned certainly played a large part in the animosity the community felt toward the Danes. But perhaps the most compelling factor just happened to be certain family ties. Reverend Dane's wife, Elizabeth Ingalls, had two nieces who were major players in the witch trial saga, our Uncle Roger Toothaker's (8U) wife Mary and his sister-in-law Martha Allen Carrier. These two families alone accounted for nine relatives of the Danes arrested for witchcraft.

The Danes wealth and social standing could not overcome these glaring family flaws.

arrests

Martha Carrier, Mary Toothaker and Martha Toothaker Emerson (1C9X), nieces of the Danes were the first arrested, on May 28. Then, after a two month period of relative quiet for the family, the community of Andover again went after the Danes.

On August 10, the Dane's granddaughter, Elizabeth Johnson, Jr., 22, was arrested. Elizabeth immediately caved under questioning, admitting to afflicting our cousin Sarah Phelps (1C9X). She was also accused of afflicting our cousin Timothy Swan (1C10X). In her examination, Elizabeth went on to rat out her own cousins, Martha Carrier, Mary Toothaker and their families.

"...she owned she had bin at the witcheses meeting: & that she saw...goodwife Carrier: & goodwife toothaker & two of Toothakers Children: one of them was Martha Emorson & that goodwife Toothaker: and daghter: & goodwife Carrier: were there & intended kill her for they threatned to tere her to peices..."

Elizabeth's cousin, Martha Carrier, was executed only nine days after these accusations.

Note: Elizabeth, Jr.'s mother, Elizabeth Johnson, Sr., and two of Elizabeth, Jr.'s siblings would be arrested on August 29.

On August 11, the Dane's daughter, the powerful Abigail Faulkner was arrested, accused by neighbors who claimed she had tormented their children. Most of Abigail's accusers were the “afflicted girls” of Salem Village. William Barker also accused her, stating that Abigail Faulkner and her sister, Elizabeth Johnson, Sr., were “enticers to this great abomination.”

The arrests for the Dane family kept coming. At the end of August, another granddaughter, Sarah Bridges, 19, was arrested and examined. She admitted to being in our Grandma Elizabeth Ballard's (8GGM) room when "(Hannah) broomage hurt ballards wife by sitting on her breast."

Sarah's stepmother and four of her sisters were also arrested within days of each other. Mary Bridges was tried for afflicting Rose Foster. Our grandfather Abraham Haseltine (9GGF) was foreman of the jury that sat forMary's case. Below are the findings of the case signed by Grandpa Abraham. Billa Verra means that there is sufficient evidence to try the case. At bottom is the verdict of not guilty.

In the frenzy that followed, twenty more people related to the Danes by blood or marriage would be arrested. The list included our aunt, Deliverance Haseltine Dane, daughter in law of Reverend Dane.

to be or not to be a witch

Proving someone to be a witch wasn't always easy but, through the years, people came up with some ingenious methods. The misnamed "swimming a witch test" might have better been called the float test. In this test, suspected witches were bound hands and feet and thrown into a body of water. Anyone who floated to the top was thought to be "rejected" by the water and therefore a witch. Sinkers were absolved. This turned out to be dangerous as a few people actually drowned before they could be dragged back up.

Another test was the recital of the Lord's Prayer which had to be recited perfectly. One mistake and you'd find the constable at your door.

A particularly nasty test, for dog's anyway, was the "cake test." Urine from the suspected witch would be baked into a cake and subsequently fed to an unfortunate dog. Any untoward behavior on the canine's part, like howling at the moon, signaled guilt.

And woe to any suspects having blemishes on their bodies. Moles, warts, birthmarks and even sores were looked upon as "devil's marks." Particulary damning were marks on a woman's breast, believed to be "a third teat."

Finally, there was the "touch test."

the touch test

For various reasons, including his outspokeness against witchcraft, Reverend Francis Dane had fallen out of favor with many Andover residents. In 1682 another minister, Thomas Barnard, was hired to "help out" the aging Dane. Barnard turned out to be an avid witch hunter during the frenzy in Andover. He, like many others, believed that witches could easily be identified using the "touch test." This backward assessment maintained that if the hand of a witch touched the body of a person they had already afflicted, the afflicted would then immediately become well and thus the witch would be identified. Imagine the heyday the "afflicted girls" could have with this one.

On September 7, 1692, Reverend Barnard ordered a great gathering of the accused and the "afflicted" at the Andover meeting house. There the "touch test" was carried out. Barnard blindfolded the accused and sent them towards “afflicted girls" who immediately fell into fits when the accused drew near to them. But when the accused were ordered to lay their hands upon the "afflicted girls," virtually all the "afflicted" were miraculously cured of their fits. The person touching them was then easily identified as a witch. The "touch test" used that day readily identified our Aunt Deliverance who was promptly arrested and jailed.

recognizance

While I can't find any numbers, a surprising number of children were accused of witchcraft and jailed. The nine Dane family members who were minors ranged in age between eight and fourteen. Five of these children were lucky enough to have been born into wealthy families.

The court had deemed it proper to allow a bond, called "Recognizance," to be paid for the release of children from the prison. Most probably this "perk" was due to complaints of parents (those lucky enough to not be imprisoned themselves) about the welfare of their offspring. Of the nine Dane family children locked up, five were released on Recognizance.

The price tag, though fully refundable if said children turned up for their court dates, was fairly hefty, £1,100 for the five. As is usually the case, only the wealthier families could afford to pay the bond. Children from families with more modest means remained jailed. In the Dane's case, the cost for this was shared among five men related in various ways to Francis Dane. The men who stepped up to the plate were a father, two uncles and two family friends of the children.

The four Faulkner and Johnson children were released only days after their arrests. Thomas Carrier, whose wife had already died on the gallows, was only able to scrape up enough to release his daughter Sarah, 8. His three sons, Richard, 16, Andrew, 13, and Thomas, Jr., 10, had to remain in jail until the general release in January.

Abigail Dane Faulkner

It was probably a huge relief to Abigail Dane Faulkner, sister-in-law to our Aunt Deliverance, that her two daughters had been released from jail. She, however, had to remain. Abigail had been arrested August 11 for afflicting our cousin Sarah Phelps. At her examination, she was urged to confess "but: she refused to do it saying god would not: require her to confess that: that she was not gilty of Phelpses daughter complayned her afflicting her..."

It wasn't long, however, before the other "afflicted girls" got into the act. Mary Walcott, Ann Putnam and Rose Foster also pointed the finger at Abigail. In all, Abigail was accused of having afflicted six people. Her trial took place on September 17. The jury found her guilty.

Below are the charges and verdict which reads in part:

"The Jury find Abigall Faulkner wife of Francis Faulkner of Andover guilty of the fellony by Witchcraft Comited on the body of Marthah Sprague allsoe on the body of Sarrah Phelps --

Sentence of Death pased on Abigall Faulkner"

Most probably, at the time of her conviction, Abigail was unaware of the condition that would save her life. She was pregnant. When the pregnancy was discovered, she was granted a stay of execution until after the child was born.

In December, Abigail sent a petition to the Governor, William Phipps, for a pardon. It reads in part:

"...undoubtedly I shouled have been put to death had it not pleased the Lord I had been with child...I know my selfe altogether Innocent & Ignorant of the crime of witchcraft w'ch is layd to my charge: as will appeare at the great day of Judgment...my husband about five yeares a goe was taken w'th fitts w'ch did very much impaire his memory and understanding but w'th the blessing of the Lord upon my Endeavors did recover of them againe but now through greife and sorrow they are returned to him againe as bad as Ever they were: I having six children...having little or nothing to subsist on...can see no otherwayes but we shall all perish Therfore may it please your Excellencye your poor and humble petition'r doe humbly begge and Implore of yo'r Excellencye to take it into yo'r pious and Judicious consideration that some speedy Course may be taken w'th me for my releasement..."

Phipps wife had recently been accused of witchcraft herself and the governor was pretty much ready to be done with the whole affair. He granted Abigail's request. Her case was dismissed and she was released from prison.

a declaration and a petition

In January of 1693, all was over except for all the obligatory trials, the multitude of not guilty verdicts and the subsequent release of all those remaining in jail. Six women then felt it safe enough to make a declaration to the General Court explaining why they wanted to recant their previous confessions. One of the signers was our Aunt Deliverance Haseltine Dane. This declaration tells it like it was:

We whose names are under-written, inhabitants of Andover; whenas that horrible and tremendous judgment beginning at Salem...by some called witchcraft...Joseph Ballard, of Andover, his wife being sick at the same time, he either from himself or by the advice of others, fetched two of the persons, called the afflicted persons, from Salem village to Andover, which was the beginning of that dreadful calamity that befell us in Andover…

...After Mr. Barnard had been at prayer, we were blindfolded, and our hands were laid upon the afflicted persons, they being in their fits and falling into their fits at our coming into their presence, as they said; and some led us and laid our hands upon them, and then they said they were well, and that we were guilty of afflicting them: Whereupon, we were all seized, as prisoners...and forthwith carried to Salem....

...we were all exceedingly astonished and amazed, and consternated and affrighted even out of our reason and our nearest and dearest relations, seeing us in that dreadful condition, and knowing our great danger, apprehended there was no other way to save our lives...but by our confessing ourselves to be such...persons as the afflicted represented us to be.... And indeed that confession, that it is said we made, was no other than what was suggested to us by some gentlemen, they telling us that we were witches...which made us think that it was so...

...and our understandings, our reason, our faculties, almost gone, we were not capable of judging of our condition...Some time after, when we were better composed, they telling us what we had confessed, we did profess that we were innocent and ignorant of such things; and we hearing that Samuel Wardwell had renounced his confession, and quickly after condemned and executed, some of us were told we were going after Wardwell.

The very same day of the declaration, a group of townspeople also felt it safe enough to send a petition in support of the accused to "the honored court of Assize held at Salem."

May it please this honoured court,

We being very sensible of the great sufferings our neighbours have been long under in prison, and charitably judging that many of them are clear of that great transgression which hath been laid to their charge, have thought it our duty to endeavour their vindication so far as our testimony for them will avail. The persons in whose behalf we are desired and concerned to speak something at present are Mrs. Mary Osgood , Eunice Frye , Deliverance Dane, Sarah Wilson and Abigail Barker who are women of whom we can truly give this character and commendation, that they have not only lived among us so inoffensively as not to give the least occasion to any that know them to suspect them of witchcraft, but by their sober godly and exemplary conversation have obtained a good report in the place, where they have been well esteemed and approved in the church of which they are members.

We were surprized to hear that persons of known integrity and piety were accused of so horrid a crime...And, it is probable, the fear of what the event might be, and the encouragement that it is said was suggested to them, that confessing was the only way to obtain favour...Now, though we cannot but judge it a thing very sinful for innocent persons to own a crime they are not guilty of...As for the rest of our neighbours, who are under the like circumstances with these that have been named, we can truly say of them that while they lived among us, we have had no cause to judge them such persons as, of late, they have been represented and reported to be, nor do we know that any of their neighbours had any just grounds to suspect them of that evil that they are now charged with."

This message was signed by by fifty-three Andover residents, including our uncle William Ballard (8U), brother of our Grandpa Joseph, who began the whole "dreadful calamity." The most suprising name at the bottom of the petition was that of Reverend Thomas Barnard, architect of the infamous "touch test."