I know when I usually write about family history, it's about my somewhat recently discovered mother's side of the family. It's all so notoriously fun. That's not to say my paternal line has fewer stories. For the most part, my father's heritage is from northern Germany (or "Denmark" as I tell my cousins, the Berkowitzes). Though he also has a branch that stretches to colonial New England before its origin in 16th century England.
Among my father's more illustrious ancestors was Samuel Shattuck, most noted for appearing before King Charles II to petition for greater freedom and protection for himself and fellow Quakers in the Puritan colony of Massachusetts. Yet, this brave Quaker leader had a namesake grandson who was one of the accusers during the infamous Salem Witchcraft Trials.
When I first found this out last year, I felt as angry as my son did when I made him watch Lamorisse's The Red Balloon when he was about five. I'd forgotten that following the charming antics of the balloon, things didn't turn out so well for it. In the same way, I was beaming with pride about my courageous Quaker ancestor, only to find a nearer relative was partially responsible for the unjust executions of both Bridget Bishop and Mary Parker.
Samuel Shattuck's accusations towards Bridget Bishop, in particular, were a bit bizarre. Nothing about black cat consorts or cauldrons or flying broomsticks. His accusation was that the pieces of lace she bought from him were "too smalle" for a woman to wear. So, naturally, the only reasonable explanation was that they must have been used to clothe some kind of voodoo dolls. His accusation against Mary Parker was creepier. He claimed she had somehow bewitched his son, causing his "Phis vitalls would had broak out his breast boane drawn up to gather to the uper part of his brest his neck & Eys drawne Soe much aside as if they would never Come to right again." Seriously? I mean, what was going on?
By now, the trials have been examined and studied for centuries. We have common knowledge that a certain level of contagious hysteria was involved. Of course, no one wants to have a Salem Witchcraft Trial accuser in their family tree. It's maybe just a few degrees less awful than if you had a murderer lurking on a genealogical branch. But, I have to wonder if Samuel Shattuck ever had second thoughts or doubts. Long after the executions, did he ever sit quietly on a dark, cold Massachusetts night and ask, "What have I done?" Did he ever try to make amends? I can only hope.
Posts
No regrets.
ReplyDelete(hahahaha just kidding). While this post ends on a thoughtful, plaintive note, I am not done laughing about "Seriously? I mean, what was going on?"
I think I'll sew a sampler reading, "I mean, what was going on?" Fits so many family circumstances!
ReplyDeleteBut that's nothing compared to what Shattuck accused Phyllis Holland of doing.
ReplyDeleteHe found that after a deeper slumber, he had written all of Shakespeare's plays.
Brian, you jest.
ReplyDeleteI'm also looking at Samuel Shattock 1649, doing some ancestry work for my cousin--so he's not on my side. But it's an interesting, if nefarious, history. Did you consider that he was a felter/hatter, like his father Samuel Shattock 1620? Hatters are known to have gone mad, and by the second generation who knows how the chemicals would have effected Samuel 1649? And frankly his entire family, with possibly family members helping out in the shop...This could be a reason for his child doing poorly in the first place, then Samuel and his wife a little crazy/paranoid from the felting chemicals. Things that occupy my mind when doing rote chores...
ReplyDelete@Luna - he was also a dyer…you may be on to something - well done!
ReplyDelete