Mary (Unknown) Barnes (abt. 1625 - 1663)

Descendants

Died 25 Jan 1663 at about age 38 in Farmington, Hartford, Connecticut

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Biography

Mary (Unknown) Barnes was executed for witchcraft in Connecticut

Mary (Unknown)

Unknown Origin

Mary's birth date and place are unknown. Her parents and maiden name are also unknown.

Birth date is a estimated based on the birth date of her first child. She may have been somewhat younger than her husband.

She is sometimes assumed to have been Mary Brockett (bapt July 20 1616 Frostenden, Suffolk - or born at Middletown, CT ?), Parents: Sir John Brockett (1586-1649) and Mary Bannister (1585-1669), but evidence is lacking. Also sometimes surnamed Andrews, but this is a confusion with a different Thomas Barnes.

Note: Please read Raymond Madsen's interesting "confession" about his role in the Sir John Brocket story.^[1]

Marriage and Children

Mary married, as his first, to Thomas Barnes. Soon after her death, Thomas married, as his 2nd (contract 23 Mar 1662/3), to Mary Andrews (Andrus) who was probably half his age.^[2] The contract required Thomas to apprentice his existing children (all except Benjamin), and to give her the house, homelot, orchard, a comfortable maintenance, and more.^[3]

Children of Thomas Barnes and Mary (p 60 McArthur):^[2]

1. Sarah mar 1666 John Scoville
2. Benjamin b 1653 mar Sarah ---- settled in Waterbury
3. Joseph b 1655 mar 8 July 1684 Abigail GIBBS
4. Hannah living in 1663

Hanged as a Witch

Before a jury of twelve men, at a Court held 6 January 1662/3:

Mary Barnes thou art here Indited by ye name of Mary Barnes for not hauinge the fear of God before thyne eyes Thou hast enterteined familiarity with Satan the great Enemy of God ...' The prisoner pleaded 'not guilty and referd her self to triall by ye Jury. The Jury returne that they find ye Prisoner Guilty of ye Inditement.^[4]

Thomas had to pay for her room and board while she was imprisoned awaiting execution. "On 5 Mar 1662/3 'Danl Garret is allowed for keeping Goodwife Barnes 3 weeks 21 shillings besides her fee wch Goodman Barnes is to see discharged." ^[5]

Mary was hanged for witchcraft on January 25, 1663 at Hartford County, Connecticut.^{[6] [7]}

Sources

1. ↑ Madsen, Raymond W., (29 December 1999) "Brockett Family of England."
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} McArthur, Selim Walker, (1964) McArthur-Barnes Ancestral Lines. Portland, ME: Anthoensen Press, FamilySearch.org (Pages 57-60).
3. ↑ Andrews, E. J., (1932/3) "Thomas Barnes and John Andrews of Farmington, Connecticut." The American Genealogist. NEHGS AmericanAncestors.org (Vol 9, Pages 40-41).
4. ↑ Connecticut Historical Society, (1860) Records of the Particular Court of Connecticut 1639-1663. Hartford: Archive.org (Vol 22, Pages 259, 265).
5. ↑ Taylor, John M., (1908) "The Witchcraft Delusion In Colonial Connecticut (1647-1697)." originally Grafton Press, Project Gutenberg EBook, May 7, 2004 (Page).
6. ↑ Tomlinson, R. G., (1978) "Witchcraft Trials of Connecticut: The First Comprehensive, Documented History of Witchcraft Trials in Colonial Connecticut" GoogleBooks.com.
7. ↑ "The Great Witchcraft Panic of 1662"The Connecticut Nutmegger. Glastonbury, CT: Connecticut Society of Genealogists, 1970-. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009.) V. 13, p. 9.link for subscribers

See also:

• New France Web Site requires a password.
• "My Grandmother Mary Was Hanged" by Bernice Mabel Graham Telian, published 2012 available in some East Coast USA libraries.