William Good's petition for restitution.

In 1686, William Good is listed as a weaver when he sold his wife Sarah’s inherited land to Freeborn Balch. By 1692, he’s called a laborer, but William didn’t make enough money to secure his small family with food, shelter, …

Sarah Good’s families: William Good, part 4 Read more »

Deposition of Ann Putnam Jr. against Sarah Good

On 30 March 1672, William Good of Chelmsford was “warned for living from family government” (Middlesex Co.: Abstracts of Court Records 1643-1674, 2:144). Besides married people who deserted their spouses, this charge was given to single men and women of …

Sarah Good’s families, part 3 Read more »

Every October it’s inevitable that new publications on the Salem witch trials are published. It’s odd because the witches of our Halloween imaginations have nothing to do with the innocent people hanged in 1692. This time one of the new …

Capitalizing on seasonal interest in the Salem witch trials Read more »

If your ancestors lived in Massachusetts Bay Colony during the 17th century, at some point they were affected by the Salem witch trials of 1692. Perhaps they were one of the accused witches, one of the participants (afflicted “girls,” accusers, …

Misconceptions about the 1692 Salem witch hunt Read more »