Mary Barnes

Mary's birth date and place are unknown. Her parents and maiden name are also unknown. Mary, wife of Thomas Barnes, died 25 Jan 1663 in Farmington, Hartford, Connecticut, hung as a witch.

Family

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?

Children of THOMAS BARNES and Mary (__) w\o Thomas BARNES are:

• 2 i. Sarah BARNES was born 1650 in Farmington, Hartford Co., Connecticut, and died AFT 1700 in Haddam, Middlesex Co., Connecticut. She married John SCOVILLE 29 MAR 1666 in Farmington, Hartford Co., Connecticut. He was born 1635.
• + 3 ii. Joseph BARNES was born 26 MAY 1651 in Farmington, Hartford Co., Connecticut, and died 23 JAN 1740/41 in Southington, Hartford Co., Connecticut.
• 4 iii. Benjamin BARNES was born 24 JUL 1653 in Farmington, Hartford Co., Connecticut, and died 24 APR 1731 in Waterbury, New Haven Co., Connecticut. He married Elizabeth Kimberly MALLORY. He married Sarah INGERSOLL ABT 1684 in Farmington, Hartford, CT.
• 5 iv. Hannah BARNES was born 1657 in Farmington, Hartford Co., Connecticut, and died 1663.

Biography

Not every family can claim the dubious honor of having an ancestor executed as a witch but the many descendants of Mary Barnes, first wife of Thomas Barnes of Hartford, Connecticut can make this claim.

In 1662 a young girl named Ann Cole began naming certain townspeople as witches. Ann, who had suffered from epileptic or similar seizures for years, would cry out during these seizures that witches were tormenting her. She named three people as her primary tormenters: Nathaniel Greensmith, his wife Rebecca, and Mary Barnes.

In early January 1663/4 a trial was held to hear the various testimonies of the plaintiff and the defendants. Rebecca Greenfield quickly confessed to being a witch and, with many ludicrous tales, implicated her husband Nathaniel. Evidently, Mary defended herself and denied being a witch.

On January 25, 1663/4 both of the Greensmiths and Mary Barnes were found guilty. They were hanged that very day. No chance for an appeal was given. “Justice” was swift in those days. The so-called witches had the distinction of being the last 3 persons executed in Connecticut for this crime.

Thomas and Mary Barnes were the parents of 3 children: Sarah, Benjamin and Joseph.

Their daughter Sarah married John Scoville and this couple was among the first to settle in Mattatuck, now Waterbury, CT. in 1674. In 1686 they moved and, again, were among the early settlers of a new town called Haddam, CT. John and Sarah Barnes Scoville were the parents of John Jr., William, Edward and Benjamin.

William Scoville, born circa 1761, married Martha whose maiden name is unknown. William was wounded while on an excursion against the Indians and it was said his wound made it impossible for him to do heavy labor. In 1708/9 William was the schoolmaster in Haddam, CT. He and Martha had 2 sons: William and John.

William Scoville Jr., born June 1706, married Hannah Shailer in 1734. He later died in 1788 and she died in 1802. They were the parents of 14 children including Hannah Scoville who married Oliver Bailey. This couple followed some of their children to Bradford County, PA.
(See Bailey Family.)

Thus, today, there are many descendants of Thomas and Mary Barnes who can claim their lineage descends from a witch.

http://grandmascabin.org/barnes.html

____________________

Mary Barnes was born ABT 1631 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut, USA. She died 6 FEB 1662 in Hartford County, Connecticut, USA. ALT January 18, 1663.. Her maiden name has been given as Needham & Brockett. Neither are proven.Mary's daughter Sarah married John Scovel (aka Scovell, Scovill or Scoville) on March 29, 1666, in Farmington. Mary the "witch" and Thomas Barnes had at least two other kids - Joseph and Benjamin. (Thomas then married again and had more kids.)

The tragic scenes, which closed this horrible episode of our local history, can be all too clearly imagined. Mary Sanford was convicted first, and was not long detained in jail. Like some weird spectre of the spirit world, she disappeared. Goodwife Barnes was confined three weeks, for which Daniel Garret, the jailkeeper, was allowed 21s., to be paid by Goodman Barnes. The jailor was also allowed 6s. a week for keeping Nathaniel and Rebecca Greensmith, to be paid out of his estate. His inventory states that he was executed January 25, 1662-3.2 Hutchinson quotes the diary of Goffe, the regicide, under the date January 20th, as saying "three witches were condemned at Hartford."

Notes

She was convicted of witchcraft and executed according to records at "Particular Court of Connecticut" convened 6 Jan 1662/3. A jury found her guilty and she was one of the last persons executed for this "crime". Her husband had to pay the costs of keeping her in jail amounting to 21 shillings, per Fred BARNES of Fairfield, CA citing "The Ancestry of Fanny BARNES and her husband Thomas KNIGHT," Prestige Printers, 1989. The foregoing is confirmed by Hal & Carma FERGUSON in their e-mail which reads:

"I am a descendant of Thomas Barnes (1615) m.Mary Needham (executed for being a witch) and Mary Andrews. I have a large file and would like to compare records if you are interested. Hal"

---

Mary --- the first wife of Thomas Barnes. "Before a jury of twelve men, at a Court held 6 Jan 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." She was hanged for witchcraft 1662/3. 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' " [1]</ref>"Records of the Particular Court of Connecticut 1639-1663" in "Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society" vol 22 publ 1928 pg 259, 265 https://archive.org/stream/collectionsofcon22conn#page/259/mode/1up</ref>[2]

Children of Thomas Barnes and Mary - [p 60 "McArthur-Barnes"]

• Sarah marr 26 Mar 1666 John SCOVILLE
• Benjamin b 1653 marr Sarah -- settled in Waterbury
• Joseph b 1655 marr 8 July 1684 Abigail GIBBS
• Hannah living in 1663

Mary is sometimes said to be Mary Brockett.

Direct lineage to an accused “witch” may make you eligible for membership in the Associated Daughters of Early American Witches. This is a society of women who claim lineage to one of the individuals who were accused in early America before 31 December 1699. It is a genealogical society that seeks to preserve the names of those accused. Check out their website at: http://www.adeaw.us/

GRIEBLING-(MCKAY) PARKER to 1416 England at Rootsweb Entries: 9282 Updated: Wed Jan 2 10:30:07 2002 Contact: William Griebling ID: I87325024 Name: Mary Andrews, Given Name: Mary Surname: Andrews Sex: F Birth: Abt. 1620 in Farmington CT Death: Feb 1661/62 in Hartford, Hartford Co. CT Note: REFN: 6717 Thomas Barnes was one of six who joined the Congregation on 30 January 1653; thereafter, two sons were baptized there, but the church records contain no mention of his wife. Mary Andrews Barnes was put to trial and hung at the gallows of Hartford Connecticut in 1662. From a history of "Thomas Barnes of Hardford and Farmington Connecticut", written by Frederick R. Barnes, the following is noted: Little is know of Mary or her parentage and childhood. She was apparently a free-thinker and not as devoted to church-going as other women in town, even though her husband was one of the church elders. Though there is record of only three children at the time of her conviction, it is likely that she and her husband had more, because large familes were the norm for the time, usually for economic reasons. It is quite possible that other children died of one of the many epidemics of the time, because he had donated a plot of land for a burying-ground. Such a rapidly recurring series of deaths could have caused extreme emotioal upset in a mother who was hysterically inclined and she may have begun to display behavior that, to her "captious neighbors" would seem queer. Grief over the loss of her children and the unkind gossip of her neighbors may well have put herover the edge. She became even more reclusive and, probably, more bizarre in her behavor. In those times, the Bible was taken literally, word for word, cover to cover, and those who did not believe and practice strong religous beliefs were suspect, perhaps even thought to be "on familiar terms with that old delucer, Satan". Of significance is that on December 1, 1642, the General Court promulgated a list of ten capital crimes: idolatry, witchcraft, blaspheny, murder, sodomy, adultery, rape, kidnapping, falsewitness and treason. Stemming from the trials for witchcraft in England and Europe, suspicousness mounted toward those who gave any sign of not being of the faith. The first witchcraft case resulted in a hanging in 1647 in Hartford and others were soon to follow. Mary Barnes was indicted for witchcraft on January 6 , 1662 . She pleaded not guilty and asked for a jury trial. Her husband, either too busy with work, or believing in his wife's possession, apparently did not offer her strong support. A jury of her peers returned a verdict of guilty in early 1662. Following this, on the same day, Elizabeth wife of Richard Seager was tried on the same charge and found not guilty. So it is unlikely the jury was caught up in witchcraft hysteria. Just a week before, a jury made up of ten of the same men, (the other two were replaced by others on the Barnes jury) had convicted Nathaniel Green smith and his wife Rebecca of witchcraft, and Rebecca had confessed her guilt in open court! [Coll. of Conn. Hist. Soci ety, 22:259, 258]. There is no record of the actual execution of Mary Barnes, although a diary of William Goffe, who was in hiding and under suspicion himself at the time, made notation in his diary ... "Jan. 20, 1662, three witches were condemned at Hartford Feb. 24, 1662." It is believed one of these was Mary Barnes. It is also assumed that she was hung up past Thomas Barnes old time Hartford homesite, near a prolongation of a northwesterly road alongside the Cow Pasture. This site was about a mile from the jail and a little back from a main road into the country. This was perhaps the Via Dolorosa of Mary Barnes' last earthly journey for it was believed she had sold her soul to Satan. She left three children, undoutbedly in terror of these events. Her crime... she did not attend church; this verdict from those who had fled religious persecution in Europe. An irony to be sure!

Sources

• 1. Title: Thomas Barnes of England (1591-1689)
Abbrev: Steingraber
Author: Stuart G. Steingraber, Esq.
Publication: Gencircles
Date: 26 Sep 2007
• https://digitalfarmington.org/digital-farmington-project/mary-barne...
• "McArthur-Barnes Ancestral Lines" by Selim Walker McARTHUR, publ 1964, p 57-8 https://dcms.lds.org/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE1048521
• "The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Witchcraft Delusion In Colonial Connecticut (1647-1697)", by John M. Taylor https://www.gutenberg.org/files/12288/12288-h/12288-h.htm#pg152
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Unknown-411282