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Historical records matching Abigail Dudley
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About Abigail Dudley
Accused of witchcraft in Littleton, Massachusetts, and later died when giving birth to her son, Rogers.
In 1720, Mrs. Dudley, the wife of Littleton's first Town Clerk and Selectman, was being harassed by three young local girls - sisters - who would go into fits when she was around. This was exactly the practice of the Parris girls in Salem Mass in 1692 who's behavior and accusations of bewitchments instigated the Salem witch trials and eventual executions. True to form, the three Littleton girls asserted that Mrs. Dudley was bewitching them and was the cause of their apparent fits and predicaments as well.
No formal accusations were ever lodged, and the Reverend Shattuck, Littleton's first minister, was skeptical and advised separating the girls as a means of ending the shenanigans. This advice was rejected by the parents, and in any event, Mrs. Dudley died shortly thereafter after giving birth to her 13th child, Rogers Dudley. The girl's family moved forthwith to Medford, and the eldest girl confessed to having made it all up in 1728 to Medford's minister, the Reverend Ebenezer Turell.
In studying Harwood's account, I was intrigued to note that he gave Mr. Dudley's first name as Samuel. Going back to the town records, it became apparent that Samuel was indeed the Dudley in question, and that he had a wife Abigail who died in 1720, on the same day that the records also show a son being born to them. Abigail was the actual name of the Mrs. Dudley accused of witchcraft.
From "Harwood's Historical Sketch of Littleton," pgs 866-877.
The White Witch of Littleton
Pamela Goblick - Littleton Independent - 25 October 1984
Source: http://www.boudillion.com/witch/mitchell.htm
References
- Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Feb 10 2023, 1:14:06 UTC
- https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Abigail_Rogers_%2820%29 cites
- Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts, United States. Vital Records of Ipswich, Massachusetts to End of the Year 1849. (Salem, Massachusetts: Essex Institute, 1910, 1919) 1:315. Rogers, Abigall, d. Samuel and Sarah, July 5, 1681.
- Littleton, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States. Records of Littleton, Massachusetts. (Littleton, Mass., 1900) 10. Abigail Dudley Wife of Samuel Dudley Deceas-d Aug'st the 9 : 1720.
- Brainerd, Lawrence. "Some Descendnats of Daniel King, Gentlement, of Lynn, Mass.", in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society) 66:125-6. Richard King, s/o Ralph, b. Lynn 3 May 1677, d. Boston 1702, m. 18 Apr 1699 Abigail Rogers of Concord, d/o Samuel Rogers and Sarah Wade, b. Ipswich 5 Jul 1681. His widow Abigail "took her infant son to her mother's home at Concord" where 1 Nov 1704 she married Lieut. Samuel Dudley. She died Littleton 9 Aug 1720.
- Ceremonial Time: Fact or Fiction? An Inquiry into John Hanson Mitchell, Littleton Massachusetts. < link >
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Abigail Dudley's Timeline
| 1681 |
July 5, 1681
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Concord, Middlesex Massachusetts Bay Colony
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| 1701 |
August 11, 1701
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Boston, Suffolk County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, Colonial America
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| 1705 |
July 28, 1705
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Concord, Middlesex, Province of Massachusetts
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| 1706 |
December 10, 1706
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Concord, MA
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| 1709 |
November 1, 1709
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Sutton, Worcester, MA
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November 4, 1709
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Sutton, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
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| 1711 |
August 24, 1711
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Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony, Colonial America
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| 1713 |
July 28, 1713
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Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, Colonial America
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| 1714 |
October 28, 1714
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Sutton, Worcester County, Province of Massachusetts, (Present USA)
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