Ann Burt

Ann (Holland) (Bassett) Burt (1602 - 1673) - Ann (Holland?) was a skilled midwife and healer who was accused of witchcraft in 1669 and was acquitted. Two decades later her granddaughters suffered the same accusations in the infamous Salem Witch Trials.

Seen as the daughter of Richard Holland (1559 - 1602), Ann was born in 1602 at Dorking, Surrey, England; she died at the age of 71 on 26 June 1673 at Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts. She married (1) Roger Bassett, and (2) Hugh Burt.

Marriages and Children

1. Roger Bassett (died 1628), married 27 April 1623 St. Martin's Church, Dorking, Surrey, England. Roger Bassett had a son, William Bassett (born 1621), from a previous marriage
2. Hugh Burt (1590 - 1661), married after 3 October 1628
   1. Sarah Burt, married her mother's stepson William Bassett

After the early death of her first husband, Ann (Holland) Bassett married Hugh Burt. The marriage took place sometime after 3 October 1628, the day of burial of Ursellah Burt, Hugh's first wife. Hugh and Ann Burt, with their two sons and Ann's stepson William Bassett, emigrated to Massachusetts aboard the Abigail. They sailed from Plymouth, England on 4 June 1635 with about 220 passengers aboard, along with livestock. The Abigail arrived in Boston about 8 October 1635 with smallpox aboard. Richard Hackwell, master of the Abigail, recorded on the passenger list:

• Hugh Burt, [age] 35 [of] Dorking, Co. Surrey, [intends to live at] Lynn (MA)
• Mrs. Anne Burt [age] 32
• Hugh Burt [age] 15
• Edward Burt [age] 8
• William Bassett [age 9], son of Mrs. Burt by a previous marriage

Hugh Burt was among the original inhabitants of Lynn. He was given 60 acres in 1638.

Will of Ann Burt

Ann wrote a will dated 8 June 1664. She included something for each grandchild. An inventory of her estate was taken on 18 March 1672/73.

"Will of An Bort dated June 8, 1664, My Wil is that Willyam Bassit Juner should have won of my kowes and John bassit should have won Cowe and Elisha bassit should have won kowe and that samewell bassit shoul have the steers. And it is my will that theas Children should have the profitt of these Cattel and the prinsepell when they be eightene yeares ould and i give to Elisabeth bassit a new feather bed A boulster and a pillow and a pillow bears A blankit and A tapsterri Covering and i give to meriem bassit a Copper ketel, A tabel Cloth and half a dosen of napkins and a ew sheep, han towel and i give to Mary bassit my biggest eiorn pot a long tabel Cloth and four napkins and a han towel a ew sheep And i give to hannah bassit tow eiorn pots and a warmin pan and a pare of shetes and a pare of pillow beares and a ew sheep. And i give to ellin bartrom A ew lam and to hanna bartrom an ew lam and I give to the wife of Willyam bartrom my black broadcloth sute and one puter basson and i give to liddi Burril five shillens or a ew lam and my wil is that ther goodes should not be used till the Childerren doth reseve them & that these gearls should have the proffit of theas shep & the prensepe; when they com to age."

Wit: Francis Burrill, William Crofts

An Bort [her mark]

"I doe desier my Brother Francis Burrill and good man Croft would see that this my wil be fulfilled."

Disputed Origins

The person whose birth appears in English records as "An Holland" with father Richard Holland & Mother Ann Winifred Holland was born at Dorking, Surrey, and was taken to be christened at St. Mary the Virgin Church, Prescot, Lancashire Oct. 19, 1602. (see more on his profile). This An Holland married Peeter Derby at Walton-on-the-Hill parish, Lancashire 17 Aug 1624. The parish church there is St. Mary's, Walton-on-the Hill, currently in Liverpool, England. That Ann’s first husband Peeter Derby must have died young. The Hollands of Sutton were a recusant Catholic family.

The Hollands and Derby's were lords at Prescot, servants of James Stanley, Lord Strange and Earl of Derby, who was beheaded by Cromwell. The Lordship of Holland also became part of the inheritance of the Earls of Derby from a letter to the court at Prescott 1651. The Holland family were lords of Sutton Hall since the 14th century, and were also servants of James Stanley.

The Hollands of Sutton are directly descended from Richard de Holland s/o Robert de Holland s/o Matthew de Holland of Upholland. Their arms are given in the General armory as: Holland (Sutton, co. Lancaster, 1567 ; Az. a lion ramp, guard, betw. six fleurs de- lis ar. depressed by a bend gu. charged with a crescent or. Crest—A wolf pass. sa. A mullet betw. the points of the crescent. Crest, 1664—Out of a ducal coronet or, a demi lion ar. holding betw. the paws a fleur-de-lis of the second.

There are no coats of Arms in the Church at Prescot relating to Holland. Sutton Hall, the family residence was burnt down in 1700 and subsequently rebuilt only to be demolished in 1935. There are no Holland arms in Prescot church which would have been their place of worship during their tenure.

Sources

• "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J38M-XQ2 : 30 December 2014, An Holland, 19 Oct 1602); citing SAINT MARY,PRESCOT,LANCASHIRE,ENGLAND, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 0844816 IT 1.
• "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NFB8-JB4 : 10 December 2014), Peeter Derby and An Holland, 17 Aug 1624; citing Walton-On-The-Hill, Lancashire, England, reference 172, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 1,647,560.
  • Name: William Bassett
  • Event Type: Baptism
  • Baptism Date: 30 May 1624
  • Baptism Place: Dorking, St Martin, Surrey, England
  • Phillimore Ecclesiastical Parish Map: View this parish
  • Father: Roger Bassett
  • Reference Number: DOM/1/1
• Ann Burt, a midwife, had acquired a local reputation for ministereing to the sick, she had been presented on charges of witchcraft in 1669. 'Widow Burt practiced healing. Like certain other women who had this skill, she was vulnerable to accusations of witchcraft from disappointed patients or suspicious neighbors.' Source: 'The Devil Discovered', Enders A. Robinson, 1991, p 282.