Hannah Bosworth

Three daughters of Hopestill Tyler (1645 - 1734) and Mary Lovett (1652 - c1732) were accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials: Hanna, Joanna, and Martha. Their father and their uncle (John Bridges) posted a bond for surety in the sum of £100 for the appearance of Martha and Joanna.

In Nevin's " Witchcraft in 1692," in Appendix A appears the name of " Hope Tyler " in the list of the accused, but the author found no details of any proceedings in such cause. In all there were eleven of the Tyler name and blood who were accused and arrested. They were all acquitted.

From: the Tyler Genealogy Page 55

HANNAH TYLER (Hopestill2, Job1), married, December 9, 1697, Robert Buswell, born February 8, 1666-1667; son of Samuel Buswell (Isaac1 "weaver" of Salisbury, Mass., 1640.) She was accused of witchcraft; they moved to Preston, Conn., where the children were born and baptized and Hannah received into the church, July 22, 1705.

From: www. whitsett-wall.com

                                               The Tyler Family and the Salem Witchcraft Trials

Hannah's Confession
Although we do not have the details of Hannah Tyler's interrogation, she probably suffered much the same indignities and abuse as her mother had. She confessed that at some time in the month of April 1692 in Andover she made a covenant with the Devil where she gave both her body and soul and body to the Devil. She signed the Devil's book and was baptized by the Devil, took the Devil to be her God and promised to honor and serve him forever. She renounced her Christian Baptism and God and Christ and became a witch.

Hannah confessed to using witchcraft against Rose Foster of Andover and Rose became "tortured, consumed, pined, wasted and tormented."

It is interesting that in August 1692, a month before the arrest of Mary and Hannah, Joseph Tyler and Ephraim Foster filed a complaint against John Jackson, Sr., his son John Jackson, Jr., and John Howard of Rowly of acts of witchcraft against Rose Foster and Martha Sprage of Andover. About the same time, Moses Tyler and Samuel Martin accused Elizabeth Johnson and Abigail Johnson of using witchcraft to afflict Martha Sprage and Abigail Martin, also of Andover.

After their confessions, the women were being held in the jails in Salem awaiting their trials. In October 1692 nine men of Andover, including Hopestill Tyler, sent a petition to the General Court in Boston begging that their wive's and children, having confessed be released from Salem jails back to their homes so their families could care for them until their trials. Condition in the overcrowded jails was appalling and the inmates were suffering from lack of proper food and clothing, and winter was fast approaching.

In December 1692 another petition was sent by the men of Andover, including Hopestill, to the Governor and Colonial Council sitting in Boston begging that their relatives be released to their families. The petition states that the families were sensitive to the extreme danger the prisoners were in of perishing if they were not speedily released. They begged the Governor and the Council to consider the distress and suffering of their friends and family members in prison and grant them liberty to come home, under what terms as judged should be met by the petitioners. "If we might be allowed to plead their innocency will in time appear to the satisfaction of others, however they are at present under uncomfortable circumstances. So craving pardon for the trouble we have now given your Honors, and humbly requesting that something may be speedily done for the relief of our friends."

Finally, on January 13, (1693) Mary and Joanna were released to their family until their trial date. Hopestill and John Bridges posted the sum of one hundred pounds to guarantee their appearance at court. By then, Mary and Joanna had spent more than four months in prison in Salem.

Their trials apparently took place in February. Both women pleaded not guilty, recanting their confessions. The juries found both Mary and Joanna not guilty of all charges and their long, terrible ordeal was over.