Jane (Accused Witch Jane) Walford

Disputed Origins

Seen as daughter of Henri Guy, but according to the Great Migration Project, Jane's maiden name and parents are unknown: AmericanAncestors image

https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LZ4K-4NZ/jane-guy-1598-1681

Jane Guy
15 January 1598–7 September 1681

Birth • 1 Sources 15 January 1598 Doncaster, Yorkshire, England

Age 83 Death • 2 Sources 7 September 1681 Portsmouth, Rockingham, New Hampshire, United States

Walford in entry for Mary, "Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921"

SPOUSES AND CHILDREN

Thomas Walford 1590-1667

Marriage: about 1623 Charlestown, Massachusetts Bay, British Colonial America

Jane Guy 1598-1681

Children (8)

Jane Walford 1624-1686

Jeremiah Walford 1629-1660

Hannah Walford 1631-1682

Mary Polly Walford 1635-1702

Elizabeth Walford 1637-1708

Thomas Walford 1639-1702

Sarah WALFORD 1640-1708

Martha Walford 1645-1702

PARENTS AND SIBLINGS

Unknown

Marriage:

Unknown

Children (1)

Jane Guy 1598-1681

CHARLESTOWN, MA:

Thomas and Jane Walford were the original English settlers of Mishawaum (later Charlestown); they settled there in 1625. They were given a grant by Sir Robert Gorges, with whom they had settled at Wessagussett (Weymouth) in September 1623. John Endicott, first Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony, had sent William, Richard and Ralph Sprague to Mishawaum to lay out a settlement. Thomas Walford, acting as an interpreter with the Massachusetts Indians, negotiated with the local Sachem Wonohaquaham for Endicott and his people to settle there. Although Walford had a virtual monopoly on the region's available furs, he welcomed the newcomers and helped them in any way he could, unaware that his Episcopalian religious beliefs would cause him to be banished from Massachusetts to Portsmouth, NH within three years.

Family

From NEHGR: Brown, A.W. Corrections For The Brown Family of Hampton -And Some Additions, The New England Historical & Genealogical Register (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Mass., 1855) Vol. 9, Page 221 GoogleBooks

Thomas Walfoed, the first settler in Charlestown, of whom and his family some note is made in Drake's Hist, of Boston, moved to New Castle about (1632.)? Some more items have been obtained from Exeter County Records. His will was dated 15 Nov. 1660; proved 21 Nov. 1660, a copy of which is on file. In reference to his estate in 1682, Henry Lamps, (Lancaster)? aged 70, testified that he knew Thomas Walford 50 years before, William Seavey, aged 80, over 45 years, and Mary Johnson, aged 70, (probably widow of John Johnson,) over 40 years.

Thomas Walford's children.

• 1. Hannah m. Pease before 1648; living 1660.
• 2. Jane m. Thomas Peverly; his will 19 Apr. 1670; inv. 26 May, '70, of Portsmouth. Children John, Thomas, Lazarus, Samuel, Jeremiah, Sarah and Martha Noble.
• 3. Jeremiah d. 21 April, 1660; his wife -Mary survived and four children ; Thomas, who d. 1681 ; Jeremiah, who lived to be quite old; Mary m. John Thomas, who was born 1641, and Martha, (who probably m. a Westbrook, and was born 1645)?
• 4. A daughter , m. Thomas Hinkson, who died June, 1664; she then m. John Westbrook : her children, John Westbrook and Mary Hinkson.
• 5. A daughter m. (Alexander)? Jones; children, Sarah, Samuel and John. In 1660, Thomas Walford gives to Alexander, son of Alexander Jones.
• 6. Elizabeth, m. Henry Savage; her will 13 Nov. 1708. Children, John, Ester, a daughter m. Edward Wells; Mary m. a Lear, grandson John Lear.
• 7. Mary, b. 1635, m. William Brookin, m. 2nd, William Walker, living 1720, Portsmouth. Her children given above.

References

• Documents Relating to Towns in New Hampshire (1867) Vol. 1, Page 217-9: Witchcraft in New Hampshire 1656. Archive.Org Jane Walford was accused of being a witch by Susannah Trimmings.
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlestown,_Massachusetts

  ---

  
  

Thomas & Jane Walford are examples of New England settlers who are not discussed as often as the Puritans of Massachusetts & expatriated convicts of Barbados & Virginia. They embody those who were originally recruited to settle New England & were referred to as "Adventurers". The Walfords emigrated probably with Robert Gorges in 1623 &, unlike most other families who came with Gorges, they stayed. Thomas & Jane were the founders of what is now Charlestown, Suffolk, Massachusetts. Their reasons for emigrating clearly involved adventure & the hope of a better life than the one left behind somewhere in England &, thus, they found themselves out of place when the Great Migration began in earnest in 1630 & Puritans flooded the Boston area. Supposedly, Thomas' lineage can be traced to 1399 in the Devonshire area of England. Neither Thomas nor Jane was a pushover shrinking violet. Thomas took on the Puritan authorities in Massachusetts until he finally headed north to the New Hampshire wilderness to find better living conditions. His wife Jane repeatedly faced down in Court neighbors who accused her of witchcraft, winning every case she brought or faced on these charges. They prospered in the Portsmouth, Rockingham., NH area & Thomas was a wealthy landowner by the time of his death 30 years after losing everything in Massachusetts. All in all, theirs is one of the more remarkable stories in the family tree. Tried for witchcraft in 1656 & was cleared. Accused in 1648,

As with the Amazeen Register Report, note the story of "Lithobolia..." (stone-throwing devil incident of 1682) which is related below under Hannah Walford's entry. What at 1st seemed to be a notation of an odd, supernatural incident in one of Depp's sources is actually the tip of the iceberg in a story of land disputes, witchcraft accusations & it must be admitted an incredible series of supernatural incidents at the home of John Amazeen's neighbor George Walton. The tale involves John Amazeen & the Walford family & may have ultimately had some influence in the Salem Witch Hysteria of 1692. It is a remarkable story. (4thson)

The first accused witch in New Hampshire was Jane Walford in 1658. She had been accused of striking Susannah Trimmings on the back with a “clap of fire” and thus caused her great pain and put her in a “sad condition.” Soon thereafter other townsfolk emerged with stories similar to Susannah’s story.

But she was never convicted of witchcraft by the courts. In fact, Jane Walford sued the townsfolk for slander received 5 pounds in damages.

On another occasion Cole was spotted with a bowl stirring a small boat in it. She then turned the bowl over & reportedly exclaimed, “There, the devil has got the imps!” It was later learned that 2 of Cole's worst enemies were thrown from their boat & drowned in the river.

All of the accusations & evidence eventually led to Eunice Cole being tried & convicted of witchcraft. She was sentenced to 15 years in prison instead of being hanged. In fact, no one in New Hampshire has ever been executed for practicing witchcraft.

Shortly after Cole’s release she was accused of witchcraft again, but this time the courts did not convict her. Soon after she died at her home in Hampton alone & poor. It was said that when she died the townsfolk buried Cole with a stake through her body & a horseshoe on top of that. This was to prevent her spirit from causing any more trouble in Hampton