Sarah Wardwell

Note:

Sarah was married first to Adam Hawkes of Lynn, Essex Co, MA. He was her elder by about 46 years. It is thought that with six daughters to marry off, Sarah's parents may have thought that the disparity in ages would be compensated by the financial security offered by the union. Adam died less than two years later. Sarah inherited "nine score acres of upland in Lynn, not adjoining to the farm; eight acres of meadow in the great meadow; and one third of all the moveables." She then married Samuel Wardwell.

--William Colehour www.colehour.com

On September 1, 1692, she was arrested with daughters Mercy and Sarah and charged with witchcraft. She confessed and testified against her husband "She has been in the snare of the Divil 6 years, at which time a man appeared to her and required her to worship him." She said "she never knew her husband to be a witch till she was such a one herself." She was convicted and imprisoned for 4 months until reprieved after Governor Phips found no more evidence against her than those who had been acquited.

"She was also tried and condemned and held in prison a long time; but was freed at the time of general delivery. His goods and lands were taken, to the value of 36 pounds, 15 shillings, for the payment of the expenses of the trials. By an act of the General Court June 30, 1703, the "attainder" was removed from her and other Andover sufferers. Her children were cared for by the town of Andover thus: Samuel Wardwell was placed with his uncle John Ballard, for one year; William Wardwell was placed with Corp. Samuel Fry to learn the trade of weaver; Eliakim Wardwell was put with Daniel Poor till his majority; Elizabeth Wardwell was placed with John Stevens till she should be 18 years of age. The sons petitioned for the removal of attainder and the insertion of her name in the record of those freed Feb. 19, 1711-1712, she having died at some date previous." - Hooper Genealogy.

(Confession of Sarah Wardwell) The 1st Septemb'r 1692.

Before Maj'r Gidney Mr Hathorne Mr Corwin Jno Higginson Esq'r The Confession of Sarah Wardwel wife of Sam'll Wardwel of Andivor after many Denials of w't She was accused for & p'rticularly of tormenting the afflicted p'rsons by looking on them w'th her Eyes before the Justices w'ch not withstanding was Evident to the behold'rs She was required to declare the truth in the fear of God, & then She Conffeses as followeth that She thinkś She has been in the Snare of the Divel 6 years at w'ch time aman appeared to her & required her to worship him & doe him Service he said he was god & Should be worshiped & promised Me such thing as I wanted as Cloathing & the like She Saith She Signed a peice of paper by putting her finger to it which (as She thinks) made a black mark being asked why she did not weep & lament for it She answered She could not weep. She S'd She was baptized in Shawshin River & he dipt her face in the Watter & at her baptizme She gave her Self Soul & body to him & he told her she was his Servant She Says She both went & Retturned on foot & was alone She was also once at Salem Village Witch metting where their ware many people & that She was Carried upon a pole in Company w'th 3 more Viz Goody Fostter Goody Carrier & Goody Lawrence their was also aminister there & Some Men w'th pretty handsome apparell & that She Saw a woeman Cary wine & amongts them She S'd She knew Goody Carrier to be awitch She S'd She afflicted none butt Martha Sprauge last night -- being asked how She did it Said that Marthr Spraue was ameans of taking up her husband & because he was gone from home & she much Vext at it & thereupon Suddenly Catcht up her child in her armes & wished Sprauge might be afflicted a little after S'd She Squezed her Child w'th an Intention that the p'rsons should be afflicted she s'd she never new her husband to be a witch till she was such an one her self & thinks her daughters have been so butt a little while not above amonth she ownes she is sorry for w't she has done & promises to renounce the Divel & all his works & serve the true Liveing god -- Noate she is accused for afflicting Sprauge Martin & Rosse fostt.'r & In the time of her Examination struck them dwone w'th her Eyes & Recovered them by her touching of their armes as also struck dwone Sarah Bridges & Hanah Post & Mary Warren Mary lacy Jun'r & Martha Sprauge Testified they saw her afflict Abigal Martin in the Court & Hannah Post s'd she saw her afflict Sarah Bridges

Sarah Wardwell signed & owned the above s'd Examination & Conffession Before me

The Mark of Sarah Wardwel

• John Higginson, Justice peace

( Essex Institute MSS. Collection )

(Case of Sarah Wardwell)

January 10'th All the Judges present Except Wait Winthrop who was not at any of the following Tryalls --

Sarah Wardwell of Andover in the County Essex, being Indicted by the Jurors for o'r Soveraigne Lord and Lady, the King and Queen, upon their Oathes by two Severall Indictments --

For that shee the said Sarah Wardwell widow, about Six Yeares past, wickedly, mallitiously, and felloniously, a Covenant with, and Signed, a peece of paper to the Devill, and was baptized by the Devill and gave her Self, Soule and body to him, promised to be his Servant, by which diabolicall and wicked Covenant with the Devill, by her the said Sarah Wardwell made, #[shee the said Sarah Wardwell made,] shee the said Sarah Wardwell, is become a detestable witch, against the Peace of our Soveraigne Lord and Lady, the King and Queen, their Crowne, and Dignity, and the Lawes in that case made and Provided --

2'dly For that shee the said Sarah Wardwell widow, on or about the first Day of September last in the year 1692, aforesaid, and divers other dayes, and times, as well before, as after, certain detestable arts, called witchcrafts, and Sorceries, wickedly, mallitiously, and felloniously, hath used, practised and Exercised, in, upon, and against Martha Sprague, at, and in the Towne of Salem, in the County of Essex aforesaid, by which said wicked Arts, the Said Martha Sprague, the Day, and Year aforesaid, and divers other dayes, and times, as well before, as after, was, and is tortured, afflicted, and tormented, consumed, pined, and wasted, contrary to the Peace of our Souveraigne Lord and Lady The King and Queen, their Crowne, and Dignity, and the Lawes, in that case made, and Provided -- Upon the aforesaid Indictments, and each of them, the said Sarah Wardwell, was then, and there, before the Justices of our Lord and Lady, the King and Queen, aforesaid, arraigned, and upon her arraignment, did then, and there, the day and year aforesaid, plead to them, and each of them, Not Guilty, and put her Selfe upon Triall, by God, and her Countrey. --

Jury Sworn

Nathan'l Howard John Hale James Freind Samuel Morgan John Kent Richard Gross John Witt Nathan'l Emerson John Emery Benayah Tidcom John Platts John Lamson

A Jury being called Nathan Howard foreman and acordingly Sworne, no Exception made by the Prisoner, the said Indictements, and each of them, being read, together with Evidences, and Examinations, and the Prisoners defence being heard, the Jury went out to agree on their verdict, who returning did then, and there in open Court, deliver their verdict, that the said Sarah Wardwell was Guilty of covenanting with the Devill, for which she stood Indicted, in the first Indictment as also Guilty of the fellony by witchcraft for which she stood Indicted, in the Second Indictment.

The Court Ordered the Keeper of the Goale to take care of the Prisoner, Acording to Law.

(Case of Sarah Hawkes)

Sarah Hawkes of Andover in the County of Essex being Indicted by the Jurors, for our Sovereigne Lord and Lady, the King and Queen, upon their Oathes, by two Severall Indictments

That is to Say; 1'st --

For that shee the said Sarah Hawkes, of Andover Single woman, sometime in the beginning of this present Yeare 1692, and in the towne of Andover aforesaid, wickedly malitiously and felloniously, a Covenant with the Devill did make and Signed a Paper which he offered to her, and Promised to serve the Devill, and gave to him her Soule and body, and afterwards about the latter end of July or beginning of August last was baptised by the Devill, and renounced her former christian Baptisme, by which diabolicall covenanting with the Devill, shee the said Sarah Hawkes, is become a wicked, and detestable witch, against the peace of our Soveraign Lord and Lady, the King and Queen their Crown, and dignity, and the Lawes in that case made and Provided.

• **** POST - 1692 *****

(Petition of Francis Faulkner et al.)

To: To his Excellency the Governour, and Councill, and Representatives now in Generall Court Assembled;

at Boston:

The Petition of severall of the Inhabitants of Andover, Salem village & Topsfield, humbly sheweth:

That whereas in the year 1692 some of your Petitioners and the near Relations of others of them, viz: Rebecca Nurse, Mary Estey, Abigail Faulkner, Mary Parker, of Andover John Procter & Elizabeth his wife: Elizabeth How, Samuel Wardwell & Sarah his Wife: were accused of Witchcraft by certain possessed persons, and thereupon were apprehended and Imprisoned, and at a Court held at Salem were condemned upon the Evidence of the aforsaid possessed persons; and sentence of Death hath been executed on them (except Abigail Faulkner, Elizabeth Procter & Sarah Wardwell) of whose Innocency those that knew them are well satisfyed. And whereas the invalidity of the aforesaid Evidence and the great wrong which (through Errors & mistakes in those tryalls) was then done, hath since plainly appear'd which we doubt not but this Honored Court is sensible of: Your Petitioners being dissatisfyed and grieved, that (besides what the aforesaid condemned persons have suffered in their persons and Estates) their Names are Exposed to Infamy and reproach, while their Tryall & condemnation stands upon Publick Record: We therefore humbly Pray this Honored Court, that something may be Publickly done to take off Infamy from the Names, and memory of those who have suffered as aforesaid, that none of their surviving Relations, nor their Posterity may suffer reproach upon that account. And yo'r Petition'rs shall ever pray &c.

Dated March 2d 1702/3

Francis Faulkner Abigail Faulkner Sarah Wardwel John Parker Joseph Parker Nathaniel Dane Francis Dane Mary How Abigail How Issac Estey Samuel Nurse Phebe Robinson Samuel Wardwell John Tarbel John Nurse Peter Cloys sen'r Isaac Estey Jun'r Sarah Gill Rebecca Preston Thorndick Procter Benjamin Procter

In the House of Representatives March. 18th 1702. Read & sent up

(Reverse)

Pet'con of Fra. Faulkner &C.

( Mass. Archives Vol. 135 No. 110 )

"After reading from p. 217, also 220, of the Bailey history, that the reversal of judgment was not passed until 1711, I was greatly surprised to find on record vol. 16, p. 166 of Register of deeds, the act of General Court in May, 1703, where Elizabeth Proctor of Danvers, Abigail Faulkner and Sara Wardwell of Andover on their petition obtain a repeal, judgment being declared null and void, "no corruption of blood, for feiture of goods, can be held by such conviction" -the above are reinstated in the just credit of reputation, any law to the contrary.

Perhaps the petition of Samuel in 1711 was after his mother's death for return of property taken. These children of Sara Hawkes were never afraid of work and collected their bills and prospered accordingly. The death of Thomas Wardwell in 1706 is explained by a paper giving to Joseph Lovejoy, a neighbor, for 24 pounds, the 11 acres "our brother Thomas deceased bought of Abraham Foster an the east side of Boston road."

-Some Wardwell Tax-Payers

Charlotte Abbott

Andover Townsman 07 May 1897

Married: 9 JAN 1672/73 in Andover, Essex, MA 2

Note: Married by Major William Hathorne

____________________

Sarah Hooper Hawkes Wardwell - (1650-before 1712) - The daughter of William Hooper Sarah was born in Reading, Massachusetts in 1650. She would grow up to marry Adam Hawkes in Lynn, Massachusetts in June, 1670. Adam Hawkes was much older than she was and she did not wish to marry him. However, marry she did and the couple would have a daughter they named Sarah. Shortly after she gave birth to her child, her elderly husband died, leaving his wife one-third of his estate, making her a wealthy young widow. She soon caught the attention of many eligible men, but rejected them all and chose to marry the penniless Samuel Wardwell on January 9, 1673. Since Samuel already had a reputation for telling fortunes and other devilish actions, there was talk that he had bewitched Sarah into marrying him. In addition to taking in Sarah's young daughter by the same name, the couple would have seven children of their own. After her husband, Samuel was arrested for witchcraft in August, 1692, Sarah, along with her daughter Mercy Wardwell and Sarah Hawkes, Jr. would also be arrested. When she was examined on September 1st, she would confess to being baptized by Devil and had once attended a witch meeting in Salem Village. She claimed that she had seen several other witches at that meeting including Ann Hooker Foster, Martha Allen Carrier, and some men in handsome apparel. She also confessed to afflicting Martha Sprague. She was sent to prison, carrying her baby daughter, Rebecca with her. She and her daughters were in jail when her husband was hanged on September 22, 1692. While she was imprisoned, Sheriff George Corwin confiscated a great deal of their property and Sarah's other children were sent to neighboring families. In addition to the property she owned with Samuel, the property that had been left to her in Lynn, by her first husband, was also confiscated. Sarah remained in prison until she was finally brought to trial on January 2, 1693. Like her husband, she was found guilty. However, she would later be pardoned by Governor William Phips and released. However, having all their property confiscated, the family was destitute. In 1712, his mother meanwhile having died, Samuel Wardwell, Jr., requested and received compensation for the financial loss which his family had suffered.

• Reference: WikiTree Genealogy - SmartCopy: Jan 18 2017, 17:35:01 UTC