Convicted in Salem Witch Trials. A careful reading of the trial transcripts reveals that Ann resisted confessing to the 'crimes' she was accused of having committed, despite being "put to the question" (i.e., tortured) multiple times over a period of days. However, her resolve broke when her daughter Mary Lacey, similarly accused of witchcraft, accused her own mother of the crime in order to save herself. The transcripts reveal the anguish of a mother attempting to shield her (undeserving) child by taking the burden of guilt upon herself. Convicted, Ann later died in the jail in the winter of 1693. Ann was more fortunate in her son, Abraham, who later petitioned the authorities to clear her name ("remove the attainder") and reimburse the family for the expenses associated with her incarceration and burial, doubtless at some risk to himself.
Convicted in Salem Witch Trials. A careful reading of the trial transcripts reveals that Ann resisted confessing to the 'crimes' she was accused of having committed, despite being "put to the question" (i.e., tortured) multiple times over a period of days. However, her resolve broke when her daughter Mary Lacey, similarly accused of witchcraft, accused her own mother of the crime in order to save herself. The transcripts reveal the anguish of a mother attempting to shield her (undeserving) child by taking the burden of guilt upon herself. Convicted, Ann later died in the jail in the winter of 1693. Ann was more fortunate in her son, Abraham, who later petitioned the authorities to clear her name ("remove the attainder") and reimburse the family for the expenses associated with her incarceration and burial, doubtless at some risk to himself.
Bio by: Michael Smith
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