Accused a Woman of Witchcraft — Samuel Bartlett

B. about 1639 in Hartford, Connecticut¹
M. (1) 27 Apr 1672 in Northampton, Massachusetts²
Wife: Mary Bridgman
M. (2) before 21 May 1676 in Northampton, Massachusetts³
Wife: Sarah Baldwin
D. 26 Feb 1712 in Northampton, Massachusetts⁴

Samuel Bartlett was part of one of the strangest events in the early history of Northampton, Massachusetts — he was the accuser in a witchcraft trial. Samuel was born in about 1639 in Hartford, Connecticut,¹ where his parents Robert and Ann Bartlett had settled the year before. Samuel was the oldest of their four children. The family was among the original settlers of Northampton, Massachusetts in 1653.⁵

On April 27, 1672, Samuel married Mary Bridgman,² and two years later, she died suddenly. Samuel came to believe that a woman named Mary Bliss Parsons had performed witchcraft which killed his wife.⁶ Samuel's in-laws had once been involved in another accusation of witchcraft against the same woman,⁵ and joined Samuel in charging her again.

Mary Bliss Parsons was said to be the richest woman in Northampton; she was also said to be physically attractive and somewhat aloof.⁶ Perhaps this was why others pinned the charge of witchcraft on her. In 1656, Samuel's mother-in-law, Sarah Bridgman, had been telling people Mary Parsons was a witch, causing a libel suit against the Bridgmans.⁵ Samuel's own parents had testified at the trial; oddly enough, they defended her.⁵ The Bridgmans accused Mary Parsons of performing witchcraft causing the death of their infant son. Mary Parsons was found to be innocent.⁵

Bliss Family house in Northampton.

When the 1674 witchcraft charge came up, Mary Parsons was thrust into the spotlight again. Samuel and his in-laws were convinced Mary Bridgman "came to her end by some unlawful and unnatural means, ... viz. by means of some evil instrument."⁶ Mary Parsons once again had to defend herself in court. The case dragged out over several hearings starting on September 28th and continuing on January 5th of the following year.⁶

At one point, a search was done on Mary Parsons, looking for "signs of witchcraft" on her body.⁶ Finally the magistrates ruled that the case had to be tried in Boston. Mary was indicted there by a grand jury and spent ten weeks in jail awaiting her trial. The indictment read, "Mary Parsons, the wife of Joseph Parsons... being instigated by the Devil, hath...entered into familiarity with the Devil, and committed several acts of witchcraft on the person or persons of one or more."⁶ Once more, she defended herself in court and on May 13, 1675, a jury at last declared her to be innocent and Mary Parsons was released.⁶

Samuel's testimony at Mary Parsons' trial.

In the years after the trial, Samuel's father was killed by Indians in March of 1676.¹ His mother died two months later,¹ and Samuel inherited a large portion of the estate. By the beginning of that year, he had married Sarah Baldwin,³ and they had at least 12 children born between 1676 and 1696. Samuel "proposed to build a corn mill on Manhan River" in 1687 and was granted the right to do so.⁵ He eventually built it near the town of Easthampton, and the site had a mill that was owned and operated by the Bartlett family for at least 175 years.⁷

On February 26, 1712, Samuel passed away in Northampton at the age of 77.⁴ Sarah died on January 17, 1717,⁸ and bothoth are buried at the Bridge Street Cemetery in Northampton.

Children (all by Sarah Baldwin):
1. Sarah Bartlett — D. 21 May 1676, Northampton, Massachusetts⁹

2. Samuel Bartlett — B. before 26 Aug 1677, Northampton, Massachusetts;¹⁰ D. 19 Nov 1746, Bolton, Connecticut;¹¹ M. Sarah Ward (1681-1729), 9 Apr 1706, Marlborough, Massachusetts¹²

3. Sarah Bartlett — B. before 13 Apr 1679, Northampton, Massachusetts;¹³ D. 7 Aug 1703, Bolton, Connecticut;¹⁴ M. Samuel Clapp (1677-1761), 1697, Northampton, Massachusetts¹⁵

4. Mindwell Bartlett — B. before 30 Jan 1681, Northampton, Massachusetts;¹⁶ D. 26 Jun 1741, Northampton, Massachusetts;¹⁷ M. Waitstill Strong (~1677-1762), 7 Mar 1708, Northampton, Massachusetts¹⁸

5. Joseph Bartlett — B. before 29 Dec 1683, Northampton, Massachusetts;¹⁹ D. 3 Aug 1755, Easthampton, Massachusetts;²⁰ M. Mercy Dudley (1682-1759), (probably) Massachusetts²⁰

6. Ebenezer Bartlett — B. before 29 Sep 1685, Northampton, Massachusetts;²¹ D. 30 Nov 1769, Northampton, Massachusetts;²² M. Martha Lyman (1695-1724), 1 Dec 1715, Northampton, Massachusetts²³

7. Elizabeth Bartlett — B. before 27 Oct 1687, Northampton, Massachusetts;²⁴ D. 20 Aug 1767, Northampton, Massachusetts;²⁵ M. Roger Clapp (1684-1762), 28 Nov 1706, Northampton, Massachusetts²⁶

8. Preserved Bartlett — B. before 17 Oct 1689, Northampton, Massachusetts;²⁷ D. 21 Feb 1762, Northampton, Massachusetts;²⁸ M. Elizabeth Alvord (1693-1768), 24 Jan 1712, Northampton, Massachusetts²⁹

9. Jonathan Bartlett — B. before 24 Feb 1691, Northampton, Massachusetts;³⁰ D. 13 Jan 1704, Northampton, Massachusetts³¹

10. William Bartlett — B. before 11 Sep 1693, Northampton, Massachusetts;³² D. 3 Jan 1762, Northampton, Massachusetts;³³ M. Abigail Lyman (1696-1755), 22 Dec 1720, Northampton, Massachusetts³⁴

11. David Bartlett — B. before 25 May 1695, Northampton, Massachusetts;³⁵ M. Elizabeth Edwards (1697-1776), 23 Dec 1719, Northampton, Massachusetts³⁶

12. Benjamin Bartlett — B. before 30 Dec 1696, Northampton, Massachusetts;³⁷ D. 23 Aug 1762, Northampton, Massachusetts;³⁸ M. Mercy Edwards (1711-1790), 7 Dec 1749, Northampton, Massachusetts³⁹

Sources:
1    Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633, Vol. I, Robert Charles Anderson
2    Marriage record of Samuel Bartlett and Mary Bridgman, Massachusetts Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
3    Marriage date based on Samuel’s mother’s will mentioned in Great Migration Begins
4    Find-a-Grave listing of Samuel Bartlett  
5    History of Northampton, Massachusetts from its settlement in 1654, James Russell Trumbull, 1898
6    Mary Bliss Parsons (RootsWeb article)
7    History of Easthampton, Payson Williston Lyman, 1866, p. 74
8    Find-a-Grave listing of Sarah (Baldwin) Bartlett
9    Death record of Sarah Bartlett (older child), M.T.C., V. & T.C.
10  Christening record of Samuel Bartlett (younger), M.T.C., V. & T.C.
11  Death record of Samuel Bartlett (younger), Connecticut Vital Records Prior to 1850, FamilySearch.org
12  Marriage record of Samuel Bartlett and Sarah Ward, M.T.C., V. & T.C.
13  Christening record of Sarah Bartlett (younger child), M.T.C., V. & T.C.
14  Wikitree listing of Sarah (Barltett) Clapp  
15  Marriage record of Samuel Clapp and Sarah Bartlett, M.T.C., V. & T.C.
16  Christening record of Mindwell Bartlett, M.T.C., V. & T.C.
17  Death record of Mindwell Strong, Massachusetts Deaths and Burials, 1795-1910, FamilySearch.org
18  Marriage record of Waitstill Clapp and Mindwell Bartlett, M.T.C., V. & T.C.
19  Christening record of Joseph Bartlett, M.T.C., V. & T.C.
20  Find-a-Grave listing of Joseph Bartlett  
21  Christening record of Ebenezer Bartlett, M.T.C., V. & T.C.
22  Find-a-Grave listing of Ebenezer Bartlett 
23  Marriage record of Ebenezer Bartlett and Martha Lyman, M.T.C., V. & T.C.
24  Christening record of Elizabeth Bartlett, M.T.C., V. & T.C.
25  Find-a-Grave listing of Elisabeth (Bartlett) Clap 
26  Marriage record of Roger Clapp and Elisabeth Bartlett, M.T.C., V. & T.C.
27  Christening record of Preserved Bartlett, M.T.C., V. & T.C.
28  Find-a-Grave listing of Preserved Bartlett 
29  Marriage record of Preserved Bartlett and Elisabeth Alvord, M.T.C., V. & T.C.
30  Christening record of Jonathan Bartlett, M.T.C., V. & T.C.
31  Death record of Jonathan Bartlett, M.D.B.
32  Christening record of William Bartlett, M.T.C., V. & T.C.
33  Find-a-Grave listing of William Bartlett  
34  Marriage record of William Bartlett and Abigail Lyman, M.T.C., V. & T.C.
35  Christening record of David Bartlett, M.T.C., V. & T.C.
36  Marriage record of David Bartlett and Elizabeth Edwards, M.T.C., V. & T.C.
37  Christening record of Benjamin Bartlett, M.T.C., V. & T.C.
38  Find-a-Grave listing of Benjamin Bartlett 
39  Marriage record of Benjamin Bartlett and Mercy Edwards, M.T.C., V. & T.C.