Ann Putnam, Jr.

Ann Putnam was born October 18, 1679 in Salem, Mass. She was the daughter of Thomas and Ann (Carr) Putnam. It was said that Ann, Jr. lived a sad and lonely life. She was somewhat an invalid with a continuous illness. Her conscience kept bothering her. Finally, with the urgings of her pastor, the Rev. Green, Ann drew up a confession, which was publically read before a large gathering of people at the meetinghouse. She stood in front of the congregation, while the pastor read her confession from the church book August 25, 1706.
I desire to be humbled before God for that sad and humbling providence that befell my father's family in the year about ninety-two; that I, then being in my childhood, should, by such a providence of God, be made an instrument for the accusing of several persons of a grievous crime, whreby their lives were taken away from them, whom, now I have just grounds and good reason to believe they were innocent persons; and that it was a great delusion of Satan that deceived me in that sad time, whereby I justly fear I have been instrumental, with others, though ignorantly and unwittingly, to bring upon myself and this land the guilt of innocent blood; though, what was said or done by me against any person, I can truly and uprightly say, before God and man, I did it not out of any anger, malice, or ill will to any person, for I had no such thing against one of them; but what I did was ignorantly, being deluded by Satan.
And particularly, as I was a chief instrument of accusing Goodwife Nurse and her two sisters, I desire to lie in the dust, and to be humble for it, in that I was a cause, with others, of so sad a calamity to them and thier families; for which cause I desire to lie in the dust, and earnestly beg forgiveness of God, and from all those unto whom I have given just cause of sorrow and offense, whose relations were taken away or accused.
Signed, Ann Putnam

Ann Putnam died at the age of 36.

Mary Walcott and Elizabeth Booth were married.

Others Who Took Part
in the Trial

Tituba, the woman from the West Indies who helped to start the hysteria, was promised by Parris that she would be freed for her cooperative testimony. He didn't follow through with his promise. She recanted her story, saying that Samuel Parris had beaten her into confessing herself a witch. She said that everything she'd confessed or said to accuse others was a direct result of those beatings. In May of 1693, Tituba was sold to someone else; she would never see the Parris family again.

Several prominent players in the tradgedy died shortly afterwards. Marshall Herrick died in 1695 (age 37). He was responsible for the arrests made, imprisonment, and examinations of the early victims. On Dec. 8th, 1692, he petioned the Court to give him recompense for the time taken away from his family and the loss of his house.

Sheriff George Corwin died in 1697 at age 31. Phillip English, who had lost a considerable amount of money by way of Corwin's collecting practices, put a lean on Corwin's corpse. The body was deposited on George Corwin's front lawn until his executors paid Phillip English 60 pounds and 3 shillings, almost all that was left of the estate.

Thomas Putnam and his wife, Ann, died within 15 days of each other. Thomas died on May 24, 1699, at age 47, and Ann died on June 8 at the age of 38. Their daughter, Ann Putnam, Jr., had been the leading instigator of the trials. There is some indication that the Putnams regretted their participation in the affair.

Samuel Parris was finally ousted by the people of Salem Village in 1697. Because of his continuous refusal to take advice, the ministry lost all sympathy for him. At one point they had offered him a good job, if he would end his squabble with the village and leave gracefully. He refused so when he was finally ousted, the best jobs he could get were in impoverished conditions. His reputation followed him everywhere he went. Never again would he be in a position like the one he had attained at Salem Village. Little Elizabeth married Benjamin Barnes of Concord in 1710. Samuel Parris died in Sudbury on February 27, 1720.

(1692 Witch Hunt, the Layman's Guide to the Salem Witchcraft Trials by George Malcolm Yool)