WITCH ACCUSER,
ANNE PUTNAM, REPENTS
Anne was born on 18 Oct 1680 in Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts,
And it was she, who was the primary accuser during the Salem witch trials.
Ann claimed to have been afflicted by sixty-two people. She testified
against several in court and offered many affidavits. Her father,
Thomas Putnam, was the chief filer of complaints in the village,
and maintained complete control over the actions of the two
afflicted girls living in his house. Most of the afflicted and the
accusers were in some way related to the Putnam family. Ann Putnam Sr.,
Ann's mother, would also become afflicted at times, and was in court
almost as much as her daughter and servant. People from miles around
to the courtroom to watch their performances. of the "afflicted".
Twelve-year-old Ann Putnam was in many ways the leader
of the “circle girls,”
the young girls whose accusations sparked the Salem witch trials.
For those paying close attention to the following confession
I'd suggest you take note of the fact, that while Anne
"confesses"
she never actually takes any of the blame herself.
Instead, she says, in effect, that the devil made her do it.
The confession of Anne Putnam
when she was received to communion:
Aug 25, 1706.
I desire to be humbled before God for yt sad and humbling providence
that befell my fathers family in the year about 92, yt I then being
in
my childhood should by such a providence of God be made an
instrument for yt accuseing of severall persons of a grievous
crime
wherby their lives were taken away from them, whom now I have
just
grounds and good reason to believe they were innocent persons,
and
yt it was a great delusion of Satan yt deceived me in that sad
time,
whereby I justly fear I have been instrumental with others tho'
ignorantly and unwittingly to bring upon myself & 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 & man I did it
not out of any anger, malice, or illwill 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
accuseing of Goodwife Nurse and her two sisters I desire to lye
in the dust & to be humbled for it in that I was a cause with
others of so sad a calamity to them & their familys, for which
cause I desire to lye in ye dust & earnestly begg fforgiveness
of God & from all those unto whom have given just cause of sorrow
& offence, whose relations were taken away or accused.
(Signed)
Anne Putnam.
Ye confession was read before
ye congregation together
with her relation Aug: 25. 1706.& she acknowledged it.
-- J. Greene. Past'r.
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