A Voice of Reason in Witch Trial Craze

The Salem Witch Trials are probably one of the most infamous moments from early American history. During this time, Salem Town and the surrounding areas had a population of around 2000 people. My husband’s 9th great grandpa, Caleb Buffum, was present to witness the mass delirium and have a small hand in helping the grieving families.

There were many events happening at this time that may have helped lead to the paranoia and hysteria of the witch hunts. Salem had strong Puritan and Quaker populations. The Puritans especially taught of Satan and his abilities to individually overpower the weak and cause someone to do evil. The northeast was also on guard for French and Native American attacks. The Nine Years’ War (1688-1697) was in full swing, and many of the surrounding states had seen devastating outcomes. Salem experienced a smallpox outbreak in 1691-1692, resulting in the death of at least 500 people (a fourth of the area’s population). Most likely due to disease and disruption of the normal trade routines because of the war, inflation was also increasing. With all of these things happening, the people of Salem were scared, paranoid, and susceptible to be easily influenced. It seems like people needed something to blame for their woes, and convicting witches seemed to be an easy answer. By the end of the hysteria, 150-200 people had been jailed, 14 women and 5 men were hanged, 1 man was tortured to death, and at least 5 people died in prison.

The accusations of witchcraft became common in February of 1692. With increasing accusations, Governor William Phips created the “Court of Oyer” to oversee cases. The accusers were allowed to use ‘spectral evidence’ to support their claims. Spectral evidence is when an accuser would say that he or she had a vision or dream of the accused harming, harassing, or controlling other individuals. The first person to be tried and hanged was Bridget Bishop. She was hanged on June 10, 1692. As the trials continued, there was an incursion of letters and petitions from the public. The court was disbanded in October 1692. Despite the outcry from the public, many accusations were still being made. The trials resumed in January 1693, but this time the trials were done under the Supreme Court of Judicature, a court still used in Massachusetts today. This court was no longer allowed to use spectral evidence as part of the testimony. Because of this, most accused were found not guilty. The accusations finally died down, and Salem was left to recover from this madness and try to pull the pieces of their society back together.

Restitution was paid to the victims and their families. A day of fasting and prayer was held in 1697 with a large focus on reflection on the tragedy. In 1711 a resolution was passed to restore civil liberties to those found guilty during the witch trials. For some reason, 7 individuals were not named. This means that legally, these 7 people remained guilty in the eyes of the law. In 1945 the descendants of Ann Pudeator got a law passed to clear her of the charges. In 2001 Bridget Bishop, Susannah Martin, Alice Parker, Margaret Scott, and Wilmott Redd were finally cleared by law. In 2022 a group of middle schoolers got a law passed to clear the last victim, Elizabeth Johnson Jr. What is amazing to me is why it took so long to clear all of the victims. Were the seven left off the resolution in 1711 because of poor records and documentation? If that was the case, then why do we have their names today? When the descendants of Ann Pudeator got a law passed in 1945, why didn’t the government review and address the other 6 individuals at that time? Why was Elizabeth Johnson Jr. left out of the law in 2001? I’m sure more research and investigation may answer some of these questions, but from a quick review, there is no excuse of why it took 330 years to bring every victim the full restitution and justice they all deserve. [All above info from the following source (1)]

Caleb Buffum was born in Salem on July 29, 1650 to Robert and Tamosin Buffum (2). His parents had emigrated from England. The family converted to become Quakers. It is unclear if this was in England or in America, but most likely they converted in England and moved to America for more religious freedoms since Salem had a high Quaker population (5). Caleb married Hannah Pope on March 26, 1672 in Salem (3,4). Interestingly, Hannah’s brother Joseph was later an accuser during the trials (7). Caleb and Hannah had seven known children: Caleb, Robert, Hannah, Tamosin, Joseph, Benjamin, and Jonathan (5). Caleb worked as a husbandman (old term for farmer) and carpenter. On October 13, 1690 Caleb was listed as a grantee of the Quaker Meeting House lot of land. In 1718 he gave a land lot to the Quaker Society to be used as a burial ground. Probate of Caleb’s will was on February 4, 1731 (6). He died November 24, 1731 in Salem (2).

Caleb Buffum's Will

As stated before, Caleb’s parents were Quakers. One particular Quaker record shows meeting attendance listing Robert, his son Joseph, and a son-in-law John Hill. Robert and Tamosin were fined on several different occasions for not attending Puritan Church on Sundays (this was the law at the time). Caleb’s sister Deborah was arrested in June 1662 for protesting the Puritan Church. She was described as young and modest. She walked towards the meeting house naked to “call attention to the bareness of the religion of the accepted church which all were compelled to attend.” Her act was described by the court records as being “barbarous and inhuman”. She was sentenced to be “tied at a cart tail, naked from the waist up, and whipped….not exceeding thirty stripes” and her mother and sister Margaret Buffum Smith were to accompany her. Apparently the church failed to notice the irony of calling Deborah’s act “inhuman” for walking naked through town, yet then ordered her to walk through town half naked while also physically harming her. Later in her life, Deborah was fined for not attending regular church services even though she was described as being “distempered in the head” (8).

Quaker Meeting Record

Caleb was strongly opposed to the witchcraft delusion. When the accused and their families were summoned to Salem Town for trial, Caleb would take in as many as he could, letting them reside in his home for the duration of their stay. Many people feared the accused or feared the repercussions of associating with the accused, and the visitors would be stranded without Caleb’s offer. He would lend a hand to all that he could (5). Per family legend, Caleb could see the hangings from his window (the exact site of the hangings is unknown, though there are many educated guesses). Caleb’s brother Joshua had a house on Boston Street, and it is likely that Caleb’s house was nearby. It is known that Caleb’s property was along the North River that led to the channel (see map below). When convicted of witchcraft and hanged, the bodies were not allowed to be buried in a cemetery. Caleb used his carpentry skills to build coffins for the dead. He would sneak out of his house in the dark of the night and retrieve the abandoned bodies. The families of the victims would boat to Caleb’s property, and he would help load the coffins into the boats. The families would then bury the victim on their family property to give them a proper burial (5). According to Nurse family legend, one of the victims who Caleb helped was Rebecca Nurse (portrayed in The Crucible, ancestor to actress Lucille Ball). She died on July 19, 1692 (7).

Surprisingly, both Quakers and Puritans alike were caught up in the madness of the witch accusations, so one can’t argue that Caleb’s religious convictions alone were what motivated his actions. I feel that Caleb was influenced by the charges and actions surrounding his family and loved ones. It is possible that he recognized the irony of his sister’s punishment, the irony of charging his parents and siblings for non-attendance (yet they were attending their own church regularly), the irony of a “free country” with such strict punishments and laws against atypical religious beliefs, etc. One example of the true insanity of the trials and punishments is the story of Dorothy Good. Dorothy was four years old when she was found guilty of witchcraft (due to spectral evidence, of course). She was confined to a “dungeon-like prison” for almost eight months (1). It is easy to look back and hindsight and recognize the absurdity of the situation, and some may argue that it was just the way things were at the time; however, there are shining examples of people from history such as Caleb Buffum who stood against such transgressions and immorality. I am proud to have ties back to this period of American history (even if it is through my husband), and even more proud that the Buffum family seemed to recognize and stand against the oppression and maltreatment of that time.

We were able to visit Salem in April 2017. We walked through the oldest burial ground in Salem, The Burying Point. Many of the key players of the trials are buried here. We toured the Salem Witch Museum as well. There are many other historical points of interest in the town besides just the Witch Trials. The town has a unique combination of history, tacky, and the occult. I found the blend worked well to attract tourists of all ages and interests. I wish I knew all of the family connections to the town before our visit, but now I have an excuse to make a second trip to Salem.

Resources:

1. salemwitchmuseum.com

2. findagrave.com

3. Massachusetts US Compiled Marriages

4. Massachusetts US Town and Vital Records

5. One Hundred and Sixty Allied Families

6. Essex, Massachusetts Probate Records

7. “The Salem Witch Trials” by Marilynne Roach (pg 202)

8. “A Love Story Too Sad for Valentine’s Day”, nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com