WAKEMAN: Elizabeth Kelly, Samuel's granddaughter, and the daughter of John and Bethia Kelly [was this Samuel's daughter Grace, or had she died and John remarried?] was involved in the "witchcraft scare" in Connecticut. Her testimony is one of the most detailed on record. On Sunday, 23 March 1661,Elizabeth, aged 8, in a fit accused Goodwife Ayers of "tormenting her and pricking her with needles." She confronted the woman and begged her father to make the magistrates punish Ayers. Elizabeth died on Wednesday. Her last words were, "Goodwife Ayers chokes me!" Ayers and her husband avoided conviction by escaping to New York.
On 19 Nov. 1667, Joanna/Hannah Wakeman Hackleton [she had married Francis Hackleton in 1657] had at some point come in contact with a woman named Elizabeth Juwell and was residing in New York City. The two were brought before the court to explain why they were residing in the city without a proper license. Hannah claimed to have acquired the license, but did not have it in her possession and Elizabeth claimed she knew nothing of such orders. Both were ordered to leave within eight days or face a fine of five pounds Sterling and corporal punishment. [NYGB Record: April 1939]
This was a relatively tame incident in the life of Hannah Wakeman. Tomorrow's post will cover the 1st major scandal in the young woman's life.
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