Did any of your ancestors live in a location, and during a time, where there were “witch trials” taking place? If so, then there could be some very interesting family history that is just waiting for a genealogist to uncover it. There is potential that one, or more, of your ancestors were accused of being a witch.
I first learned about the Salem Witch Trials in a history class I took when I was a student. These dark and disturbing events took place in Salem, Massachusetts, in the United States. Other witch trials took place in Germany, Scotland, Ireland, and England.
In short, what happened was that a lot of people were accused of practicing witchcraft, and of being a witch. There were trials that took place in court, which were often followed by brutal and violent methods to “prove” that someone was a witch. Both men and women were accused of being witches.
Genealogists may want to do some research to learn if any of their ancestors were accused of practicing witchcraft. If this sounds like something that you are interested in researching, then you may want to start with some of the resources and archives that are available online.
The Survey of Scottish Witchcraft is an electronic resource for the history of witchcraft and witch-hunting in Scotland. There is a database that contains all of the people known to have been accused of witchcraft in early modern Scotland. There are also many links that can give you a cultural context, and more information.
Salem Witches is a historical database that lists over 200 individuals that were accused of witchcraft in New England between 1647 and 1697. It includes only the people who were formally accused and who underwent a trial process. (Informal accusations are not part of this database). The list includes people who were accused before the Salem trial in 1692, and it also includes people who were accused in places other than Salem, Massachusetts.
There is a genealogical society called Associated Daughters of Early American Witches. This is a lineage based genealogical society. Membership is by invitation only, and you must fill out a membership application in order to be considered.
To be eligible, a person must be female, and at least sixteen years old. She must also be able to “prove descent from an ancestor or ancestress who was accused or tried or executed for the practice of witchcraft prior to 31 December 1699.” The website has a list of approved ancestors. Are you related to any of them?
Witches and Witchtrials in Ireland is an archive that can give you some information about the names of a few people who were accused of being witches in Ireland. This is not a large resource.
Essex Witch Trials is an excellent resource to use if you are looking for information about witch trials that took place in Essex, England. You can search by year, name, or village. There is also a lot of historical information on this website.
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