She's NOT a Witch?

A while back I told the story of the Parsons. They are the family of my great grandmother Mary Emma Parsons Sutor. Today I want to tell the story of Mary Bliss Parsons. Mary Bliss was born in England and immigrated to the new continent where she met and married Cornet Joseph Parsons in November 1646. Joseph was an early settler of Springfield, Massachusetts where he is shown as a witness to a deed of land in 1636 purchased from Indians. He was a founder of Northhampton, Massachusetts and became a substantial landowner there. Mary, his wife, was apparently a very outspoken woman, nervous and haughty in demeanor. She appears to have considered herself a person of considerable importance and was domineering. Rumors began due to the family's success and there were implications that it came at the expense of other families and Mary's dealings with the devil. Her husband Joseph initiated a slander suit in 1656 which he won. Eighteen years later in 1674 Mary was officially accused, tried and aquitted of witchcraft. Mary Bliss Parsons was known to have fits so severe that her husband had to lock her up in the house to keep her from leaving. In August 1674 Mary Bridgman Bartlett wife of Samuel Bartlett died at the age of about 22. There had been a longstanding feud between the Bridgman's and the Parsons. On Spetember 29, 1674 Samuel Bartlett filed a complaint against Mary Bliss Parsons. The Hampshire County court received testimony and on January 5, 1675 conducted a hearing. Mary Bliss Parsons spoke in her own defense and her body was searched for "witch marks". The magistrates decided the case was beyond their jurisdiction and sent the case to the Court of Assistants in Boston. On March 2, 1675 Mary was taken to Boston and presented to the court. She was committed to prison until her trial in May. On May 13, 1675 she was aquitted by a jury of 12 men from the Boston area. It was felt by many that her freedom was purchased by the wealth and high standing of her husband Joseph. Mary's son Ebenezer was killed in September 1675 in a battle with Indians at Northfield. Many felt at the time it was punishment for Mary's dealings with the devil. "Though human judges may be bought off, God's vengeance neither turns aside nor slumbers."
Mary's husband Joseph died on October 9, 1683 leaving her an estate valued at over 2000 pounds. Mary lived nearly 30 years longer and appears to have amassed a considerable fortune with the money he left her.
In a brief side note Mary Bliss Parsons my ninth great grandmother was the seventh great grandmother of Marion Michael Morrison born May 26, 1907 in Winterset, Iowa. So John Wayne and I are very, very, very very, very, very very, very, very distant cousins.