Mary Sanford, Hartsford, CT, 1662 &
The Gould Family, Salem, MA, 1692
It was a terrible time. To prevent injustices of this nature from occuring again, we must remember the dreadful sins of the past.
Mary was the wife of Andrew Sanford. They married around 1640. They lived in Hartford, New Haven, CT.
Their children: Andrew Sanford, Jr. b 11 Nov 1640, who married Mary Botsford.
In 1661-62, a witchcraft "epidemic" swept through the Hartford area in Connecticut. After all was said & done, thirteen people had stood trial, with at least four people being executed for witchcraft. On of those executed was our ancestor, Mary Sanford.
Andrew, Sr, was initially indicted...
6 June 1662 "Andrew Sanford, thou art here indicted by the name of Andrew Sanford for not having the fear
of God before thine eyes thou hast entertained familiarity with Satan the grand enemy of God and mankind
and by his help hast acted things in a preternatural way beyond the course of nature to the great prejudice of
the comforts of several members of this commonwealth for which according to the law of God and
established law of this colony thou deservest to die.
The jury return they cannot agree [.] Some find indictment against Sanford the rest strongly suspect."
Because of a mixed jury he was acquitted.
But then Mary, his wife was indicted...
13 June 1662 "Mary Sanford, thou art here indicted by the name of Mary Sanford the wife of Andrew Sanford
for not having the fear of God before thine eyes thou hast entertained familiarity with Satan the grand enemy
of God and mankind and by his help hast acted and also has come to the knowledge of secrets in a
preternatural way beyond the ordinary course of nature to the great disturbance of several members of this
commonwealth for which according to the law of God and the established law of this colony thou deservest
to die.
Verdict. Respecting Mary Sanford the prisoner at the bar the jury find her guilty of the indictment."
Mary was found guilty and sentenced to death. Although there is no further reference to her execution, it is believed that she was hung soon after her trial.
Rebecca Greensmith, a local woman in Hartford, gave testimony when she was accused. This testimony was crucial to the trials of 9 other community members. In her confession she claimed that the others were complicit in her crime: she claimed that her husband must have been assisted by Satan when he brought home logs that she believed were too heavy for him to have lifted alone. She had also seen a fox come near her husband on two occasions. She claimed to make these statements about here husband because:
"I speak all this out of love to my husbands soule and it is much against my will that I am now necessitate to
speake agaynst my husband, I desire that ye Lord would open his heart to owne and speak ye trueth."
Rebecca claimed that with the others she had participated in festivities under a tree on the green near her home and they had "danced, & had a bottle of sack". During her confession she also stated that she & Satan would celebrate their covenant at "Christmass". The Puritan Ministers - who believed that Christmas was a pagan celebration - took this as more proof that Satan was involved in this case.
Descendants Debbie Avery & her daughter, Addie, of Connecticut, are working for the exoneration of Mary Sanford by the Connecticut state legislature
Article from 23 Sept 2007, NY Times interviewing Debbie & Addie.
Report developed Dec 2006 for the Governor of Connecticut, written by Sandra Norman-Eady, Chief Attorney
This line of the family has been very muddled. Many people have confused Mary (maiden name unknown), wife of Andrew Sanford, with their daughter Mary Sanford, never married. Others have confused her her with Mary (Botsford) Sanford, the wife of Andrew Sanford, Jr, Mary and Andrew Sanford's son. This confusion is compounded in that Andrew Sr, Andrew, Jr, and Andrew III, each remarried after the loss of their first wives, for a total of 6 wives.
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