The Persecuted Proctor Family of Peabody, Massachusetts
The year 1692 casts a long, dark shadow over the history of colonial Massachusetts, forever etched in the collective memory as the year of the Salem Witch Trials. Amidst the accusations, trials, and executions, one family in particular, the Proctors of Peabody, found themselves caught in the relentless storm of suspicion and paranoia. Their story, a microcosm of the larger tragedy, reveals the devastating impact of mass hysteria on individuals, families, and communities.
This is the story of the Proctor Family of Peabody, Massachusetts, a family whose name became synonymous with the injustice and cruelty of the Salem Witch Trials. Several members of the family were accused during the trials, including John Proctor, Sarah Hood Bassett, Mary Bassett DeRich, Benjamin Proctor, Elizabeth Bassett Proctor, Sarah Proctor, and William Proctor.
At the heart of this unfortunate family was John Proctor, a man of substance and outspoken character. Born in England, he immigrated to America with his parents at the tender age of three. His father, a successful landowner in Ipswich, instilled in him a sense of community and civic duty. Inheriting a portion of his father’s estate, John established himself as a respected figure in the region. He navigated the complexities of life through three marriages, enduring the premature loss of his first two wives. In 1674, he married Elizabeth Bassett, a woman twenty years his junior.
By this time, John Proctor had relocated to the outskirts of Salem, in the area that would later become Peabody. Here, he acquired land, becoming a prominent farmer and businessman. His holdings were extensive, stretching southeast of the Salem Village line. In addition to his agricultural pursuits, he operated a local tavern, a gathering place for the community and a testament to his entrepreneurial spirit. The Proctor Family of Peabody, Massachusetts owned a home which still stands.
John Proctor’s outspoken nature, however, proved to be his undoing. When Rebecca Towne Nurse, a respected woman in the community, was accused of witchcraft in March 1692, John voiced his skepticism, questioning the validity of the "afflicted girls’" accusations and condemning the entire proceedings. His words, deemed heretical in the prevailing climate of fear, would soon bring the full force of the witch hunt upon his own family.
The initial spark that ignited the Proctor Family of Peabody, Massachusetts downfall was the behavior of their maidservant, Mary Warren. Suddenly afflicted with "fits," Mary accused John’s wife, Elizabeth, of witchcraft. This accusation was followed by similar claims from the infamous "afflicted girls," and Elizabeth was promptly arrested on April 11, 1692. John, steadfast in his defense of his wife, publicly denounced her accusers, sealing his own fate. He, too, was arrested and charged with witchcraft.
The accusations against the Proctor Family of Peabody, Massachusetts did not stop with John and Elizabeth. The mania consumed other members of the family, ensnaring them in its web of paranoia. Benjamin Proctor, John’s son from his first marriage, was accused. William Proctor and Sarah Proctor, John and Elizabeth’s son and daughter, respectively, also faced the wrath of the accusers. The accusations even extended to Elizabeth’s side of the family, including her sister, Mary Bassett DeRich, and her sister-in-law, Sarah Hood Bassett.
The trials of John and Elizabeth Proctor commenced on August 5, 1692. Despite evidence presented in their favor, the court, gripped by hysteria, found them guilty and sentenced them to hang. John Proctor was executed on August 19, 1692, becoming a tragic symbol of the Salem Witch Trials. Elizabeth, spared immediate execution due to her pregnancy, gave birth to a son, John, named in honor of his deceased father, on January 27, 1693.
As the months passed, the tide began to turn against the witch hunt. Doubts grew, and the frenzy gradually subsided. In May 1693, Massachusetts Governor William Phips released Elizabeth Proctor, along with more than 150 others who had been imprisoned on suspicion of witchcraft. Though spared execution, Elizabeth faced a life irrevocably scarred by the events of 1692.
The Proctor Family of Peabody, Massachusetts‘s ordeal was not without its supporters. Many individuals testified on their behalf, attesting to their good character and innocence. However, the weight of the accusations, fueled by the "afflicted girls" and other individuals seeking to settle scores or gain prominence, proved overwhelming. Sarah Bibber, Elizabeth Booth, Elizabeth Hubbard, Mercy Lewis, Ann Putnam Jr., Susanna Sheldon, Mary Warren, Mary Walcott, Abigail Williams, Thomas Putnam, John Putnam, Lieutenant Nathaniel Ingersall, Thomas Rayment, Jonathan Walcott, David Ferneaux, John Indian, the Reverend Samuel Parris, Stephen Bittford, Joseph Bayley, Joseph Pope, Samuel Sibley, and James Holton all played roles in the accusations and trials.
Even after the hysteria had subsided and Elizabeth Proctor was released, the family continued to suffer the consequences of the accusations. The property belonging to John and Elizabeth had been confiscated, leaving Elizabeth and her children destitute. They found refuge with Benjamin Proctor and his family in Lynn, struggling to rebuild their lives in the face of lingering suspicion and social stigma.
The stories of the other accused members of the Proctor family are equally poignant, each reflecting the individual struggles and anxieties of a community gripped by fear.
Sarah Hood Bassett, born in Lynn in 1657, was the sister-in-law of Elizabeth Bassett Proctor. Accused of witchcraft in May 1692 by Thomas and John Putnam, she was imprisoned in Boston, taking her 22-month-old child, Ruth, with her. While imprisoned, she gave birth to a son, Joseph. Released in 1693, she later received compensation for her unjust imprisonment. She named her next daughter "Deliverance" in honor of her freedom.
Mary Bassett DeRich, Elizabeth Bassett Proctor’s younger sister, was also caught in the web of accusations. A complaint was sworn out against her in May 1692, alleging that she had afflicted Mary Warren, Abigail Williams, and Elizabeth Hubbard. Her own son, John De Rich, testified against her. She was imprisoned in Boston and later moved to a Salem jail. Her husband died while she was imprisoned.
Benjamin Proctor, John Proctor’s son from his first marriage, was accused in May 1692, after his father and stepmother had already been arrested. Though he spent time in jail, the specific outcome of his case remains unclear. He later provided refuge for his stepmother and siblings after their release. In 1694, he married Mary Buckley Witheridge, who had also been imprisoned for witchcraft.
The legacy of the Proctor Family of Peabody, Massachusetts serves as a chilling reminder of the dangers of mass hysteria, the importance of due process, and the enduring power of the human spirit in the face of adversity. The Proctor family’s story is a testament to the devastating impact of the Salem Witch Trials on individuals, families, and communities, a dark chapter in American history that continues to resonate today.
The Proctor family home still stands in Peabody, Massachusetts, a silent witness to the events of 1692. Privately owned, it serves as a tangible link to the past, a reminder of the lives shattered and the lessons learned during the Salem Witch Trials.