Mary Bliss

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate birth: Abt 1625, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England
• Alternate birth: Abt 1626

Notes:

From the Find a Grave entry for "Cornet" Joseph Parsons:

In Dorchester, in 1656, almost 40 years before the witchcraft travesty in Salem, MA, Joseph Parsons filed a lawsuit for slander, seeking damages against Sarah Bridgman, wife of James Bridgman. The suit accused Sarah Bridgeman of calling Mary Bliss Parsons a witch. Sarah Bridgman's child had died and she accused Mary Parsons of causing the child's death. Other neighbors came forward with similar accusations. The quality of the evidence produced against Mary Bliss Parsons is indicated by testimony of Mrs Bridgeman on behalf of an older son, whose knee, being fractured and it being set, the child screamed in great pain that Mary Parsons was pulling his leg off and that he saw her on the shelf; when she went away, a black mouse followed her. Trial resulted in a verdict for Mary Parsons, which prompted the suit for slander, which was won by Joseph and Mary Bliss Parsons. The defendants were order to make a public apology and to pay the plaintiffs' costs: "seaven pounds, one shilling and eight pence."

But the matter did not end there.

Nineteen years later, in 1675, Mary Parsons was again accused of witchcraft when Sarah Bridgman herself died. These accusations, made by the father and the husband of the deceased, prompted the prosecution of Mary Bliss Parsons. Mary was indicted by a grand jury and imprisoned in Boston for several months and then put on trial. Her ordeal included the examination of her person by "Soberdized, Chast women to make Diligent Search upon ye body of Mary Parsons, whether any marks of witch craft might appear." She was acquitted.

Such allegations as were made against Mary Bliss Parsons, by neighbors of long standing, living within minutes of one another's homes, treating with one another virtually every day, parents of families, whose children would have know one another in every aspect of small town life--such life-threatening denunciations must surely have sundered many friendships and provoked the deepest of bitter feelings. Dorchester, after 1656, like Salem after 1691, could not have been a happy place. In this, the first American generation, the Puritan experiment had turned toxic within itself.

Mary married "Cornet" Joseph Parsons on 26 Nov 1646 in Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut. "Cornet" (son of William Parsons and Margaret Hoskins) was born before 25 Jun 1620 in Beaminster, Dorset, England; was christened on 25 Jun 1620 in St. Mary's, Beaminster, Dorset, England; died on 9 Oct 1683 in Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate death: 29 Nov 1729, Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts

Notes:

"Elizabeth's husband was a fur trader, lawyer, first judge of Hampshire County Court, and a founder of Northampton, MA." [Freeman Family Lines, from the files of Stephen M. Lawson (via the Internet Archive Wayback Machine)]

From the Wikipedia article about Joseph Parsons, Jr.:

"Joseph Parsons, Jr. (1647-1729) was an early settler and prominent colonial leader in Northampton, Massachusetts. [...]

"Parsons, Jr. was involved in several business enterprises in and around Northampton, including grist mills, sawmills, and iron. He later became active in politics; in 1696, he was commissioned as one of the four judges on the Hampshire County Court of Common Pleas, which at the time included all of Western Massachusetts. He served in this capacity until 1719. Parsons, Jr. also served as a representative in the Massachusetts General Court; he represented Springfield in 1706 and 1708, and Northampton from 1711-1715, 1717, 1721, and 1724. In addition, he held several other minor offices; in 1700, he was appointed as the first town moderator in Northampton history, and he also served as justice of the peace for a number of years.

"Throughout most of Parson, Jr.'s life in Northampton, Solomon Stoddard was the pastor of the church. However, by 1725 Stoddard was 82 years old and unable to fulfill all of his pastoral duties alone. So, the town voted seven members onto a committee to find a suitable candidate to assist, and upon Stoddard's death, replace him as pastor. Joseph Parsons, Jr. was one of the members of this pastoral search committee, which ultimately chose Jonathan Edwards, whose tenure as pastor would lead to the Great Awakening."

It's not mentioned in the Wikipedia article, but Joseph Parsons and Elizabeth Strong were also ancestors of early Caltech rocket scientist, JPL co-founder, and Aleister Crowley disciple Marvel Whiteside "Jack" Parsons (1914-1952), famous for having (1) welcomed the pre-Scientology L. Ron Hubbard into his life, (2) having his wife, yacht, and savings stolen by Hubbard, and (3) later dying as the result of a chemical explosion in his garage.

Joseph married Elizabeth Strong on 17 Mar 1669 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts. Elizabeth (daughter of John Strong and Abigail Ford) was born on 24 Feb 1648 in Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut; died on 11 May 1736 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts; was buried in Bridge Street Cemetery, Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Mary married Joseph Ashley on 15 Oct 1685. Joseph (son of Robert Ashley and Mary) was born on 6 Jul 1652 in Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts; died on 18 May 1698 in West Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate birth: 2 Jan 1682, Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut

Family/Spouse: Sarah Sheldon. Sarah (daughter of Isaac Sheldon and Sarah Warner) was born on 12 Jul 1688 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts; died on 14 Nov 1738 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts; was buried in Bridge Street Cemetery, Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Ebenezer Clark. Ebenezer (son of Deacon John Clark and Mary Strong) was born on 16 Oct 1682 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts; died on 27 Feb 1781 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts; was buried in Bridge Street Cemetery, Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Chosen town constable of West Springfield 12 Mar 1717.

Joseph married Martha Leonard in Feb 1716 in Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts. Martha (daughter of Benjamin Leonard and Sarah Scott) was born on 23 Oct 1695 in West Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate death: 23 Dec 1814, Chester, Hampden, Massachusetts

Family/Spouse: Martin Phelps. Martin (son of Deacon Nathaniel Phelps and Abigail Burnham) was born on 24 Dec 1723 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts; died on 12 Nov 1795 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts; was buried in Bridge Street Cemetery, Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Alternate death: 19 Jul 1788, Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts

Ezra married Martha Phelps on 13 Dec 1739. Martha (daughter of Samuel Phelps and Mary Edwards) was born on 19 Sep 1717 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts; died on 9 Sep 1803 in Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts; was buried in Bridge Street Cemetery, Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Martha married Daniel Lamb on 19 Dec 1734 in Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts. Daniel (son of John Lamb and Sarah Jones) was born on 6 Apr 1716 in Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts; died before 1786 in Wilbraham, Hampden, Massachusetts; was buried in Adams Cemetery, Wilbraham, Hampden, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]