Rebecca Blake Eames (1641-1721)
Rebecca Blake Eames (Rebekah Blake Eams) is our 8th great grandmother by this path:
RWA → Fred Pemberton Abbott → Arthur Merrill Abbott → Justin E. Abbott → Rebecca Boynton Abbott → Thomas Boynton → Hannah Ames Boynton → Benjamin Ames → Samuel Ames → Robert Ames (Eames) → Rebecca Blake Eames
Rebecca Blake was born in 1641in Gloucester, Massachusetts. In 1661, she married Robert Eames who emigrated from England. They had eight children between 1661 and 1685.
The story of Rebecca being accused as a witch goes like this. She was in Salem on August 19, 1692 watching some of the witch hangings (five witches were hung on that day). While standing in the crowd, a woman standing next to Rebecca felt a pinprick in her foot. Rebecca was accused of causing this and arrested. Even more bizarrely, Rebecca was examined that same day and immediately confessed she was a witch. This included stating that she had allowed her son Daniel, born 1663, to be baptized by the devil. This was not so great for Daniel as he and his son were both accused. An August 31, she was examined for a second time, and this time expanded her confession to include naming several other witches. On September 17, 1692, Rebecca and nine others were condemned to die. Four of the accused from this group were executed just five days later. Luckily for Rebecca, the witch court (Court of Oyer and Terminer) was dissolved in October, 1692 before she could be executed. She did remain in Salem prison for a time. In December, 1692, she petitioned Governor Phips and recanted her confession. She stated that she had been pressured into confessing by two other witches who told her she would be hanged if she did not confess. She was released from prison in March, 1693. Her husband Robert stood by her during the trial. He was much affected by the stress of the trial and died July 22, 1693. Rebecca died May 8, 1721.
A notation on her death record states the following: Rebekah ["Condemed for a witch, received sentence of Death but was not executed."], May 8, 1721, in her 82d y.
Click here to see family information: http://sites.rootsmagic.com/Genealogy_Abbott_Feld_Family/individual.php?p=1618
Sources:
Massachusetts Vital Records Project
“Witches of Massachusetts.” http://www.legendsofamerica.com/ma-witches-e.html#Rebecca%20Black%20Eames