Mary Bliss Parsons facts for kids

Mary Bliss Parsons (born in 1628, died in 1712) was an American woman. She was accused of witchcraft in the 1600s in Massachusetts. However, she was found innocent.

Her Early Life

Mary Bliss was born in Gloucestershire, England, in 1628. Her parents were Thomas and Margaret Bliss. Later, her family moved to Hartford, Connecticut. On November 2, 1646, she married Joseph Parsons there.

The couple later moved to Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1655, Joseph Parsons bought land from the local Native Americans. This land later became Northampton. Joseph often bought land from groups like the Nonotuck and Agawam people. This was part of how Puritan settlers moved into the area.

The Parsons family became very successful. They owned land in Springfield, Hadley, and Boston, as well as in Northampton.

A Neighborhood Problem

In the early 1650s, a disagreement started. It was between the Parsons family and their neighbors, the Bridgmans. People said Mary Parsons had a strong personality. This led to rumors about her, even from when she lived in Springfield.

The Bridgmans were having money problems. Also, Mary Parsons had several healthy children. Sarah Bridgman, on the other hand, had lost several of her children. People in town began to blame Mary Parsons. They blamed her for animals dying and people getting hurt.

Sarah Bridgman started spreading rumors about Mary Parsons. She claimed Mary had threatened her son. She also said Mary was a witch. When Mary's mother asked Sarah about this, Sarah claimed she heard a story. She said Mary had cursed a blind man’s daughter in Springfield. Sarah said this made the girl have fits.

The Slander Trial

In 1656, Joseph Parsons took Sarah Bridgman to court. He filed slander charges for his wife. Slander means spreading false and harmful rumors about someone. In this trial, Joseph said Sarah Bridgman had spread rumors. These rumors suggested Mary was a witch.

Witnesses and Sarah Bridgman herself confirmed that rumors were going around. Some records from that time suggest these rumors came from jealousy. People were jealous of the Parsons family's success. Mary Parsons’s mother, Margaret Bliss, even testified. She said Sarah Bridgman told her that Mary was a witch.

The court decided in favor of Mary Parsons. Sarah Bridgman was ordered to apologize in public. She also had to pay a fine and cover the court costs.

The Witchcraft Trial

In 1674, Mary Parsons was accused of witchcraft again. This happened after Sarah Bridgman's daughter, Mary Bartlett, died. Mary Bartlett was 22 years old when she passed away in July 1674. Her husband and father formally accused Mary Parsons of witchcraft. They believed Parsons was responsible for her death.

In September 1675, local officials looked for "Witches' marks" on Mary Parsons' body. These were believed to be signs of a witch. There are no records of what they found. Mary spoke in her own defense in Northampton. The officials then sent her to Boston for a trial. The jury in Boston found Mary Parsons not guilty of witchcraft.

Life After the Trials

Even though Mary Parsons was found innocent, the rumors continued. In 1679 or 1680, the Parsons family moved back to Springfield. But the rumors followed them.

In 1702, a Black woman named "Betty Negro" told Mary Parsons's grandson that his grandmother was a witch. The Parsons family held a trial. Betty was accused of "bad language" and hitting Mary’s grandson. She told the boy his grandmother was a witch and his mother was "half a witch." Betty was sentenced to public lashes. The court record said she was "very culpable for her base tongue." She was whipped ten times by the constable.

Mary Parsons also had an enslaved Black man named Tobee. He is listed as her "servant" when he died in December 1711. At that time, "servant" was often used to mean an enslaved person. Mary Parsons died in Springfield on January 29, 1712. She was 84 years old. She lived for 30 years after her husband died in 1683.

Her Children

• Joseph, born November 1, 1647 – died November 29, 1729. He later became a judge.
• Benjamin, born January 22, 1649 – died June 22, 1649.
• John, born August 14, 1650 – died April 15, 1728.
• Samuel, born January 23, 1652 – died November 12, 1734.
• Ebenezer, born May 1, 1655 – died September 8, 1675.
• Jonathan, born June 6, 1657 – died October 19, 1694.
• David, born April 30, 1659 – died April 30, 1659.
• Mary, born June 27, 1661 – died August 23, 1711.
• Hannah, born August 1, 1663 – died April 1, 1739.
• Abigail, born September 3, 1666 – died June 27, 1689.
• Esther (also called Hester), born December 4, 1672 – died May 30, 1760.