- Wrongfully Accused and Executed for Witchcraft at Salem witch trials.
Biography
Elizabeth Jackson Howe was born 1637 in Cottingham, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom to William Jackson (1615-1687) and Joane Collin (1610-1680) and died 19 July 1692 Salem witch trials of execution by hanging. She married James Howe (1632-1702) 13 April 1658 in Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts.
Elizabeth Howe (née Jackson; c. 1637–July 19, 1692) was one of the accused in the Salem witch trials. She was found guilty and executed on July 19, 1692.
Elizabeth Jackson Howe was born circa 1637 near Rowley, Yorkshire, the daughter of William and Joane Jackson. Elizabeth married James Howe in April 1658; the couple had six children, and resided in Topsfield, Massachusetts.
Topsfield was a Puritan community. They were a deeply pious society, with an extreme religious focus not only as a community but also on an individual basis.[1] They believed firmly in the devil, and felt that he was not only an enemy to mankind, but to the Puritans specifically. "The devil, as envisioned by the people of Salem, was a short, black man with cloven feet who stood about as high as a walking stick". The fight against the devil was viewed as an individual religious responsibility.
Salem witch trials
1876 illustration of the courtroom; the central figure is usually identified as being Mary Walcott
The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. More than 200 people were accused, nineteen of whom were found guilty and executed by hanging (fourteen women and five men). One other man, Giles Corey, was pressed to death for refusing to plead, and at least five people died in jail. It was the deadliest witch hunt in the history of the United States.
The Perley (also spelled Pearly) family of Ipswich, Massachusetts, were among the chief accusers of Elizabeth Howe. They had a ten-year-old daughter they claimed was being afflicted by Howe. The child complained of being pricked by pins and sometimes fell into fits.[2] In their testimony against Howe, on June 1, 1692, they quoted their daughter as saying, "I could never afflict a dog as Good Howe afflicts me." At first the parents did not believe their daughter's accusations. They took the child to several doctors who told them she was "under an evil hand".[2] Her condition continued for two or three years, until "she pined away to skin and bones and ended her sorrowful life".[2] Howe was accused of afflicting several other girls within Salem Village.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| James Howe (1659-1664) | |||
| Elizabeth Howe (1661-1701) | 1 June 1661 Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts | 1 April 1701 Rowley, Essex County, Massachusetts | Caleb Jackson (1652-1718) |
| Mary Howe (1664-1732) | |||
| Deborah Howe (1667-1743) | |||
| John Howe (1671-1697) | |||
| Abigail Howe (1673-1753) | |||
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| John Jackson (1634-1688) | |||
| Elizabeth Jackson (1637-1692) | 1637 Cottingham, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom | 19 July 1692 Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts, United States | James Howe (1632-1702) |
| Mary Jackson (1639-1677) | |||
| Deborah Jackson (1644-1709) | |||
See Also
- wikipedia:en:Elizabeth Howe - Wikipedia
- Elizabeth Jackson
- Jackson in Yorkshire
- Jackson in Essex County, Massachusetts
- Topsfield Historical Society
- Essex Heritage Area -
References