Individual Details
Benjamin Abbott
(20 Dec 1661 - 30 Mar 1703)
Benjamin Abbott was the eighth oldest of the 13 children of George Abbot and Hannah Chandler. This family was among the very first settlers in Andover, Massachusetts. Benjamin married Sarah Farnum and they had five children.
Although Benjamin made a number of contributions to his community, he is also known as being the accuser of Martha Carrier for witchcraft. To be fair, he was not the only accuser of Martha Carrier, but his accusation illustrates some of the superstition that was endemic with the Puritans. Of course, there was a property dispute that may also have been a factor in the accusations of witchery.
Martha Carrier and her husband Thomas owned a property adjacent to Benjamin Abbott. There was dispute about the property line and in the course of an argument between Martha and Benjamin she cursed him for seven years. Some time following this, Benjamin developed a series of maladies including a swollen foot and a pustule on his side. He attributed this to Martha’s witchery. Martha was arrested and jailed, the first accused witch from Andover. She was also accused of witchcraft by the infamous Salem girls who fell in hysterics during her trial. Martha was tried, convicted, and hanged in Salem on August 19, 1692.
See this link for additional information: http://www.andovertownsman.com/community/dalton-column-witches-and-switches-the-benjamin-abbot-house/article_6954f4c3-c022-5274-814e-a15d94ac99d5.html
Although Benjamin made a number of contributions to his community, he is also known as being the accuser of Martha Carrier for witchcraft. To be fair, he was not the only accuser of Martha Carrier, but his accusation illustrates some of the superstition that was endemic with the Puritans. Of course, there was a property dispute that may also have been a factor in the accusations of witchery.
Martha Carrier and her husband Thomas owned a property adjacent to Benjamin Abbott. There was dispute about the property line and in the course of an argument between Martha and Benjamin she cursed him for seven years. Some time following this, Benjamin developed a series of maladies including a swollen foot and a pustule on his side. He attributed this to Martha’s witchery. Martha was arrested and jailed, the first accused witch from Andover. She was also accused of witchcraft by the infamous Salem girls who fell in hysterics during her trial. Martha was tried, convicted, and hanged in Salem on August 19, 1692.
See this link for additional information: http://www.andovertownsman.com/community/dalton-column-witches-and-switches-the-benjamin-abbot-house/article_6954f4c3-c022-5274-814e-a15d94ac99d5.html
Events
| Birth | 20 Dec 1661 | Andover, Essex, Massachusetts | |||
| Paramour | 1683 | Naomi Hoyt | |||
| Marriage | 22 Apr 1685 | Andover, Essex, Massachusetts - Sarah Farnum |  | ||
| Death | 30 Mar 1703 | Andover, Essex, Massachusetts | |||
| Probate | 26 Apr 1703 | Andover, Essex, Massachusetts |  |
Families
| Spouse | Sarah Farnum (1661 - 1726) |
| Child | Benjamin Abbott (1686 - 1748) |
| Child | Jonathan Abbott (1687 - 1770) |
| Child | David Abbott (1688 - 1753) |
| Child | Samuel Abbott (1694 - 1762) |
| Spouse | Naomi Hoyt (1654 - 1687) |
| Child | Ben Naomi Abbott (1684 - ) |
| Father | George Abbott (1617 - 1681) |
| Mother | Hannah Chandler (1630 - 1711) |
| Sibling | John Abbott (1648 - 1721) |
| Sibling | Joseph Abbott (1649 - 1650) |
| Sibling | Hannah Abbott (1650 - 1740) |
| Sibling | Joseph Abbott (1652 - 1676) |
| Sibling | George Abbott (1655 - 1736) |
| Sibling | William Abbott (1657 - 1713) |
| Sibling | Sarah Abbott (1659 - 1711) |
| Sibling | Timothy Abbott (1663 - 1730) |
| Sibling | Thomas Abbott (1666 - 1728) |
| Sibling | Edward Abbott (1668 - 1669) |
| Sibling | Nathaniel Abbott (1671 - 1749) |
| Sibling | Elizabeth Abbott (1673 - 1750) |
Notes
Probate
Benjamin Abbott did not leave a will. His widow Sarah is administrator. There is also a guardianship case for the minor children: David, Benjamin, Jonathan, and Samuel. Sarah Abbott is named guardian in each case.Endnotes
1. , For , , Massachusetts Vital Records Project; http://ma-vitalrecords.org/. (N.p.: n.p., n.d.), marriage record, Essex County, Andover.