Margaret Scott’s roots try unknown. Born Margaret Stevenson in the England around the entire year 1615, she very first appeared in brand new record instructions in the 1642, when she from inside the Scott. Brand new Scott family members found its way to Rowley from inside the 1651 where Margaret provided beginning to 3 even more children. Of all youngsters, just about three resided in order to adulthood. Nevertheless, by the point of witchcraft trials, the seventy-seven year-old Margaret Scott got as many as 11 grandchildren.2
It is hard to identify the latest condition of your Scott friends among the residents off Rowley. Benjamin Scott himself try never ever assigned a top-reputation label such as for instance Mister and/or straight down status term Goodman. Brand new Scotts lacked the bucks to buy their own homes. Alternatively in the 1664 the town contributed residential property so you can Benjamin Scott.3 From inside the for the Scott is actually found guilty of your offense away from theft, by which he was „fined and admonished.“ Although not, 6 months later the guy took the Freeman’s Oath, indicating he was each other a beneficial householder and you can a church user, in a nutshell, an upstanding individual.cuatro Benjamin Scott died into the 1671 leaving an estate value just 67 lbs and you may 17 shillings, not much of the standards of that time period. Although not, Margaret was required to go on which home for the next twenty-that decades by the time of the Salem trials, need to have come less than perfect.5
Initially, Margaret Scott seems to have existed a keen uneventful life. However, specific areas of the woman reputation produced the lady an extremely probably applicant as a beneficial witch suspect. One aspect is actually the newest large kids death rate certainly this lady college students. Women in The brand new The united kingdomt that has problems raising people was indeed extremely susceptible to witchcraft charge. In fact, merely 7 out from the 62 accused people witches inside the The newest England before 1692 had a number of people.six
Regarding Margaret’s 7 children, merely three made it so you’re able to mate1 search adulthood. It doesn’t thought one miscarriages and other conditions that Scott could have got. Also, only 1 regarding the girl three students produced into the Rowley stayed so you’re able to adulthood. The latest people out-of Rowley might have been completely aware regarding this lady higher child mortality rates.eight
Several other grounds throughout the Margaret Scott’s reputation that produced the woman prone to accusations are the girl standing as the an excellent widow to own twenty-you to age. Becoming a great widow didn’t alone expose a lady to suspicion.8 Although not, Scott suffered with the economic and you may public negative effects of are a great widow to possess a protracted months. Plus, Scott, 56 during the time of their husband’s death, was forced to real time out of her partner’s short estate having twenty-one to ages. Often widows who were over fifty rather than wealthy, were not able to obtain a separate spouse and therefore had been shorter to help you impoverishment and you may begging. From the begging, Margaret manage introduce by herself so you’re able to witchcraft suspicions centered on exactly what historian Robin Briggs phone calls the brand new „refusal guilt disorder“. Which experience taken place when an effective beggar’s means was indeed rejected ultimately causing emotions out of guilt and you may hostility on refuser’s region. The new refuser estimated so it hostility on begger and became suspicious out-of the woman.9
Some of the depositions facing Scott did encompass misfortunes occurring so you can people that had refused this lady a support or an effective. Possibly Scott actually made use of their character to receive favors, which will be efficient. In the event the anybody believed that Scott try an excellent witch, they could keeps eagerly provided their what she questioned of concern with retaliation. Yet not, if someone refused Scott then dropped on the crappy products, witchcraft suspicions and you can allegations was in fact nearly a certainty.ten