However, Mary Parker’s security try overlooked, each other because of the judge, and more than historians as yet. However, Mary Ayer Parker advised possible: there clearly was other Mary Parker staying in Andover. Indeed there have been not one, however, three other Mary Parkers inside Andover. One to is Mary Ayer’s aunt-in-law, Mary Stevens Parker, partner from Nathan’s brother Joseph. Another is Joseph and Mary’s girl Mary. The third is the brand new spouse off Mary and you can Joseph’s kid, Stephen. Mary Marstone Parker hitched Stephen in to complicate one thing even further, there clearly was a different Mary Parker traditions close for the Salem Towne.
Although not, parallels ranging from Mary Ayer Parker and her sibling-in-rules possess inspired distress from inside the even this lady accusers. Both Mary’s partnered the brand new Parker brothers by later 1640’s, and began which have children in the early 1650’s. That they had children of the identical name along with sons named Joseph and you can daughters Mary and Sara (Mary, daughter off Nathan and you may Mary could have died following this lady dad 25). Nathan and you will es, produced from inside the 1655, and you can Joseph and Mary Parker’s man John born inside 1656, passed away to the June 31, 1677, murdered by Indians on Black colored Section.twenty six Inside the 1692, each other Mary Parker Sr.is why have been relatively rich widows. Jople residential property out of their often, dated November 4, The two female common almost fifty many years of household members connections. But in Sep out-of 1692, it absolutely was simply Nathan Parker’s wife who was simply accused, tried, and discovered responsible for witchcraft. As to why was Mary Ayer delivered to trial?
On the surface, both Mary Parkers looked almost compatible but the commonly of Joseph Parker found some thing essential about his department of your own Parker relatives. Joseph produced certain odd conditions and terms regarding the heredity away from their man Thomas. The need revealed Thomas once the “exactly who by god’s providence was disenabled having delivering getting himself otherwise managing a house in the event that dedicated to him from the reason away from distemper regarding mind att particular season.”28 The management of their portion of the property gotten in order to their mom Mary up to the girl dying, then, Thomas carry out choose their own guardian.
She came to demonstration a few a lot more moments for fornication when you look at the 1676 33
That it “distemper out of attention” did actually run in your family. Stephen Parker after petitioned in the Sep 1685 you to their mother feel banned regarding the management of her own items for similar reasoning. Stephen showed that their mom was a student in an effective “sidetracked status rather than ready boosting some of the girl estate for her owne spirits.”30 If mental disease influenced the new reputation for Joseph Parker’s spouse can not be ascertained, but it is possible that in the event the she try mentally instable, it had been notorious on the rigorous-knit people regarding Andover.
Mental disease are often distrusted and you can dreadful. In reality, a case inside 1692 on it a lady that have a track record of mental disease. Rebecca Fox Jacobs admitted to witchcraft for the 1692 and her mother Rebecca Fox petitioned both Courtroom regarding Oyer and you can Terminer and you can Massachusetts Governor Phips on her discharge due to mental infection. According to this lady mom, it actually was well known you to definitely Rebecca Jacobs had been an excellent “Individual Craz’d Distracted Broken in head.”30 Obviously mental illness may have generated individuals more vulnerable to help you witchcraft accusations. This does not make sure the people designed to accuse Mary Stevens Parker but it does make situation having Mary Ayer Parker’s misidentification more powerful.
That it Mary Parker seemed multiple times on the Essex courts and you may made a track record to possess by herself while it began with 1670’s
A notorious contour during the Salem Towne, along with titled Mary Parker muddled your situation then. Into the 1669, she is actually sentenced to own fornication.31 Inside the 1672, the latest judge offered this lady indenture so you’re able to Moses Gillman getting affect good child off wedlock. A year later, she went back so you can courtroom to 
have man service out-of Teague Disco of Exiter.thirty two New judge sentenced the girl ten streak having fornication. A beneficial scandalous profile in fact, age “Mary Parker.”