oct 18, 1679 - Ann Putnam, Jr., age 12

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(1679-1716) Ann Putnam, Jr. played a crucial role in the witchcraft trials of 1692 as one of the first three “afflicted” children.

She was born on October 18, 1679, in Salem Village, Massachusetts and was the eldest child of Thomas Putnam and Ann Carr Putman.

She was friends with Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Williams, and in March 1692, she, too, proclaimed to be afflicted. Her mother, Ann Carr Putman, a fearful woman still mourning the death of an infant daughter, also would later claim that witches had attacked her.

Many of the people Ann accused were those her family or the Reverend Parris had quarreled with. Some historians have speculated that her parents coerced her to accuse those they were feuding with or sought revenge on. As one of the most aggressive accusers, her name appeared over 400 times in court documents. She accused nineteen people and saw eleven of them hanged.

Ann Putnam Jr is one of the most prolific accusers throughout the trial; she accused the following people of afflicting her: Arthur Abbott, Daniel Andrew, John Alden Jr, Sarah Bassett, Bridget Bishop, Sarah Buckley, George Burroughs, Candy, Giles Corey, Elizabeth Colson, Bethia Carter Jr, Martha Carrier, Lydia Dustin, Philip English, Mary Easty, Thomas Farrer, John Flood, Elizabeth Fosdick, Sarah Good, Dorcas Hoar, Abigail Hobbs, Elizabeth Howe, Margaret Hawkes, Elizabeth Hart, Francis Hutchins, Mary Ireson, George Jacobs Jr, Rebecca Jacobs, Susannah Martin, Sarah Morey, Rebecca Nurse, Sarah Osbourne, William Proctor, Sarah Proctor, Susannah Roots, Wilmot Redd, Sarah Rice, Marth Toothaker, Tituba, Mary Warren, Mary Witheridge, Ruth Wilford.

She also served as a witness against the following people: George Burroughs, Mary Bradbury, Sarah Buckley, Giles Corey, Sarah Dustin, Mary Easty, Rebecca Eames, Thomas Farrer, Abigail Faulkner Sr, Sarah Good, Dorcas Good, Abigail Hobbs, Elizabeth Hart, Dorcas Hoar, George Jacobs Sr, Susannah Martin, Rebecca Nurse, Sarah Osbourne, John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, Ann Pudeator, Alice Parker, Margaret Scott, Job Tookey, Tituba, Sarah Wildes, John Willard.

When her parents died in 1699, Ann was left to raise her nine siblings aged seven months to 16 years. She never married.

In 1706, she would be the only "afflicted" girl to publicly admit that she had lied and offer an apology:

"I desire to be humbled before God for that sad and humbling providence that befell my father's family in the year about '92; that I, then being in my childhood, should, by such a providence of God, be made an instrument for the accusing of several persons of a grievous crime, whereby their lives were taken away from them, whom now I have just grounds and good reason to believe they were innocent persons; and that it was a great delusion of Satan that deceived me in that sad time, whereby I justly fear I have been instrumental, with others, though ignorantly and unwittingly, to bring upon myself and this land the guilt of innocent blood; though what was said or done by me against any person I can truly and uprightly say, before God and man, I did it not out of any anger, malice, or ill-will to any person, for I had no such thing against one of them; but what I did was ignorantly, being deluded by Satan. And particularly, as I was a chief instrument of accusing of Goodwife Nurse and her two sisters, I desire to lie in the dust, and to be humbled for it, in that I was a cause, with others, of so sad a calamity to them and their families; for which cause I desire to lie in the dust, and earnestly beg forgiveness of God, and from all those unto whom I have given just cause of sorrow and offence, whose relations were taken away or accused.”

[Signed]

"This confession was read before the congregation, together with her relation, Aug. 25, 1706; and she acknowledged it."

"J. Green, Pastor."

She died in 1716 at the age of 37 and is buried with her parents in an unmarked grave at the Putnam Cemetery in Danvers, Massachusetts.

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