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The Girls of Salem Village

Scarlet Bodice, Bright Turban, And The Charter

Oct 20, 2006 Mary Trotter Kion

Salem Village talk concerns a scarlet bodice, a bright turbans, and the charter. Young girls begin gathering in the Parris' kitchen.

Talk and Gossip in Salem Village

In Salem, Massachusetts in the early days of 1692 there was considerable talk, or gossip. A good deal of the discussions concerned the charter, but the gossip centered considerably on two women of Salem: Bridget Bishop who had sewn herself a scarlet bodice. The other female was Tituba, the Indian slave of Samuel Parris, who liked to wear colorful turbans.

Many good citizens of Salem Village felt that Parris, the minister at the church in Salem Village, should be chided for allowing Tituba's turbans.

A Gathering of Girls

With all this talk and gossip going on apparently little notice was being given to a group of young girls, a group whose ages eventually ranged from nine to nineteen. Often these girls, or a portion of them, depending on the weather and the distance they had to walk, would gather in Mr. Parris' warm kitchen where the slave Tituba of the bright turbans ruled over pots and pans, and perhaps potions.

The youngest of these girls was Mr. Parris' own daughter, nine years old Elizabeth Parris. With her, and also living in the Parris home, was Abigail Williams, Elizabeth's eleven years old cousin. Usually at these cozy gatherings was Abigail's best friend, Ann Putnam. Ann had reached the age of twelve.

Also included in this group of Salem girls was Mary Walcott who, although five years older than Ann Putnam, tended to follow Ann's lead. It has been said that that Ann was always polite and well behaved when adults were present. It was a different story when the grownups were absent. At those times, it has been noted, Ann Putnam was extremely "rude and cruel to other children."

Three older girls that often joined the group in the Parris kitchen were Elizabeth Hubbard, Elizabeth Booth, and Susannah Sheldon, all seventeen and eighteen years old. Strangely, these three older girls also allowed Ann Putnam to "order them around."

Of all the girls that gathered in that kitchen only one ever stood up to Ann. That person was Mercy Lewis, and she never dared quarreling with Ann.

Sources:

Hill, Frances. A Delusion of Satan: The Full Story of the Salem Witch Trials. De Capo Press, 1995.

Jackson, Shirley. The Witchcraft of Salem Village. Random House, New York, 1956.

The copyright of the article The Girls of Salem Village in American History is owned by Mary Trotter Kion. Permission to republish The Girls of Salem Village in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.