Talk:George Burroughs/Archive 1

Archive 1

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Poor, poor man. He was hanged even though he recited the Lord's Prayer perfectly. He was another victim of the Salem Witch Trials.

Genealogy question

User:131.215.240.167 has insisted that the genealogical information s/he has repeatedly added is appropriate for this article. I disagree. Edward I of England lived over 300 years (i.e. many generations) before Burroughs and Walt Disney some 300 years (i.e., many generations) later. These may be interesting genealogical tidbits, but none of these three had any significant influence on the others and Wikipedia is not a genealogical database. Therefore this connective trivia should be deleted under WP:TRIVIA. I bring it up here rather than edit warring. --Flex (talk/contribs) 16:23, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

I disagree with YOU. Unfortunately I cannot read his proof of their relationship, since it has been deleted, apparently on your say-so. I have been researching Burroughs for years, and never saw these ancestors and descendants mentioned. Edward and Disney were unusual, controversial persons, and I would not be surprised to learn of a connection. Certainly his known descendants are very much aware of their "connection", including the only person who attempted a biography of Burroughs (and was also a descendant).

Frankly, I find much of the scanty information offered here about Burroughs to be flimsy, often incorrect, and certainly misleading. A few instances. Technically, Burroughs was not a Congregational pastor, since he had never been formally ordained over a church by three other pastors. He served twice in Portland, and was criticized for neglecting communion, and even for long delaying the baptism of his children. Among his accusers was his own brother-in-law, as well as persons he knew in Portland. Unusual strength was only one allegation. Others were more eery. Burroughs could have easily refuted them, but he was generally as ambiguous as Jesus was before Pilate. And most interestingly, throughout the 19th century his apologists were all from Maine, while his accusers were from Massachusetts. I guess that I should mention that very conveniently, both times his Maine enemies were killed during the two Indian attacks on Portland and the one on York. He escaped easily. Further, although the Wells people were solidly behind him, and would probably have protected him from the weak posse sent to fetch him, he gladly went along with the posse. During that tumultuous journey through the "Witchtrot", he could have escaped. And I won't even go into the mysterious death of his three wives. My conviction is that the person who, with his associate Peter Woodbury, did more than anyone to end the millenium-long holocaust of the witches, deserves more objective notice. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.5.42.156 (talk) 23:47, 1 September 2008 (UTC)

Immediately above, if you're suggesting Burroughs was truly a witch, this isn't really the place for that. Was his trial fair and good jurisprudence? Could any other evidence stand against spectral evidence? Were there other motives behind the accusations against him? Have you found primary texts that dispute the one compiled in the book by Calef? Upham took a close look at Burroughs in 1859 and I'm planning to cite those here when I get some free time. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Juliegolden (talk • contribs) 17:53, 10 February 2012 (UTC)

Abigail Williams, the Black Man, and a dead link.

A few years ago, I read in one of the books on the Salem Trials that when in Maine, Abigail Williams was Burroughs' servant. Burroughs was held in suspicion by some of the Maine war survivors because of his own survival. He was rumored to have been in league with the Indians (ie: Satan's minions). As his servant, Abigail would have been aware of the gossip.

When she returned to Salem, Abigail lived with her uncle, the cranky Samuel Parris, and went on to become one of the "afflicted girls". During the crisis, the afflicted girls claimed to have specturally seen the Black Man (Satan) consorting with one or more of the accused (I don't remember who). The afflicted girls went on to "identify" Burroughs as the Black Man. So, the "evidence" against Burroughs extended to more than his strength. I wish I could remember the name of the book; the best I can do is that the author was a woman. I'll have to read more.

There's a cure for your dead link in that note. Either use the Wayback Machine version, https://web.archive.org/web/20141218044943/http://salemwitchtrials.org/, or this version, http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/ . Thank you, Wordreader (talk) 00:52, 2 May 2015 (UTC)

Totally confusing sentence - atleast to me...

In the section "Accusation and Trial for Witchcraft": In 1691 letters from the Littlefields, founder of Wells, Maine and in-laws to Peter Cloyce by first wife, and Rev George Burroughs signed by Peter's brothers John and Nathaniel sent to Governor and Council to improve conditions of Wells, Maine. Peter's second wife Sarah Cloyce sister Rebecca Town Nurse, and Mary Town Easty is the one which survived the Salem Trials, with relocation to Salem End, now West Farmingham.

That is the first paragraph. I have read and reread the first sentence, but it makes absolutely no sense to me.

84.139.198.24 (talk) 17:33, 29 October 2016 (UTC) Rho