Margaret Kinsey Stevenson, my 9th Great Grandmother, was born in England in about the year 1615. The first official record of her is in 1642, when she married Benjamin Scott.
Margaret and Benjamin lived in various locations in Massachusetts, finally landing in Rowley, a small town north of Salem, in 1651.
The family was very poor and were not respected citizens, evidenced by the fact that in 1665 Benjamin was convicted of theft, for which he was "fined and admonished."
Benjamin died in 1671 leaving an estate worth only 67 pounds and 17 shillings, not much by the standards of that time. Margaret had to live on that estate for the next twenty-one years, and by the time of the Salem trials must have been very poor.
At first glance, Margaret seems to have lived an uneventful life, but certain aspects of her character made her a very likely candidate as a witch suspect.
The family was very poor and were not respected citizens, evidenced by the fact that in 1665 Benjamin was convicted of theft, for which he was "fined and admonished."
Benjamin died in 1671 leaving an estate worth only 67 pounds and 17 shillings, not much by the standards of that time. Margaret had to live on that estate for the next twenty-one years, and by the time of the Salem trials must have been very poor.
At first glance, Margaret seems to have lived an uneventful life, but certain aspects of her character made her a very likely candidate as a witch suspect.
- High infant mortality rate among her children: Women in New England who had trouble raising children were very vulnerable to witchcraft charges. Out of Margaret's seven children, only three made it to adulthood.
- She was a widow for twenty-one years, suffering from the economic and social effects of being a widow for a prolonged time which brought a life of poverty and begging. By begging, the widow exposed herself to witchcraft suspicions. Some of the depositions against Scott nvolved misfortunes occurring to people who had denied her a service or food.
- Perhaps Scott actually used her reputation to receive favors, which could be very effective. If people believed that Scott was a witch, they might have eagerly given her what she asked out of fear of retaliation. However, if someone refused Scott and then fell on bad circumstances, witchcraft accusations were almost a certainty.
- Margaret Scott was formally accused of witchcraft by Rowley's most distinguished citizens – the Wicoms and the Nelsons.
At her trial, there were two forms of evidence presented:
- Spectral evidence – testimony that the accused witch's spirit (spector) had appeared to the witness in a dream or vision.
- Maleficium evidence - a witch's destruction of one's property, health, or family.
Margaret's case also involved maleficium accusations, and she exhibited many characteristics that were believed to be common among witches in New England.
In the end, Margaret was found guilty of witchcraft due to prolonged suspicion of her character, the spectral and maleficium evidence provided at her trial, and the prominence of the accusers in her community.
On September 22, 1692, Margaret Kinsey Stevenson Scott was hanged by the neck until dead on Gallows Hill, Salem, Massachusetts – the last of the executions there during the witchcraft trials.
