Ghosts of Salem

Salem, Massachusetts is part of my heritage.  In 1692, several of my ancestors lived in Salem.

I discovered this while researching a different ghost connection.

To my amazement, I noticed the name of one of my ancestors, William Webb, in some Salem records.  I thought, “That’s interesting.  It’s not a unique name, but I wonder how he connects to my Webb ancestry.”

(Until I saw that, I thought my only English ancestry — including the Webbs — was well-diluted as the family tree passed through Ireland.)

Well, William Webb (b. 1744) of Salem didn’t just connect with my ancestral cousins… he was my sixth great-grandfather.  His ancestor (my 10th great-grandfather) was Thomas Cromwell (b. 1618) who also lived and died in Salem.

Trivia: Thomas Cromwell’s sister, Dorothy (born 1604), is memorialized on the oldest gravestone in the Salem burial ground.  Thomas and Dorothy Cromwell shared a grandfather with the famous (or infamous) Oliver Cromwell.  (Oliver Cromwell’s direct lineage expired in 1821.)

In my Salem research, I also found Jonathan (or John) Pickering in my family tree.  Today, his 1651 home at 18 Broad Street, Salem, is the oldest home in America to be lived in by the same family.   Pickering Wharf in Salem is named after the location of his shipyard.

I’m continuing my Salem genealogical research to find personal connections to the events of 1692.  I know that one of my ancestral cousins, Sarah (also listed as Mary) Morey, was among the accused.  It’s possible that William Allen, also in my family tree, was an accuser.

For me, these personal connections with Salem’s history make my ghost research even more interesting.

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