Sarah Jessica Parker emotional over connection with the Salem Witch Trials...

Sarah Jessica discovers that the Hodge family marries into the Elwell family – both of which have very long histories in America. She, herself, directly descends from Esther Dutch Elwell – a woman accused of witchcraft in Salem.

In each episode, one of Britain's best-loved celebrities traces their family tree to reveal the surprising, extraordinary and often moving stories of their ancestors. We publish new videos twice a week with the most memorable moments from the show. Subscribe now and click on the bell 🔔 to get notifications every time we upload a new video!

[michaeltorluemke]

Kind of ironic that Sarah Jesica Parker’s ancestor was accused of witchcraft in Salam Massachusetts and she ends up playing a witch in the movies.

[mgmegt]

"and just like that, my 10th great grandmother was accused of witchcraft"

[jlongino]

All of the people with ancestors in the same areas back then is like how they know each other now. I’m assuming they did. The fascination of our people is outstanding. If we all could be so lucky to know our ancestors. I love this show.

[LesHaskell]

Three Haskell brothers settled in Salem on the Cape Ann side of the Bass River (today's Beverly) in 1635. My ancestor, William Haskell (8th ggf), moved to Gloucester around 1645 (his house, built around 1690, still stands and is a bed and breakfast where you can stay and experience some first period colonial living). The youngest brother, Mark, was fined 5 shillings by the Salem court in 1655 for wearing broad lace (dressing above his station - obviously a ne'er-do-well - probably even celebrated Christmas). The eldest, Roger, owned a lot of property and lived out his life in Beverly.

One of Roger's sons, John, married Patience Soule, daughter of George Soule, Mayflower passenger, and moved down to Middleborough in Plymouth Colony (George had specifically willed them some land there). Another of Roger's sons, Mark, married a woman named Sarah Goodale. In 1675, her uncle Jacob Goodale was beaten to death by Giles Corey (the man was later pressed to death for not entering a plea in the trials) for allegedly stealing some apples. Jacob was an indentured servant so Corey was only fined for using excessive force. In 1692, as the story goes, the same Mark Haskell was selected for jury duty in the trials. It is said that he was a freethinker and didn't believe in witchcraft or in punishing people for it and he rode his horse as far as he could in a day and settled in Rochester in Plymouth Colony. His family followed five years later. He became Rochester's first town clerk and had earned himself the nickname Witchcraft Mark. One of his descendants was Colonel Elnathan Haskell, an officer in the Revolution (7th from the right in John Trumbull's painting "The Surrender of General Burgoyne" which hangs in the US Capitol Rotunda), who moved to South Carolina after the war, starting the South Carolina branch of the Haskell family tree. His descendants, Colonel Alexander Cheves Haskell and his brother, Lt. Col. John Cheves Haskell, led the Army of Northern Virginia's cavalry and artillery (respectively) to the surrender at Appomattox in 1865 (General Grant unsuccessfully tried to buy John's horse, said it was the handsomest he had ever seen), and were involved in post-war politics in the state (they supported Wade Hampton for Governor in 1876 and Alex ran against Ben Tillman in 1890. Alexander's daughter, Mary, moved to Boston and started a school for girls which merged with another (it is now known as The Cambridge School of Weston). Mary also met Kahlil Gibran in New York and became his financial benefactress and muse (the Almitra character in The Prophet is basically her).

Of course, there are other old family names in my tree from Essex County, too. Dodge, Woodbury, Lunt, Little, Philips, Hale, Noyes, Somerby. My first cousin (11x removed), Sarah Noyes, married the Reverend John Hale (2nd wife) and was the last person accused of being a witch before Governor Phips abolished spectral evidence and the Court of Oyer and Terminer, ending the trials. Sarah was never tried or even arrested. The good reverend's third wife, Elizabeth Somerby is another first cousin (also 11x removed). My 4th great-grandmother was Ednah Hale (married Caleb Haskell, Revolutionary War soldier from Newburyport), and I am distant cousins with Colonel Nathan Hale, commander of the 2nd New Hampshire Regiment, and Captain Nathan Hale, who was hanged as a spy by the British. I'm still trying to figure out a connection to the Reverend John Hale. My 2nd cousin 11x removed, Abigail Philips, was Reverend Cotton Mather's 1st wife.

[JANICEFALKNER-dl]

I believe that was all a set up to steal those poor peoples land & belongings. The thought that anyone anytime could be so ignorant boggles my mind.

[Court]

As hard as it is to read and take in all of that history, I think it's still very interesting.

[tara]

I saw a really interesting theory that the grain had some kind of mold or fungus growth that had gotten into it and made those people hallucinate. Sad that they probably had no clue. . The rest just spiraling into gossip and finger pointing.

[lindawalkerlivinglife]

Thanks to this video and my keen eye I saw the record where she read the names I was reading the other names and saw the name Mary Barker. So I went on google and read about Mary Barker 1692 Salem who was a witch on trial . Well I went on my ancestry because My grandma is a Barker and. turns out I'm related Unbelievable !

[sharon]

I do/have done very low-level genealogy on my family, but have never had the financial resources to travel to the Eastern states where actual documents are held. My family shares an oddity, in that my mother's maiden name was Robinson. My father's name was Eugene Robinson. We have yet to make a connection, but it makes for interesting searching and stories.

[kajacarrancho]

I was very surprised to find out that the person your ancestor was accused of harming was from Gloucester. I have read that the girls were put in a cart to take their hysterical rantings on the road. When they arrived in Gloucester they were not allowed in. Im proud of that!
Ellwell is an old Gloucester name. There is an Ellwell street.
Im upset about my city I am sorry about your great ….grandmother. There are family members trying to get their ancestors acquitted of the charges.
At least they came to their senses. In Germany when the witch hunters left a town there were hardly any woman left
Good luck in your search and may the Goddess bless Esther Ellwell

[ariesgray]

Her husbands played a general in Gettysburg in a movie, and his relative fought and survived Gettysburg…. You can’t write this stuff….

[MLMLW]

My brother traced my dad's side of the family way back and found out we're related to Abraham Lincoln. I think that's pretty cool.

[emiilyjaane]

My 12th great grandmother is Mary Esty she was also in the last salem witch trials in 1692' i never expected it, until i did ancestry dna. I think is really cool but sad at the same time.

[beckypeters]

On the PBS show similar to this one Finding Your Roots i can't remember the name of the actor but his distant relative testified against people who were accused of being a witch wondered if those paths crossed

[chrismazz]

I had an ancestor accused of being a Salem witch, but he was acquitted.

[LesHaskell]

I did the research. Thirteen of the twenty people executed are in my family tree. I'm blown away. John Proctor Jr., 8th great-grandfather. Rebecca (Towne) Nurse, 9th great-grandaunt. Mary (Towne) Easty, 9th great-grandaunt. Mary (Ayer) Parker, 9th great-grandaunt. Martha Allen, 1st cousin 10x removed. Reverend George Burroughs, 1st cousin 11x removed. Samuel Wardwell, 1st cousin 12x removed. Sarah (Averell) Wildes, 2nd cousin 11x removed. George Jacobs Sr., 2nd cousin 12x removed. Margaret (Stephenson) Scott, 3rd cousin 10x removed. Elizabeth (Jackson) Howe, wife of my 1st cousin 10x removed. Bridget Bishop, wife of my 3rd cousin 10x removed. John Willard, Husband of my 3rd cousin 10x removed.

[Choicesaa]

I couldn't believe that Sarah Jessica Parker's family tree dates all the way back to the salem witch trails of 1692 and she played a witch in Hocus Pocus*** Just unreal... I have never heard of this show until now...

[TheArcaneMaster]

Geeze, that court website looks like it hasn't been updated since 1996 lol

[courtneyholland]

Researching family history is very interesting I’m still researching my family history I hit a couple of blocks but I will continue my search

[kylerenneberg]

My 8th Great-Grandfather is Edward Rawson, and my 7th Great-grandfather is Grendal Rawson
Edward was served as the first Secretary of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Edward Rawson was born in Dorset, England in 1615. Around 1636 he married his young wife, Rachel Perne, and soon left England for the Americas. He settled in Newbury in 1637