Maria Josefa Garcia Martin, Madrid, Spain, Tombstone Tuesday

 Today's "tombstone" was photographed at the Cementerio Sur in Madrid, Spain.

MARIA JOSEFA

GARCIA MARTIN

*8-7-1934

+11-10-2023

TU HIJO NIETA

Y FAMILIA

NO TE OLVIDAN

D.E.P

(English translation)

MARIA JOSEFA 

GARCIA MARTIN

BORN 8 JULY 1934

DIED 11 OCTOBER 2023

YOUR SON, GRANDDAUGHTER

AND FAMILY

WILL NOT FORGET YOU

R.I.P.

[REST IN PEACE]

Maria Josefa Garcia Martin is my mother-in-law, who died a few months ago in Madrid, Spain. Everything about her final days was a strange experience to me.  Her home care, her hospital care, her funeral arrangements, her final resting place, and the legal bureaucracy of settling her estate in a foreign country were overwhelming not just emotionally, but also physically exhausting.  We finally were able to see her "tombstone" when we visited Madrid for her funeral mass.

In Spain, and in many European countries, the deceased is laid out for visitation (velatorio) at a tanatorio within a few hours of death, and buried the next morning. The remains are not embalmed.  There is no delay, and the funeral mass (for Catholics) is held a month later in the church. The tanatorio funeral director arranges for all the legal paperwork and for the burial place. 

There are several very large public cemeteries in Madrid, and the public tanatorios are enormous, handling dozens of funerals at the same time. It is an amazingly quick and streamlined process.  Cremations are not common, but are available. Usually just close friends and family attend the velatorio, and attendance at the mass held later is much higher.  For Maria, friends and family from all over Spain came to Madrid for her funeral mass in December at the neighborhood Catholic church.  

Cemeteries are completely different in Spain from cemeteries in New England, especially in the urban areas.  Most people in Spain have insurance which pays for the funeral and final expenses including a gravesite or niche in a columbarium.  Niches are by far the most popular, since family gravesites are rare and expensive.  Niches are rented in five or ten year increments, or even rented for 100 years.  At the end of the rental agreement you may extend the rental or the body is exhumed, the niche is cleaned out and rented again. Since the body was not embalmed, there may only be bones. These remains are reburied in a common burial ground or ossuary. 

If an American dies abroad, the US Embassy can provide a CRODA certificate, which serves as a death certificate along with the Spanish death certificate. A CRODA certificate will help with settling the estate and legal matters back in the United States, such as social security or life insurance, and it is neccessary if the remains are being taken back to the US (including cremains).  CRODA is a Consular Report of a Death Abroad.  The embassy staff in Madrid was very helpful to us both when Vincent's mom died, and also years ago when his father died and we had to bring his ashes back to the United States. 

You can see that the columbarium at the Cemeterio Sur had walls four niches high.  Rolling ladders were available for placing flowers.  Vincent bought some poinsettias and left them at his mother's niche.  

A little bit of genealogy: 

Maria Josefa Garcia, born 8 July 1934 in Orbaiceta, Navarra, Spain and died 11 October 2023 in Madrid, Spain.  She married Vicente Rojo, son of Moises Rojo and Anacleta Benito, on 9 January 1960 in Madrid.  

Generation 1:  Jose Garcia, born 28 November 1908 in Bouza, Salamanca, Spain and died 3 December 1994 in Madrid, Spain, married on 8 September 1933 in Villar de Ciervo, Salamanca, Spain to Maria Consuelo Martin, born 11 November 1908 in Villar de Ciervo, and died 29 April 2001 in Madrid.  

Generation 2:  Sebastian Garcia, born 6 May 1878 in Fraga, Huesca, Spain, and died 22 June 1962 in Puerto Seguro, Salamanca, Spain, married on 9 April 1902 to Maria Ribero, born 4 June 1873 and died 21 January 1944.

Manuel Martin, born about 1880 in Barcelona, Spain and died 10 September 1971 in Villar de Ciervo, Salamanca, Spain, married 23 January 1904 in Villar de Ciervo to Josefa Rivero, born 23 October 1884 in Villar de Ciervo, and died 17 November 1937 in Villar de Ciervo. 

Generation 3: Celestino Garcia, born 25 May 1851 in Barba de Puerco (now Bouza), Salamanca, Spain, and died 11 February 1914, married on 1 December 1877 in Barba de Puerco to Joaquina Munoz, born 30 September 1858 in Puerto Seguro, Salamanca, Spain, and died 2 December 1893 in San Vicente, Badajoz, Spain.

Vanancio Ribero married Rosalia Montero on 11 June 1856 in Barba de Puerco (now Bouza), Salamanca, Spain.

Mateo Martin,  born in Vitigudino, Salamanca, Spain married Manuel Ventura.

Manuel Rivero, born 24 December 1850 in Villar de Ciervo, Salamanca, Spain, married Ofofila Gonzalez, born 17 January 1849 in Villar de Ciervo, Salamanca, Spain

Generation 4: Juan Antonio Garcia, born 8 March 1825 in Puerto Seguro, Salamanca, Spain, married Ramona Espinazo, born 15 June 1820 in Puerto Seguro, Salamanca Spain.

Bernardino Munoz married Ynes Zato, born 23 April 1834 in Puerto Seguro, Salamanca, Spain. 

Ambrosio Ribero married in 1813 to Ynes Martin

Antonio Montero, born 21 November 1809 in Barba de Puerco (now Bouza), Salamanca, Spain, and died 31 December 1845 in Puerto Seguro, Salamanca, Spain, married to Catalina Espinazo, born 25 November 1806 in Barba de Puerco. 

For the truly curious:

Consular Report of a Death of a U.S. Citizen Abroad:   https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/while-abroad/death-abroad1/consular-report-of-death-of-a-u-s--citizen-abroad.html   

Cementerio Sur Carabanchel, Madrid, Spain   https://sfmadrid.es/cementerio/cementerio-sur-carabanchel  

---------------------

To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Maria Josefa Garcia Martin, Madrid, Spain, Tombstone Tuesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted January 23, 2024, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2024/01/maria-josefa-garcia-martin-madrid-spain.html: accessed [access code]). 

Sarah Martyn Barnard, died 1770, Newbury, Massachusetts - Tombstone Tuesday

 This tombstone was photographed at the First Parish Burying Ground in Newbury, Massachusetts.

This Stone is erected to ye memory

of Madam SARAH BARNARD

Relict of the Revd.

JOHN BARNARD of Andover,

who through along course of years, by

eminency of devotion irreproachable

purity & Sanctity of manners and

an enlarged benevolence, exhibited the

christian character to great advantage

with an unshaken faith in ye Redeemer,

and longing after a better world, She

??? Novr. 23, 1770 AEtat. 72. 

Sarah Martin,  was born 16 August 1672, the daughter of Edward Martyn and Sarah White of Boston.  She married Reverend John Barnard on 20 October 1715.  The Reverend Barnard was buried 14 June 1757 at the Old North Parish Burying Ground in North Andover, Massachusetts.  Apparently the widow Sarah was living in Newbury with her daughter Sarah, wife of the Reverend Dr. Tucker, after the Reverend Barnard passed away.  The Parson Barnard House was built in Andover in 1715, and in 1950 it was donated to the North Andover Historical Society.

John Barnard was born 26 February 1689/90 in Andover, the son of the Reverend Thomas Barnard and Elizabeth Price. John Barnard Senior was the junior minister under the Reverend Francis Dane in Andover. He graduated from Harvard in 1709, and taught school in Andover. When his father died he was invited to be his successor in 1718. John Barnard and Sarah Martin had six children, including Thomas (minister of the Second Church of Newbury and the First Church of Salem); Edward; Sarah (mentioned above);  John who died at age 16 while a student at Harvard, and two daughters named Elisabeth who died young.  [see the Andover Vital Records]. 

The elder Reverend Barnard was present during the witch trials of 1692 that spilled out of Salem into Andover, Massachusetts.  Both ministers Barnard and Dane signed a petition in support of the accused. In 1697 Reverend Dane died and Reverend Barnard became the sole minister to Andover.  

For the truly curious:

The Parson Barnard House:   https://salemwitchmuseum.com/locations/parson-barnard-house/  

North Andover Historical Society:   https://www.northandoverhistoricalsociety.org/parson-barnard-house-barn  

Rev. John Barnard's memorial at Find A Grave:   https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/69213325/john-barnard    

"Early Records of the Barnard Family of Andover" compiled by Charlotte Helen Abbott at the Andover Public Library (see page 18)   https://mhl.org/sites/default/files/files/Abbott/Barnard%20Family.pdf     

An interesting manuscript about some silver donated to Rev. John Barnard's church by his mother-in-law, Sarah White  Martin. This silver tankard has disappeared from the church.   https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AUR6IVKS4RP2CT9C/pages/AF63VJEMJVH3O482?as=text   

-------------------------

To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Sarah Martyn Barnard, died 1770, Newbury, Massachusetts - Tombstone Tuesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted November 7, 2023, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2023/11/sarah-martyn-barnard-died-1770-newbury.html: accessed [access date]). 

Several Generations of Linens and Lace from Spain

 

Cleaning out a home after a death is a sad and nostalgic task.  When my mother-in-law recently passed away in Spain, we had to sort out everything in her apartment. We had to give away or throw away many item.  My husband brought home only a few items from her apartment.  He was not able to bring much because he could only bring what fit in his suitcases (and he paid for two extra suitcases). Some of those items were fragile (crystal glasses) and some were heavy (books) that needed padding so they wouldn't shift or break, so he wrapped them in the heirloom linens we found in the closet. Several generations of my mother-in-law's family owned this apartment. 

It turns out that these linens were quite beautiful, but a bit dingy from being stored a long time. Some looked brand new as if they were never used. I think the dry climate in Spain helped preserve them from mold or mildew spots.  I researched a bit on how to restore these handmade, delicate items.  We decided that we were probably going to use some of them, but my daughter and I didn't want all of them. Here is what I did to clean and store them:

The advice was to not use anything harsh like bleach or detergent.  I soaked them for several days in a bathtub filled with warm water and Oxy-clean.  This brightened up the linens and was not caustic.  Most of them were not stained, fortunately, just dingy from storage. The water turned yellow from the years of dust, so I changed the water daily that the linens were soaking in.   

To rinse them I used the hand held shower wand in the bathroom with warm water, and then put them through the short rinse only cycle in the washing machine.  This step would be skipped if the items were especially fragile, but most of what we had was in excellent shape and quite sturdy, even though we figured some of them were over 100 years old. 

Some of the items like tablecloths and bedding I ironed on medium heat while they were still damp.  They came out beautiful. This step could be skipped for very delicate items, or lacy doilies. 

An embroidered hanky!

Lace and crocheted items were air dried, some flat, and some on a drying rack

A very delicate hanky!  It was so fine you could see through it! 

An embroidered bedsheet

I spent several days washing, sorting, rinsing, drying and ironing dozens of pillow cases, napkins, bedding, and tablecloths.  I decided to keep only a few.  I really don't want these items to just end up stored in a closet for another 100 years.  I'm keeping just what I will use - a few hankies, some beautiful napkins, and some smaller items.  The rest I will share with my daughter, and then we will give away or sell the rest. I know that linens are not valuable or costly, but it seems a shame to just toss them or continue storing them.  

Here is the mystery. Some of the items are embroidered with "C M", which was my husband's grandmother's monogram - Maria Consuelo Martin (1908 - 2001) she was married in 1933 in Villar de Ciervo, Salamanca, Spain, so she probably made a lot of these before her marriage. Her mother was Josefa Rivero (1884 - 1937), married in 1904 also in Villar de Ciervo, and some of these items came from her marriage.  There are also sheets and pillowcases with a mystery monogram (see below).  Maybe this is not a monogram?  Is it just an abstract design? Perhaps it is a design for the letter "G", which was Consuelo's husband (Jose Garcia (1908-1954))?  It could be an "S" for Jose's father Sebastian Garcia (1878-1962)? 

Temporary storage for the clean linens.

For long term storage I would recommend acid free materials. 

----------------------------------

To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Several Generations of Linens and Lace from Spain", Nutfield Genealogy, posted October 24, 2023, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2023/10/several-generations-of-linens-and-lace.html: accessed [access date]). 

Maria Josefa Garcia Martin 1934 - 2023

This morning my mother-in-law, Pepita or María Josefa García Martin, passed away peacefully in Madrid, Spain.  Vincent and our daughter, Catalina, were with her.  Pepita was born in 1934 in Orbaiceta, Navarra, Spain and grew up in several places around Spain because her father, José García Rivero, served in the military as a carbinero and as a Guardia Civil during and after the Civil War.  

In 1960 she married Vicente Rojo, immigrated to New York City, and had Vincent all in one year!  Vicente worked at the United Nations, and Pepita worked for several publishers and then for Iberia Airlines in Manhattan.  Later they all removed to Puerto Rico, and Pepita continued to work for Iberia until 1994 when she retired and enjoyed living both in San Juan and Madrid.  

After Vicente passed away in  2014 Pepita lived with us in New Hampshire and in Madrid, until the Covid pandemic struck and she stayed in Spain.  We visited her often in Madrid, especially this last year during her final illness. She will be missed by Vincent and I, Catalina and Gerald, her great granddaughter Isabella, and many other family members, friends, and neighbors.  

María Josefa García Martin as a toddler

Wedding Day in Madrid

9 January 1960

Pepita working at publisher Morgan and Morgan in New York

María Josefa García Martin in her Iberia Airlines uniform

Pepita, Vicente and Vincent at his birthday

1960s Easter Parade on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan

Pepita is in the mantilla, holding Vincent's hand

A selfie with Pepita, April 2023

The family at the Plaza Mayor in Madrid

April 2023

--------------------

To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Maria Josefa Garcia Martin 1934 - 2023", Nutfield Genealogy, posted 11 October 2023, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2023/10/maria-josefa-garcia-martin-1934-2023.html: accessed [access date]).

Photo Friday - Casa de Abuelo Manuel Martin

The note on the back of the photo

Another view

When we were in Spain Vincent's cousin was cleaning his parents' apartment and found a stash of old photos.  He kindly let us photograph many of these photos. Fortunately we were able to look them over with my mother-in-law, who was able to identify many family members in the photos.

These photos show Vincent's cousin Chemari (José María) as a young boy with his grandfather, Vincent's tio Joaquín García, in front of the home of Manuel Martin Ventura in the village of Villar de Ciervo, Salamanca, Spain. Manuel Martin was Vincent's great grandfather, too!  I don't think Vincent ever met this ancestor, even though he lived during Vincent's lifetime.   We visited Villar de Ciervo over 20 years ago, and I have a painting of this same house hanging on my office wall, but the view is from the rear of the house.  It was painted by the village pharmacist!

Manuel Martin was born about 1880 in Barcelona, the son of Mateo Martín, a native of Vitigudino, Salamanca, and Manuela Ventura.  Manuel married on 23 January 1904 in Villar de Ciervo to Josefa Rivero, born 23 October 1884 in Villar Ciervo and died 17 November 1937 in Villar Ciervo.  They had four children - María Joaquina, Nicolás, Luisa Antonia, and María Consuelo (Vincent's maternal grandmother, who grew up in this house).

Manuel Martin was a cattle and sheep trader, and a breeder of "toros bravos" or bulls bred for the sport of bullfighting.  He was a farmer and grew grapes for wine.  Manuel Martin often traveled to Barcelona to trade his bulls, just like his father.  We aren't sure if the Martin family is native to Salamanca or to Barcelona.

Josefa Rivero and Manuel Martin
Villar de Ciervo, Salamanca, Spain

--------------------------------

To Cite/Link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Photo Friday - Abuelo Manuel", Nutfield Genealogy, posted June 28, 2019, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/06/photo-friday-casa-de-abuelo-manuel.html: accessed [access date]).

A Little Family History Book from Spain

This little book of family history was found in Vincent's cousin's house in Madrid, Spain among a box of vintage photographs.  When his children found this book they said "We have to show this to Heather!"   I'm happy to say that I already had much of this information from baptism records and other church records, but it is exciting to see this written in the handwriting of Vincent's ancestors. 

The first page appears to have been written by Celestino García.  He was Vincent's great great grandfather who was born 25 May 1851 in Barba de Puerco, Salamanca, Spain.  Celestino was in the military, so his children were not born in Barba de Puerco, but in the provinces of Huesca and Badajoz.  On the first page Celestino lists his four children: Sebastian (Vincent's great grandfather), Higinia, Serapio, and José Alejandrino.

I have transcribed the pages with the Spanish on the left, and my English translation on the right.

Sebastian nacio el dia 6 de Mayo                               Sebastian was born on 6 May 

de 1843 en el pueblo llamado Fraga                           in 1843 in the town called Fraga

probincia de Huesca Partido de Jura                           province of Huesca, part of Jura

----------------                                                               -----------------------

Higinia Dominica nacio el dia 28                               Higinia Dominica was born on 28

de Marzo del 1884 en el pueblo de                             March in 18844 in the town of

San Vicente Alexandaria Probincia                            San Vicente Alexandaria, province

de Badajoz Partido Albuquerque                                of Badajoz, part of Albuquerque

----------------                                                               --------------------

Serapio nacio el dia 14 de Nobiembre                        Serapio was born on 14 November

de 1889 en el pueblo de San Vicente                          of 1889 in the town of San Vicente

Probincia de Badajoz Partido de                                 Province of Badajoz part of

Albuquerque                                                                Albuquerque

-------------------------                                                    ------------------------

José Alejandrino nacio el dia                                       José Alejandrino was born on

26 de Nobiembre de 1891 en                                       26 November in 1891 in

San Vicente de Alcantara                                             San Vicente de Alcantara

Probincia de Badajoz Partido de                                  Province of Badajoz part of

Albuquerque                                                                 Albuquerque

[This page describes his wife's death date and names his children ]

Mi esposa murio llamada                                              My wife died called

Joaquina Muñoz Zato                                                    Joaquina Muñoz Zato

el dia 2 de Diciembre del                                               on 2 December in

1893 en el pueblo de San                                               1893 in the town of San

Vicente Probincia de                                                      Vicente Province of

Badajoz Partido de                                                         Badajoz part of

Albuquerque y me dejo                                                  Albuquerque and left me with

4 yhos que Son Sebastian                                               4 children who are Sebastian

Higinia Serapio y                                                            Higinia Searapio and

José Alejandrino y los                                                    José Alejandrino and 

apunto? el dia 29 de Diciembre                                      ????? on 29 December

de 1893 para que no se olvide                                        of 1893 so we won't forget her

[These pages appear to have been written by Sebastian, except that his death

was recorded by one of his children on the last entry]

Me case el dia 9 de Abril                                              I married on 9 April

del ano 1902 con Maria Ribero                                     in the year 1902 to Maria Ribero

Montero de edad 29 anos  4 de junio y                                             Montero age 29 ???? and

yo de 24 años el dia 6 Mayo                                         I was 24 years on the 6 May

Sebastian Garcia                                                           Sebastian Garcia

---------------------                                                          ----------------------------

Joaquin nacio el dia 16 de                                             Joaquin was born on 16

Enero de 1904 en el pueblo de                                      January in 1904 in the town of

Bouza probincia de Salamanca                                     Bouza province of Salamanca

Partido de Ciudad Rodrigo                                           Part of Cuidad Rodrigo

----------------------                                                         ----------------

José nacio el 28 de Noviembre                                     José was born on 22 November

de 1908, en Bouza Provincia                                        in 1908, in Bouza Province                  

de Salamanca Partido de Ciudad                                  of Salamanca part of Ciudad

Rodrigo.                                                                        Rodrigo

-----------------------                                                        ----------------------

María Ascención nacio el 31 de                                   María Ascención was born 13

31 de Mayo de 1913 en Bouza Provincia                     May in 1913 in Bouza Province

de Salamanca partido Ciudad Ro-                                of Salamanca part of Ciudad Ro-

drigo                                                                              drigo.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                                                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mi padre Celestino Garcia                                           My father Celestino García

Espinazo fallecio a los 63 anos                                    Espinazo passed away at 63 years

de edad, en el dia 11 de Febrero de 1914                     of age, on 11 February in 1914

Mi esposa Maria Rivero                                               My wife Maria Rivero

Montero fallecio a los 71 anos                                     Montero passed away at 71 years

de edad el 28 de Enero de 1944                                   of age on 28 January in 1944

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                                                   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mi padre Sebastián García                                           Sebastián García               

Muñoz fallecio el 22 de Junio                                      Muñoz passed away on 22 June

de 1962 a los 84 anos de edad                                     in 1962 at 84 years of age

Puerto Seguro (Salamanca)                                          Puerto Seguro (Salamanca)

[I'm not sure who wrote these entries, due to several different handwritings]

Mi hermano Joaquin                                   My brother Joaquin

murio el dia 6 de Agosto                            died on 6 August

de 1975 a los 71 anos de                            in 1975 at 71 years of

edad, a las 13 horas                                    age, at 1 o'clock 

del dia.                                                        in the afternoon

-------------------------                                  ------------------

José Garcia Rivero fallecio                        José Garcia Rivero passed away

 el dia 3 de Diciembre de 1994                  on 3 December in 1994

a los 86 anos de edad a                              at 86 years of age at

las 20:50 horas                                           8:50 o'clock [p.m.]

----------------------                                       -----------------------

Ascención García Rivero                          Ascención García Rivero

fallecio el dia 7 de                                     passed away on 7

Dicembre de 2002 a los                             December in 2002 at

89 anos a las     (despus de desayunar)      89 years at [blank] (after breakfast)

--------------------                                         -----------------------

Luisa Martin Rivero                                  Luisa Martin Rivero    [wife of Joaquin]                               

fallecio el dia 4 de                                     passed away on 4

Marzo de 2004 a los 97 anos                     March in 2004 at 97 years

----------------------                                     -------------------------

--------------------------

To Cite/Link to:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "A Little Family History Book from Spain", Nutfield Genealogy, posted June 4, 2019, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/06/a-little-family-history-book-from-spain.html: accessed [access date]). 

Josefa Rivero 1884 - 1937 Villar de Ciervo, Salamanca, Spain

This photo is of Vincent's great grandmother, Josefa Rivero Gonzalez.

Josefa Rivero was born 23 October 1884 in the little village of Villar de Ciervo in Salamanca, Spain.  This village is directly on the border of Portugal - there is only a tiny stream of water dividing the two countries in this village.  She was the daughter of Manuel Rivero and Orofilia Gonzalez.  Her father was a "molinero" or miller.  They had four children:  Nicolas (b. 1877), Jerman (b. 1879), Juan Mamon (b. 1880) and Josefa was the youngest.

She married Manuel Martin on 23 January 1904 in Villar de Ciervo.  He was the son of Mateo Martin and Manuela Ventura, born about 1880 in Barcelona, Spain.  He was a cattle and sheep trader, and bred "toros bravos" or sporting bulls for bullfighting.  He had a farm in Villar de Ciervo and grew grapes for wine. They had four children Maria Joaquina (b. 1904), Nicolas Martin, Luisa Antonia (b. 1906), and Maria Consuelo (b. 1908) who was the youngest and Vincent's grandmother.

Josefa died on 17 November 1937 in Villar de Ciervo.  Manuel survived his wife by many years and died on 10 September 1971 in Villar de Ciervo.

This is the only photo I have seen of Josefa.  Below is a painting we own of the Martin house in the village of Villar de Ciervo.  It was painted from the rear of the house, not the street view.  About 20 years ago we visited this home, and bought the painting from the village pharmacist. It hangs in my office, right behind my desk as I type up this blog post on my computer.

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Josefa Rivero 1884 - 1937 Villar de Ciervo, Salamanca, Spain", Nutfield Genealogy, posted April 21, 2017, (http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/04/josefa-rivero-1884-1937-villar-de.html: accessed [access date]).

19 August 1692, Five People Hanged for Witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts

The gravestone of George Jacobs
Danvers, Massachusetts

On this date in 1692 five people were executed for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts.  Only one was a woman, contrary to popular belief.  On this particular day George Jacobs, Sr., Martha Carrier, the Reverend George Burroughs, John Proctor, and John Willard were hanged on Gallows Hill.   Five innocent people.  

One month earlier the upstanding citizens Rebecca Nurse, Susannah Martin, Elizabeth Howe, Sarah Good, and Sarah Wildes were executed.   Two months earlier, on June 10, Bridget Bishop was hanged in Salem as the first official execution of the Salem witch trials.    Over that summer, nineteen innocent lives were lost to gossip, heresy and lies. 

What has been learned since then?  Did anyone change their ways because of this?  Did we see the follies of our ways and become kinder and more forgiving to our neighbors? Did we become accepting of the "different" and less fortunate?

In 2011, modern “witches” have taken over Salem, Massachusetts- people like Laurie Cabot, who exploit the deaths of innocent people for their own profits.  My daughter’s AP History Class took a field trip to the “Witch Museum” in Salem after reading Miller’s play The Crucible.  I was shocked to hear myths being re-told during the presentation, and then the narrator invited the school children to the back of the museum to see a display of modern pagan witch artifacts “by the descendants of the original witches!”   I was flabbergasted, as a chaperone, to know that these myths persist.  

The truth is that none of the original nineteen people were witches, nor were they practicing witchcraft.  The people of Salem were Puritans, however they did believe the Devil dwelt amongst them in Massachusetts.  They falsely believed that witches lived among them, the cause of their problems and troubles. The Devil’s work was truly the gossip, lies and heresy told by neighbors and friends, and not the work of witchcraft.  Over the years these innocent victims have all had their records expunged from the criminal court system. 

If you want to see any actual sites related to the trials of 1692, you are better off going to Danvers, Massachusetts to visit the Archives where some of the original documents can still be read, or the memorial to the victims on the site of the original meeting house, or the well preserved Rebecca Nurse Homestead.   In the city of Salem, there is a memorial (cenotaphs) to the executed victims, Judge Corwin’s house, and the disputed site of Gallows Hill.  In Salem you will also find several museums of dubious quality and inaccurate displays.  You are better off touring the world class Peabody Essex Museum in Salem than any of the other witch museums, and thank goodness the PEM has removed the display of George Jacob’s finger bones.

On this date in 1692 two of those five people hung on Gallows Hill were my 9x great grandfathers, George Jacobs and John Proctor.  Bridget Bishop was my 9x great grandmother.  In 1992 the descendants of George Jacobs removed his body from where it had been secretly buried on the Jacobs homestead, because the land was being sold for commercial development.  We had his body re-interred with a very nice reproduction 17th century style headstone at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead in Danvers, Massachusetts.   Laurie Cabot, nor any of the merchants profiting from “witchcraft” in modern Salem, did not donate a penny towards the re-internment.  It is the only actual gravesite of a witch trial victim, since the others were buried in a crevice, and not allowed to be buried in the town burial grounds.  Rebecca Nurse was reburied in secret on the grounds of the family farm.  No one knows where she is located exactly, and hopefully she has been at peace ever since 1692.

George Jacobs
"Because I am falsely accused. I never did it."

Bridget Bishop
"I am no witch. I am innocent. I know nothing of it."

Margaret Jacobs
"... They told me if I would not confess I should be put down into the dungeon and would be hanged, but if I would confess I should save my life."  [note:  Margaret was forced to confess and to accuse her own grandfather, George Jacobs, of witchcraft]

Engraved on a cenotaph to Rebecca Nurse, at the Nurse Family Burial Ground in Danvers, Massachusetts:

“O, Christian martyr!  Who for truth could die,

When all about thee owned the hideous lie!

The world, redeemed from superstitions sway

Is breathing freer for thy sake today.”

By John Greenleaf Whittier

Originally published on 19 August 2011 at the Nutfield Genealogy Blog

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "19 August 1692, Five People Hanged for Witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 19, 2013, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/08/19-august-1692-five-people-hanged-for.html: accessed [access date]).

A 25th Wedding Anniversary in Spain

When we were in Spain last month my mother-in-law brought out a few old photo albums I had never seen before.  This one had lots of wonderful photos, and many of them were taken the day she hosted a 25th wedding anniversary party for her parents.  

José García and María Consuelo Martín were married on 8 September 1933 in the tiny village of Villar de Ciervo, Salamanca, Spain.  By the time of their 25th anniversary they were living in Madrid.  The wedding vow renewals were held at the Madrid church of Santa Teresa and Santa Isabel. What is fun is that everyone atttending the lunch signed the book, and the signatures are still legible! 

José and Consuelo

Messages and congratulations from guests at the anniversary.  Most are family members!

My mother-in-law with her parents.
She hosted the festivities on 6 September 1958.
She looks so young here! 

It looks like the guests had a good time!

This is José García  and María Consuelo Martín on their wedding day on 8 September 1933!

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Copyright 2012, Heather Wilkinson Rojo