Because All Hallows' Evening approaches... - Bilge

TG The Gnomon Member MD-DC-VA Joined: May 01, 2007 Posts: 1293	TG The Gnomon Posted posted on Thu, Oct 25, 2007 11:39 AM On 2007-10-24 20:19, Mouse Art wrote: ........Years ago my sister researched our family tree. It appears some of my relatives were burned at the stake on the east coast for, well shall we say, unexplained events................Remy Hey, Remy Sorry to hear about your ancestors' misfortune. Were they slaves? The penalty for witchcraft in the Colonies was a trip to the gallows (not the hanging tree as an earlier comment I made probably suggested). Burning at the stake in colonial times was conducted occasionally by Native American tribes and, among the colonists, was reserved for slaves convicted of arson or certain kinds of conspiracy against their masters. Actually, I think the law went on the books that anyone convicted of arson could be burned at the stake, but I'm pretty sure it was only ever used on slaves. If your relatives were not slaves and they didn't really piss off any Native American tribes, it's hard to speculate how they might have ended up in that situation. It wouldn't have been for witchcraft. If it had, that would have been unusual enough to make it into the history books, so you wouldn't have to wonder. You'd know. Did your sister ever find out what those "unexplained events" were. If it turns out that they were executed for witchcraft, then it was most likely extrajudicial (like a mob lynching is). But stake burning was a much bigger deal than hanging. Hanging was pretty cheap and easy, and could be done by any size mob even if nobody knew how to tie a hangman's knot. Burning at the stake required a lot of work and expense; erecting a stake in an open space and surrounding it with lots of valuable firewood. A lynching could be done with only a small gang being aware of what was going on. A burning at the stake sent up huge flames and billowing smoke for miles. Just about impossible to keep secret. My point being, if it was a burning at the stake, most likely it was sanctioned by the court and the court would have prescribed hanging for witchcraft. Hope you are able to learn what happened. It's puzzling.

On 2007-10-24 20:19, Mouse Art wrote:

........Years ago my sister researched our family tree. It appears some of my relatives were burned at the stake on the east coast for, well shall we say, unexplained events................Remy

Hey, Remy

Sorry to hear about your ancestors' misfortune. Were they slaves? The penalty for witchcraft in the Colonies was a trip to the gallows (not the hanging tree as an earlier comment I made probably suggested). Burning at the stake in colonial times was conducted occasionally by Native American tribes and, among the colonists, was reserved for slaves convicted of arson or certain kinds of conspiracy against their masters. Actually, I think the law went on the books that anyone convicted of arson could be burned at the stake, but I'm pretty sure it was only ever used on slaves.

If your relatives were not slaves and they didn't really piss off any Native American tribes, it's hard to speculate how they might have ended up in that situation. It wouldn't have been for witchcraft. If it had, that would have been unusual enough to make it into the history books, so you wouldn't have to wonder. You'd know.

Did your sister ever find out what those "unexplained events" were. If it turns out that they were executed for witchcraft, then it was most likely extrajudicial (like a mob lynching is). But stake burning was a much bigger deal than hanging. Hanging was pretty cheap and easy, and could be done by any size mob even if nobody knew how to tie a hangman's knot. Burning at the stake required a lot of work and expense; erecting a stake in an open space and surrounding it with lots of valuable firewood. A lynching could be done with only a small gang being aware of what was going on. A burning at the stake sent up huge flames and billowing smoke for miles. Just about impossible to keep secret. My point being, if it was a burning at the stake, most likely it was sanctioned by the court and the court would have prescribed hanging for witchcraft.

Hope you are able to learn what happened. It's puzzling.

Post #340488 by The Gnomon on Thu, Oct 25, 2007 11:39 AM