Page:The part taken by women in American history.djvu/59

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36
Part Taken by Women in American History

and should any person wear such apparel they were fined ten shillings, or any tailor make a garment of these materials he was fined ten shillings. Notwithstanding the strict ideas of those days the story is told of one Agnes Surriage, a servant and mere drudge, scrubbing the floor of the tavern at Marblehead, attracting the attention of young Sir Harry Frankland, collector of the Port of Boston. He became so infatuated with her beauty that he had her educated by the best masters in Boston and instructed in religion by Dr. Edward Holyoke, president of Harvard College, but did not honor her with his name until the terrors of the earthquake in 1755, in Lisbon, brought him to a realization of her position, and they were married. She became Lady Frankland and was later received with great honor in England. He was appointed Consul-General at Lisbon, but died in 1768, in England, and Lady Frankland returned to America. During the Revolution she suffered exile as a Tory. She later married John Drew, a rich banker, and died at the age of fifty-eight, having been one of the most prominent figures in Colonial history.

In 1689, Mr. Paris came to Salem from the West Indies, bringing with him two colored servants, John an Indian, and Tituba his wife. Like all people of their race, they were full of superstitious belief in second sight, and so infected the village of Salem that many young girls were brought under their influence and learned to go into trances and prate all manner of foolishness. This brought about the belief that they were possessed of witches. Chief among these young people were Mary Walker, Mary Hubbard, Elizabeth Booth, Susan Sheldon, Mary Warren, and Sarah Churchill, young girls still in their teens, with Ann Putnam and Mary Lewis, the latter two being most prominent. Mrs. Ann Putnam, about thirty years of age, and, it is supposed now, of unsound mind, was a beautiful and well-educated woman. She became the leader in this