Abigail+Williams

(July 12, 1680 – 1697): one of the original and foremost accusers in the Salem witch trials Salem witch trials of 1692. Williams, being born in Salem on 12 July 1680, was eleven years old at the time and, her parents having died, was living with her uncle Samuel Parris in Salem. According to Rev. Deodat Lawson, an eyewitness, she began to have fits in which she ran around rooms flailing her arms, ducking under chairs and trying to climb up the chimney. Some modern historians believe that these strange symptoms may have been caused by the ingestion of a poisoned rye crop. When consumed, rye in the Ergot|ergot stage of fungus development can bring on strange sensations such as burning and itching of the skin, feelings of "pins and needles, spasms, convulsions, unconsciousness, hallucinations, and psychosis (see Ergotism|ergotism). This theory, first posited by [[w/index.php?title Linda Caporael&action edit&redlink 1 Linda Caporael in 1976, is largely speculative. Weather records note a long period of drought preceding the onset of the 'fits', suggesting fungus development was unlikely. Many claim that the girls, along with several other pre-teen and teenage girls in Salem, were just inventing the afflictions to draw attention to themselves and to avoid punishment by pretending to be "ill". Another reason may have been food poisoning: the girls may have eaten a "Witch's Stew" as part of their games that may have contained inedible or uncooked ingredients.