Abigail Proctor

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name
Abigail Proctor
aka
[Abigail Varney, Abigail Prockter]
sex
female
access
public
summary
Wife of Thomas Varney and a sister of John Proctor, hanged at Salem in 1692. She is said to have led the women who disrupted the raising of the Chebacco meeting house in 1679, when her husband answered in court "for his wife." Mother of Thomas Varney Jr. and grandmother of Abigail (Varney) Low, she died a widow at Chebacco in 1731.
born
date
c. 1639-44
basis
documented
confidence
probable
sources
[court-records-essex-quarterly-courts, vital-records-ipswich]
note
She died in 1731 "a. 92 y.," but deposed in 1673 "aged about thirty years" (5:195), and on 22 June 1676 "Thomas Varny and Abigal, his wife, both aged about thirty-two years" (6:159), which puts her birth about 1642-44.
died
date
1 Mar 1731
place
Ipswich (Chebacco), Massachusetts
basis
documented
confidence
proven
sources
[vital-records-ipswich]
note
"Abigail, wid., of Chebacco, Mar. 1, 1731, a. 92 y." (2:699).
events
what
Raised Chebacco church
date
spring 1679
place
Ipswich (Chebacco), Massachusetts
sources
[typescript-mollie-pfeiffer-holbrook-low, court-records-essex-quarterly-courts]
note
The Chebacco women met at her house and raised the meeting house the General Court had forbidden the men to build; her husband answered for her in court on 25 June 1679.
father
id
john-proctor-1595
basis
documented
confidence
proven
sources
[court-records-essex-quarterly-courts]
research
research/low/Low_Line_Research.md
note
Her deposition of 1673 (5:195) and her husband's of 1679 (7:218).
mother
id
martha-proctor-1607
basis
inferred
confidence
probable
sources
[court-records-essex-quarterly-courts, passenger-list-susan-and-ellin-1635]
note
Her 1673 deposition mentions "her mother Prockter," taken to be the Martha of the 1635 ship list.

Abigail was a daughter of John Proctor Sr. of Ipswich and a sister of the John Proctor who was hanged at Salem on 19 Aug 1692 in the witch trials; his wife Elizabeth was condemned too, and lived because she was pregnant. Abigail married Thomas Varney, and was the mother of Thomas Varney Jr. and the grandmother of Abigail (Varney) Low.

Her father's will (28 Aug 1672) left £5 to each of "my ffower daughters Martha White, Abigal Varney Sara Dodg & Hanna Wede" (Probate Records of Essex County 2:315-316). On 17 June 1673 Abigail, "aged about thirty years," told the court what she had heard her father say to her mother: that "at the making up of the match between her brother Dodge and her sister Sarah" he had promised his daughter £45, five of it for household stuff, "but that her mother Prockter said that she was not willing that the five pounds should be paid at that time" (Essex Quarterly Courts 5:195).

King Philip's War. When the war broke out in June 1675, Joseph Proctor of Ipswich, probably her brother, rode as a trooper in Capt. Nicholas Paige's troop on the Mount Hope campaign. He was credited on 3 Sept 1675, served on under Capt. Daniel Henchman, and had his wages assigned to Ipswich (Soldiers in King Philip's War, pp. 58, 86, 370; Waters, p. 223). Credited in the same troop the same day was Joseph Safford, husband of Sarah Low, the great-aunt of the Caleb Low who would marry Abigail's granddaughter. Thomas and Abigail were still at Ipswich in June 1676, when they deposed together, "both aged about thirty-two years" (Essex Quarterly Courts 6:159).

In 1679 the women of Chebacco raised their own meeting house against the Council's order. Abigail is said to have led them, and when the offenders were brought to court, her husband answered "for his wife" (Essex Quarterly Courts 7:245).

  1. ---
  2. name: Abigail Proctor
  3. aka: [Abigail Varney, Abigail Prockter]
  4. sex: female
  5. access: public
  6. summary: >-
  7. Wife of Thomas Varney and a sister of John Proctor, hanged at Salem in 1692. She is
  8. said to have led the women who disrupted the raising of the Chebacco meeting house in 1679, when
  9. her husband answered in court "for his wife." Mother of Thomas Varney Jr. and grandmother of
  10. Abigail (Varney) Low, she died a widow at Chebacco in 1731.
  11. born:
  12. date: c. 1639-44
  13. basis: documented
  14. confidence: probable
  15. sources: [court-records-essex-quarterly-courts, vital-records-ipswich]
  16. note: She died in 1731 "a. 92 y.," but deposed in 1673 "aged about thirty years" (5:195), and on 22 June 1676 "Thomas Varny and Abigal, his wife, both aged about thirty-two years" (6:159), which puts her birth about 1642-44.
  17. died:
  18. date: 1 Mar 1731
  19. place: Ipswich (Chebacco), Massachusetts
  20. basis: documented
  21. confidence: proven
  22. sources: [vital-records-ipswich]
  23. note: "\"Abigail, wid., of Chebacco, Mar. 1, 1731, a. 92 y.\" (2:699)."
  24. events:
  25. - what: Raised Chebacco church
  26. date: "spring 1679"
  27. place: Ipswich (Chebacco), Massachusetts
  28. sources: [typescript-mollie-pfeiffer-holbrook-low, court-records-essex-quarterly-courts]
  29. note: "The Chebacco women met at her house and raised the meeting house the General Court had forbidden the men to build; her husband answered for her in court on 25 June 1679."
  30. father:
  31. id: john-proctor-1595
  32. basis: documented
  33. confidence: proven
  34. sources: [court-records-essex-quarterly-courts]
  35. research: research/low/Low_Line_Research.md
  36. note: Her deposition of 1673 (5:195) and her husband's of 1679 (7:218).
  37. mother:
  38. id: martha-proctor-1607
  39. basis: inferred
  40. confidence: probable
  41. sources: [court-records-essex-quarterly-courts, passenger-list-susan-and-ellin-1635]
  42. note: Her 1673 deposition mentions "her mother Prockter," taken to be the Martha of the 1635 ship list.
  43. ---
  45. Abigail was a daughter of John Proctor Sr. of Ipswich and a sister of the John Proctor who was
  46. hanged at Salem on 19 Aug 1692 in the witch trials; his wife Elizabeth was condemned too, and lived
  47. because she was pregnant. Abigail married Thomas Varney, and was the mother of Thomas Varney Jr.
  48. and the grandmother of Abigail (Varney) Low.
  50. Her father's will (28 Aug 1672) left £5 to each of "my ffower daughters Martha White, Abigal Varney
  51. Sara Dodg & Hanna Wede" (Probate Records of Essex County 2:315-316). On 17 June 1673 Abigail, "aged
  52. about thirty years," told the court what she had heard her father say to her mother: that "at the
  53. making up of the match between her brother Dodge and her sister Sarah" he had promised his daughter
  54. £45, five of it for household stuff, "but that her mother Prockter said that she was not willing
  55. that the five pounds should be paid at that time" (Essex Quarterly Courts 5:195).
  57. **King Philip's War.** When the war broke out in June 1675, Joseph Proctor of Ipswich, probably her
  58. brother, rode as a trooper in Capt. Nicholas Paige's troop on the Mount Hope campaign. He was
  59. credited on 3 Sept 1675, served on under Capt. Daniel Henchman, and had his wages assigned to
  60. Ipswich ([*Soldiers in King Philip's War*](/files/sources/book-bodge-1906-soldiers-king-philips-war/), pp.
  61. 58, 86, 370; [Waters](/files/sources/book-waters-1905-ipswich-bay-colony/), p. 223). Credited in the same
  62. troop the same day was Joseph Safford, husband of Sarah Low, the great-aunt of the Caleb Low who
  63. would marry Abigail's granddaughter. Thomas and Abigail were still at Ipswich in June 1676, when
  64. they deposed together, "both aged about thirty-two years" (Essex Quarterly Courts 6:159).
  66. In 1679 the women of Chebacco raised their own meeting house against the Council's order. Abigail is
  67. said to have led them, and when the offenders were brought to court, her husband answered "for his
  68. wife" (Essex Quarterly Courts 7:245).
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