Murder & Mayhem in Essex County (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781540230799)

The idea of a criminal record originated in the early seventeenth century when the magistrates of the Massachusetts Bay Colony began recording dates, places, victims and criminals. Despite, or perhaps because of, the strict code of the Puritans, some early settlers earned quite the rap sheet that landed them either in the stocks or at the end of a noose. With biting wit and an eye for the macabre, local author Robert Wilhelm traces the first documented cases of murder and mayhem in Essex County, Massachusetts. Discover the story of Hannah Duston's revenge on her Abenaki Indian captors, why the witchcraft hysteria hung over Salem and Andover and how Rachel Wall made her living as a pirate. Decide for yourself whether the accused are guilty or if history lends itself to something else entirely.

Author: Robert Wilhelm
ISBN-10: 1540230791
ISBN-13: 9781540230799
Publisher: History Press Library Editions
Language: English
Published: 11/08/2011
Pages: 130
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 0.76lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.38d