Mary Estey: Her Life, Execution, and Her Historic Legacy

Nashua native Mary Louise Bigham is the 9x great-granddaughter of Mary and Isaac Estey, sister of Rebecca Nurse, who was wrongfully convicted and executed for the capital crime of witchcraft in September 1692 during the Salem witch-hunt. Mary Louise’s years of research into the lives of Mary and Isaac have become far more than a journey into her own family history. Discovering Mary Estey as a wife, mother, sister, neighbor, and ultimately a victim of the Salem witch-hunt has profoundly shaped Mary Louise’s life and the passions she pursues today. That research inspired a deeper commitment to understanding the events of 1692, correcting long-held misconceptions, and restoring the humanity and individual stories of those whose lives were forever changed by witch-hunting. For Mary Louise, sharing her ancestor’s story has become both deeply personal and an important part of her work as a historian, researcher, presenter, and advocate.

FREE TO THE PUBLIC