Person:Susanna Waters (1)

The following note is taken from the web page at: http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/p/u/l/CINDY-C-PULCIFERLEUTZ/GENE7 -0001. html

A quaint Ipswich law punished "commoners" for overstepping the bounds of propriety by daring to wear fine garments which were beyond their proper rank in life. As early as 1651, the General court of Ipswich had expressed its "griefe...that intollerable excesse and bravery hath crept in upon us and especially amongst people of mean condition, to the dishonor of God, the scandal of its professors, the consumption of estates and altogether unsuitable to our poverty." It was later ordered that no person whose visible estate did not exceed L200, should wear gold or silver lace, or any bone lace above 2s. per yard, or silk hoods or scarfs. Penalty for each such offense was 10 shillings. In the year 1675, Ipswich was in a general state of terror over the string of Indian attacks that became known as King Phillips' War. The Ipswich General Court saw in such attacks evidence of rebukes from God Almighty himself, and promptly issued fresh edicts some of the more flagrant abuses of wearing "finery" and displaying the sin of pride. Susanna, the newly wed wife of Benedict, appeared one Sabbath morning in 1675 meeting house proudly displaying such a silk scarf and hood, along with a number of other wives of the town. Benedict was duly fined for the violation of social decorum. The incident implies that Benedict's estate must have been valued less than L200.

1. ↑ Salem, Essex, Massachusetts, United States. Vital Records to the End of the year 1849. (Salem, Massachusetts: Essex Institute, 1916-1925)
   2:398.

   WATERS, Susana, d. Rich[ar]d, bp. 1 : 2 m: 1649. C.R.1.