Early Life
Elizabeth was the daughter of William Basset and Lexi Burt. She married John Proctor in 1674 in Salem, Massachusetts. John was twenty years older than Elizabeth.
Elizabeth's grandmother was Ann (Holland) Basset Burt, a Quaker and a midwife, who was brought up on charges of witchcraft in 1669. As she was not a doctor, but was successful at curing the sick, some people felt she could only have medical skills if she were a witch; one of those who testified against Ann was Phillip Read, a doctor. The Puritans felt there was something "witchlike" about Quakers. Some felt the stigma of being the granddaughter of someone thought to be a witch may have contributed to Elizabeth's persecution.
Read more about this topic: Elizabeth Proctor
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