Blacksheep Sunday: Grandma Dorcas, Part I – Burglary Ring

Dorcas Galley was my 8^th-Great Grandmother on the Crosby side.  She was born in late 1635 or early 1636 in the town of Beverly, Essex County of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, America.  Her parents, John and Florence Galley most likely arrived in America shortly before her birth.

This is Part I in a two part series about Dorcas Hoar’s involvement with the Puritan legal system. During her life Dorcas, as a defendant in criminal proceedings, caused many pages of court documents to be generated. A great deal of those documents and transcripts still exist.

Dorcas, although an odd name by today’s standards, was not so uncommon a name in early New England. Dorcas, an alternate form of Tabitha, is a New Testament name of the Bible (Tabitha being the Aramaic form) and associated with being charitable.[1]

In October 1635 her father was fined 20 shillings for “knowing his wife carnally before marriage”.[2] Several texts surmise that, based on the timing of events, John and Florence’s tryst became obvious once the pregnancy was found out. In Puritan society premarital sex was frowned upon, and Dorcas was the product of sin, so she may have started life with a mark against her.    With that said, it is more than a bit ironic that Dorcas would have some serious brushes with the law.

Around 1655, Dorcas Galley married William Hoar, also of Beverly. The date of marriage is calculated based on the birth year of their oldest known child, Samuel.  Together, William and Dorcas had a second son, William (my 7^th-Great Grandfather) and four daughters: Mary, Elizabeth, Annice and Tabitha.  The birthdates of the children have yet to be found, but it is known that by 1678 all the children, with the exception of Annice, were married.

In Spring 1678, John Hale of Beverly made a formal complaint to authorities in which he was the victim of several thefts. Fortunately, the records of the Quarterly Court of Essex County, in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, still exist. The following account is taken from the testimony, complaints and depositions submitted to the court.[3]

John Hale complained that his “maide servant” Margret Lord had recently taken to lying and leaving the house at night without permission. Hale also claimed that money was missing and that Dorcas Hoar came to his house asking leniency for Margret’s running away. According to Hale, Dorcas said that Margret had given her a shilling recently and that Dorcas could not explain why Margret would give her the money. Hale also complained that Dorcas’ children lingered around his property for the purpose of stealing.

Based on Hale’s complaint, a Search Warrant was issued for the apprehension of Margret Lord, who was supposed to be in hiding.  The deputy Marshal returned the warrant unserved. He could not find Margret.

An Arrest Warrant was issued on May 31, 1678, charging Dorcas Hoar and three of her daughters with receiving stolen goods. The contraband included flour, malt and oatmeal that were received from Margret Lord.

A trial followed the arrest of Dorcas and her daughters, and the first witnesses were John Hale, his wife Rebeckah and their children Rebeckah, Jr. and Robert.  The Hales testified that Dorcas admitted that Margret Lord delivered certain goods to her house. It was said that Dorcas allowed Margret into her house several times, even after knowing of her thievery.  John Hale accused the Hoars of using hops, stolen from his stores, to make the “wedding beare” for their daughter Tabitha’s wedding.

Rebeckah Hale provided a lengthy, and very detailed, inventory of what was stolen.  Rebeckah also testified that Margret was not the only thief stealing from them. She testified that Dorcas and her daughters also stole.  Rebeckah’s testimony was quite thorough.

Rebeckah Hale, Jr. testified that she was aware of Margret Lord’s stealing for some months, but she was afraid to tell her mother.  Rebeckah, Jr. said that Margret threatened to burn her with an iron if she told.  Margret also allegedly claimed to have a book, from which she could read and conjure the devil.  Like her mother, Rebeckah provided lengthy testimony to the court and implicated Tabitha and Annice Hoar in the thefts.

Robert Hale testified that Margret called Dorcas “Mother” and referred to Dorcas’ daughters as her sisters and all were involved in the thievery.

Roger Conant testified that some six to eight years before, Mary and Elizabeth Hoar came to his house to buy apples. While in the cellar fetching the apples a large bolt of canvass was stolen from his house.

Much of the remaining testimony was similar to Conant’s; the allegation often happening years before their testimony, and many times the testimony was hearsay.  Sixteen (16) others would also testified, either in-court or through deposition, concerning the Hoars stealing. There were also claims that Dorcas and Margret Lord violated the Sabbath and on some occasions were seen dancing in the woods on the Lord’s Day.

In June, the constable for Essex County, John Black, executed a search warrant at the home of William Hoar and found two parcels of Naples silk and a jug of oatmeal. The inventory offered by Rebeckah Hale during her testimony mentioned Naples silk being stolen from her house. Oatmeal was also stolen from more than one person, but it is something that could be expected to be found in most New England homes of the day.  The silk, however, was quite a unique item.

Killicrist and Mary Ross testified that Mary and Elizabeth Hoar lived with them for a time and they knew them to be trustworthy and faithful. Tabitha, however, they said, “was such a lying creature that they could not believe a word she said and could keep her no longer.”  Mary was Dorcas’ sister.

Tabitha was examined by the court and implicated her mother in Margret Lord’s scheme.  She disclosed that her mother had sent the children to get many articles from Margret Lord which were stolen.  The record does not provide a thorough account of Tabitha’s testimony, but does mention she spoke of the articles taken in detail.

Unfortunately, there is no summation or outcome of the case included in the record.  Clearly, there was a great deal of testimony presented, by 21 witnesses, to support the charges. Tabitha Hoar also corroborated some of the testimony of the witnesses and, as a co-conspirator, implicated Dorcas as the ring leader.  The only physical evidence presented was that offered by Constable Black, who discovered the Naples silk in the Hoar house.

The legal standards of the 1600s were much different than today’s. Hearsay was permitted and the court appears to have been the sole Trier – there was no prosecutor or defense, just the body of the court.  Based on the facts, the likelihood of acquittal appears slim. I have sent out queries seeking to learn the disposition of the case, but I am not too confident of success.  Searches of the other 8 volumes in the series of court records have not given any clues either.  Hopefully one day the outcome will be learned.

There are no loose ends to her next case: the outcome is known.