Did you know...?

Did You Know?I tend to do a TON of research for my stories... of which, about 95+% never makes it into the books; a lot of times it's just so that I can be sure I didn't get something wrong. So far, the most research went into my 16th century medieval paranormal romance trilogy, When Darkness Falls, but I've been also doing a lot (a LOT!) for the current manuscript, A Witch in Time, as our heroine comes from 1692 Salem.

Since only the first chapter of the book actually takes place in Salem, most of my research has been on the technology in our times... as in, how to explain it to someone from the 17th century, some of which even I didn't know. YouTube was a huge help, as I got to learn how to explain how airplanes fly, and how the internet works. Which (luckily for you) I didn't actually write into the story, but still, just sayin'. I looked up how to explain things "for kids" and found out all kinds of interesting things, like the difference between concrete and cement. 

But I did also find some interesting historical things about the Colonial times to share!! For instance:

• People in the Puritan colonies, used to keep deer as pets. They lived in the homes along with the family and other pets, and wore collars, and were walked on leashes.

• Colonial boys used to have flying squirrels, who also wore collars and leashes, and were trained to sit on their shoulder as they walked around town.

• Dogs wore fancy collars, either engraved with their owner's name, or with a lock to which only the owner had a key, the possession of which would prove ownership. Dogs were held in such high esteem that after a battle during the War of Independence, General Washington returned the dog of his opponent, a British General, after discovering the owner's name on the collar.

• So here is something reeaaalllyyyyyyyyyyy interesting that I absolutely did not know. The infamous Salem Magistrate, John Hathorne, who never expressed remorse or regret over his actions, was the great-great-grandfather of a well-known American author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, who added the "w" to his last name. It's presumed this was done to distance himself from his infamous ancestor; this assumption bears weight given that John Hathorne appeared as the antagonist, Judge Pyncheon, in The House of the Seven Gables.

• And of course, I can't leave this without some (depressing) facts about the Salem Witch Trials.

  • Witches were not executed by being burned at the stake in America. Of the 20 who were executed, 19 were hung, and one 81-year-old man was pressed to death after refusing to enter a plea. Just personally, I think being hung would be quicker and less torturous than being pressed, but who am I to say :(

  • Of over 200 accused, only 5 were found innocent, 4 were found guilty but pardoned, and one (the famous Tituba) pled guilty and was pardoned.

  • Many died in prison before either execution or trial, possibly up to 2 dozen. One of these was a woman who had been acquitted, but had remained in prison due to being unable to pay her court fees. Another was an infant born in prison but died shortly after birth.