An American Family History

thes may Sartifie home it may cun[cern] that wee hows names are undor Ritt[en] Being dasired by some of the Realeations of mary estweke to give our obsarvation how she behaved hur self while she Roumain[ed] in Ipswech prison we dow afarme th[at] wee sawe noe ell carreg or behav[iour in] hure but that hure aportment wosi [torn] Sobor and civell

as wittnes our h[ands this] 5 Saptem 92

thomos [Fosse]
his mark
elesabeth [Fosse]

When a mark is used for a signature, the person was probably illiterate, but may not have been able to sign because of age or infirmity.

Salem is in Essex County, Massachusetts and was a significant seaport in early America. John Endicott obtained a patent from England and arrived there in 1628. Salem originally included much of the North Shore, including Marblehead. Salem Village also included Peabody and parts of Beverly, Middleton, Topsfield, Wenham and Manchester-by-the-Sea.