Confession of Ruth Buck, August 16, 17781

Introduction

On August 16, 1778, the church records note that “Ruth Buck, offerd Confession of breacking [sic] the Seventh Commandment and was restord. She was also admitted into full Communion.”2 Nothing is known, at this writing, about Ruth Buck’s parentage, place of birth, the birth of her illegitimate child, or its father. She died on July 18, 1834, a. 92, suggesting that she was born about 1742.3 According to Harriette Merrifield Forbes’s The Hundred Town: Glimpses of Life in Westborough, 1717–1817, “In the warrant for the town-meeting, May 9, 1763, one article was ‘To see what the Town will do with respect to Ruth Buck, which the Selectmen of this Town have sent to Southboro’, for the Selectmen of Southboro’ refuse to take the said Ruth Buck as their proper charge.’ They ‘voted not to stand Toyal (trial) with Southboro’ with respect to Ruth Buck.’ In October of the same year, Mr. Samuel Allen prayed ‘that the Town would Relieve Him someway or other with respect to Ruth Buck and her child.’ They afterwards appropriated money for her support, and so in the early days of her unfortunate motherhood she became a town charge.” According to Forbes, “Full communion with the church did not mean full social fellowship with the good people of the town. It is not long before we find her regarded with distrust, though still going from house to house, following her profession of tailoress, looked upon with fear by the little children, and by many of their elders as a social outcast and witch.”4 Forbes recounts many of the tales that shaped Ruth Buck’s reputation as a witch—or at least as an eccentric.

The Confession

I think I am hartily Sorey for all my Sins and I Desire that this whole Church and Congregation would be Plesed to forgive me all that I have offended in any wise, espeshely by the Sin of Braking the Seventh Commandment—which being So Contrary to Gods holy Laws, I have brot Shame and Sorrow uppon my Self and grief to my Parents and more a Bundently Provocked a holy and a righteous God. Yung Peple I beag that you would never ofend God as I have Don Lest you Should be Left to your Selves as I was.

Ruth Buck