Who Do You Think You Are? (2010) s01e01 Episode Script
Sarah Jessica Parker
Male narrator: This season on who do you think you are Seven of the world's most beloved celebrities Will embark on life-altering journeys Into their family history.
They will travel the world in search of their heritage.
Ooh! Narrator: Family mysteries will be revealed.
I had always thought she was dead.
Is this the only known picture of him? That's the only known picture.
How absolutely terrifying.
Narrator: And everything they thought they knew Will be rewritten.
- Oh, my god! - What?! This is a story that's gettin' good.
Yes.
- Gettysburg.
- Gettysburg? - That's history right there.
- It sure is.
narrator: Lives will be changed.
- My name is lisa kudrow and-- - uh-huh.
And I think we're related.
narrator: Roots will be discovered.
Amazing.
It's incredible.
This is it.
This is where it all began.
It all started here.
narrator: Because to know who you are, You have to know where you came from.
It's like learning that there's something different In your being than what you always thought.
I have found what I was looking for.
So do you know who you are? Oh, I've always known who I am.
But now I know more.
It's changed everything About who I thought I was.
Everything.
Narrator: Tonight Unbelievable! Narrator: Actor sarah jessica parker Explores her family's past.
We were clinging for some kind of identity Our entire lives! Narrator: And discovers an incredible american history.
Oh, my god! I can't get him out of my mind.
They're saying that they killed her.
I just want to go on record as saying I find this really actually physically upsetting.
[dramatic music.]
Narrator: She's known the world over As the ultimate single girl.
But actor and producer sarah jessica parker Is fundamentally different from her famous character, Sex in the city's carrie bradshaw.
There's no mention of family in carrie's life.
I mean, purposefully, We chose to not talk about a past.
Family plays a central role in my life.
I'm a wife, a mother, and a sister.
I grew up in a large family with seven siblings.
One of my older brothers is also an actor.
So I'm going up to the gershwin theater To see my brother toby Who's in the broadway production of wicked, the musical.
As children, my parents took us to the theater All the time, And this had an enormous influence on us.
We would read stories of remarkable people, And, I think, secretly wished we had been remarkable.
The truth is, is that We're just a lot more common than that.
Like, we're not that Extraordinary.
Hey, tobe.
- Hey.
- Hey! [laughing.]
- how are you? - Hi.
- Hi.
So I'm just wondering, with all the joking aside [both laughing.]
- That's impossible.
- Do you[laughing.]
Do you think there's any hope at all To find something remotely interesting To tell our children? Do you think we'll come across any You know, I always thought that both sides Were immigrants, you know, That there was no lineage, really.
- Right.
- You know, in the 1800s We're certainly not mayflower.
Yeah, like the 18-- There's no way they let our ancestors on the mayflower.
[both laughing.]
We might have helped build the mayflower.
- [laughing.]
exactly! - Or cleaned it When it got back.
Even that I would be proud of.
That would be a total shock.
But to be related to somebody of--of--of Note? Significance to american history Would be also equally surprising.
- A long shot.
- Yeah, yeah.
I wish that you guys were with me.
You will be.
We're all excited to find out, you know, And to share the information and to Anyway, you'll be fine.
This is crazy.
You'll be fine.
Taxi.
[horn honks.]
I'm going to see my mother now in new jersey.
Seeing as I know nothing, Or I know tiny fragments About her, uh Past ancestry, It seems the best place to start is with her.
I know my father stephen's side is eastern european jewish.
But there are a lot of questions about my mother's ancestry.
I want this for her I think, even more than for me.
My mother's done so much for all of us, raising our family.
So this is an opportunity For me to do something special for her.
It's the one thing that I can give her.
It's the one thing I can teach her.
I mean, I'll come back, hopefully, from this trip With information that I can impart That I think will be Intensely meaningful to her.
Mommy? - Sarah.
- Hello.
- Hi! - [laughing.]
My mother, barbara, was born and raised In cincinnati's german community, Like her parents and grandparents.
But I don't think she knows much more About her side of the family than that.
My father's family, as I understood it, Came from bavaria.
All german, all--on all sides.
That's all I heard about when I was growing up, Was the german culture.
- Okay.
But this is really interesting.
This is wonderful.
This is grandma dolly.
- Mm-hmm.
And this is grandma dolly's mother Whose name was lillian hodge.
Wait, just back up for one second.
Hodge isYour mother's mother's maiden name? Yes.
I knew my grandmother dolly, And she had a german surname.
But I never met my great-grandmother lillian, And I've never heard the name hodge before In connection with my family.
HodgeSounds english.
It appears Doesn't it? I don't know what it sounds like, actually.
I don't know! And does that mean she's not from cincinnati With that very un-german I don't know anything about her background at all, Because she died before I was two.
And that's all you know about And that is all I know about her, except Here's a picture of her father Elva hodge.
- His name was elva? - Elva.
So your great-grandfather.
Yes.
He's so hodgian.
[both chuckling.]
And in cincinnati.
As far as I know, everyone lived in cincinnati.
Which means we should really go to ccinnati.
- I think you have to- - I think you have to search - My hope was that we-- - search cincinnati.
See what you can find, high and low.
I'm really excited to be home.
I'm thrilled that the help I need is here.
Any excuse to come back.
My first stop is the public library In my old neighborhood of clifton.
I want to find out where this new And very english-sounding name hodge will lead me.
So I'm meeting with a genealogist, Natalie cottrill.
Would never have suspected that there would be anything Other than a german name on my mother's mother's side.
So I'm so excited at the notion That you might have more.
First of all, the hodge surname Is a very old, old name In american history.
And I've come across this name over and over again In the 1700s and the 1600s, primarily in new England.
It's been around for a while.
It would be really intriguing to see If your hodge family connects in With these new England hodges.
- Wow.
- Okay? Wow! [laughing.]
You know, before we, you know, get too far back Okay.
I did find this great record on elva.
This is his death record.
Wow.
"elva d.
Hodge.
" This is a great record, because it also gives his "name of father John e.
Hodge.
" Unbelievable- his birthplace, ohio.
This next document is the 1860 census.
This is john hodge.
We found him living with his mother, amy.
She's widowed at this point.
- In 1860.
- Mm-hmm.
Narrator: The ohio census shows That in 1860 sarah jessica's third great-grandfather, John eber hodge, Was a young, fatherless boy.
But how did his father die? As I studied john a bit further, I found his obituary.
Wow! "john eber hodge was born on a farm "in maplewood in logan county, "September 29, 1850.
"he worked on the farm to assist his mother until-- Assist his mother, amy" - mm-hmm.
"until he was 18 years of age, "his father having died during a journey to california In 1849.
" - mm-hmm.
Hmm.
He was part of the gold rush? Very well could have been.
Why else might someone have been going to california From ohio in 1849? That was usually the reason.
I wish my mom was here.
I've asked natalie to pull The california census information from ancestry.
Com To see if john eber hodges' father, john s.
Hodge, Ever made it to california.
Hodge! He shows up.
- Yes.
And it does say he was born in ohio, And he is the right age.
Unbelievable.
- He's a - A miner? - He's a miner.
- He's a miner.
Mm-hmm.
This is 1850.
Didn't he pass-- I'm--wait.
So '49, he is Alleged to have died, And he's showing up on the census.
- In 1850.
- In 1850.
- Mm-hmm.
- Is that common? Or is he a swindler? Did he fake his death for the insurance? [both laughing.]
- it's the insurance.
- What happened? - That's a good question.
There's a mystery there.
I see.
Right.
- So when did he die, where? - And where did he die? - And did he die? - Right.
Or did he leave the family when he went to california? - So there's a lot of - Right.
Questions that need to be answered.
Wow.
Narrator: Coming up Sarah jessica learns what really happened To her ancestor john hodge.
Does he know that he's leaving a pregnant wife behind Who's on her own? Narrator: Sarah jessica parker Started her journey by meeting with her mother, Only to find out she didn't know much more About her family tree Further than a couple of generations back.
My father's mily came from bavaria.
That's all I heard about when I was growing up Was the german culture.
Narrator: Now she's in her hometown of cincinti, Trying to solve a family mystery.
She wants to know if her ancestor john hodge Really died during the gold rush, Or did his family merely think he died? She's at cincinnati's museum center For a meeting with a western historian.
- I'm stephen aaron.
- Hi.
It's so nice to meet you.
- Welcome.
- Thank you.
I hear you had a gold rush adventure today.
- Right here in cincinnati.
- Right here in cincinnati.
Well, it starts here.
John s.
Hodge left ohio, allegedly, In 1849 - Mm-hmm.
But in this obituary, the obituary of his son, He is cited as dying during a journey to california In 1849.
He then shows up in california On a census in 1850.
El dorado.
He's showing up in this census.
Obviously, right away, you know that - He didn't die.
- He didn't die along the way.
Well, I have buckets of questions, obviously.
And I'm kind of not sure where to begin.
Well, we know that gold was discovered in california In January, 1848.
Everybody runs to the gold fields to try to strike it rich.
So here you have people back in ohio, People like john hodge, hearing these tales Of unprecedented, immense wealth Just for the taking, Rocks of gold easily gathered.
All you need is a pick, a shovel, and a pan, And you can have this fortune beyond imagination.
How can anyone not want to go? - Right.
Everyone wants to go, and in fact, we have Some documents that we found.
Just start reading here.
You see the date.
Want me to try? "February 14th of 1850, "article of agreement made and entered into "that a partnership was formed on the above date "for the purpose of migrating to california in search of gold.
"the company consisted of following members "jacob singer, abraham mays, john gish, Joseph hill, and john s.
Hodge.
" You find hundreds of documents like these.
What's remarkable is that they found the one That had your ancestor's name on it.
That is unbelievable.
And there's his signature on the article of agreement.
According to this contract, My ancestor john hodge and his partners Had to invest $200 each in the company-- A lot of money in those days, But nothing compared to the gold They hoped to find in california.
I know from the obit that john and amy's son John eber was born on September 29th, So that means amy would have been about two months pregnant When her husband decided to head west.
He's thinking, I'm gonna go to california Because there's riches beyond imagination To be had there.
And I'm leaving my family behind.
And maybe--we don't know, given the timing here-- Does he know that he's leaving a pregnant wife behind Who's on her own.
Narrator: John hodge was only 24 When he left ohio in a covered wagon On a 2,300-mile trek.
It was an extremely dangerous journey.
As many as ten people died For every mile traveled along the route.
More than four months after leaving his family, John hodge crossed the sierra nevada mountains Into california.
So we see that hill, hodge, and gish Mm-hmm.
From this list certainly make it to california.
Yesterday, when I saw 1849, I thought, "ohDrat," You know? I'mI'mI'm a I'm a relative of a dreamer.
I'm a relative of a fool.
Or I'm a relative-- I would say you're the relative Of an archetypal american In that way.
Your family was so deeply entwined In this sort of central saga, Which, arguably, other than the civil war, Is the most important event in 19th century america.
Hodge presumably is there.
The question is What does he find? You know, whether it's dream or delusion - Right.
- Remains to be seen.
So what--I guess what I need to do now is I think where you have to go - Go - I think you have Another journey ahead of you, 'cause I think your next stop is [giggling.]
Lovely el dorado, california.
Oh, my god.
And we think that's where he is, And I think that's the place where you've gotta go In order to find out how john s.
Hodge fares On his search for fame and fortune.
John hodge's last known location Was el dorado county In the foothills of the sierra nevada mountains 45 miles east of sacramento.
I'm following his path there.
Since the last piece of information emerged About john s.
Hodge, I can't get him out of my mind.
If he made it to california And he was able to survive that, What happened in california That didn't allow for him to come home? I'm meeting local historian jon mccabe.
He's gonna show me some places where john hodge Might have lived and worked.
I'm very excited.
We're on pleasant valley road right now, The early road coming from the oregon/california trail.
John would have come down here Wow! You look up on the hill, and see these little piles? Piles of gravel, piles of quartz? - Yeah.
- That's what they mined.
- Oh, wow.
- This whole area Yeah, right there.
Narrator: When john hodge reached gold country In the autumn of 1850, More than 100,000 prospectors from all over the world Were already mining the hills and old creek beds.
Setting up camp in a tent town, John became a miner.
This is where they've mined all through here - All those rocks? - And down to this bedrock.
Wow! Look at that! You can see the tailings right up close.
I just cannot believe That this is - Yeah.
Part of that, you know? That it's still here, that no one's moved it.
Yeah.
And here's what john was lookin' for.
This is what everybody came to california for.
This is amazing.
It's heavy, it's - Yeah.
- Substantial-feeling.
- Yeah.
- I understand.
- And you can imagine It seems like a lark, and then you hold it.
The first time he uncovered a crevice That had this gold in it.
- Oh, my god, he must have-- - [stammers.]
you know.
"this is what I came to california for!" you know.
I do have some information here That might help answer your question About what happened to john.
- Okay.
- And, uh - Sure.
- Read that.
Thank you.
I'll give you your gold.
I'm trustworthy, but Thank you.
I'm sort of terrified of reading it.
"December 29, 1850, In the mines of el dorado county, california.
" It's john gish writing.
Mm.
"I wrote a letter to your father about the death of joseph hill And john hodge.
" [sucks tongue.]
ah.
"they hath lay sick nearly six weeks, And I attended on them.
" [sucks tongue.]
darn! Hmm.
"the last six days "john knew nothing, "and the last three days, joseph knew nothing.
"I had such a job, before I was up "day and night with them until I was utterly done out And was taken sick the next day after they were buried.
" [sighs.]
What's the date? His son would have been two months old.
I'm sad that his son didn't know His father and his father didn't know his son, and Such a long journey.
I guess like thousands of others That didn't prove to be worth the risk, so I'm kind of heartbroken.
It's so sad.
Gish didn't say what disease killed john.
It's tragic to think his letter would take months to reach ohio, So amy probably wouldn't have learned of her husband's death Until early 1851.
He died a miner.
Yeah.
So he gets to go to his unmarked grave As part of history.
So thank you.
Thank you very much.
- No problem.
It's extraordinary to think that one of my relatives Was part of such a major event in american history.
Now I'm heading to new England.
Because if the colonial hodges are related to me, Then I'm dying to know what other events My family might have been part of.
Narrator: Coming up, sarah jessica Finds a family connection To one of the darkest periods in american history.
How absolutely terrifying.
Narrator: Sarah jessica parker's search For her mother's ancestors Has taken her from cincinnati, ohio, To gold country in california.
It will be really intriguing to see If your hodge family connects in With these new England hodges.
Wow! Narrator: Now that she knows The hodge name has roots in new England, She's come to boston to look for more clues.
She's already discovered that her Fourth great-grandfather, john hodge, Died in the gold rush in 1850.
Her next step is to meet with New England genealogist josh taylor.
I come here wondering if, in fact, Hodge is a new England colonial name, If there really is a connection, And what it means to you As an expert in new England family history and ancestry.
It means a lot to us.
Hodge is a big new England name.
- Okay.
- And we actually have-- This is the estate of john s.
Hodge.
- Oh! Yes.
- Who you mentioned.
And his father is actually eber hodge.
His name was eber hodge! And eber hodge was actually from connecticut, Probably born just after the revolution ends.
Wow! That's so crazy! He would be the first, you know, generation born As an american.
Really? And his mother was abigail elwell.
- Abigail elwell.
- Yes.
Now, elwell's another big new England name, Just like hodge- when the genealogist told you That they could go back with hodge, Elwell is the same way.
- Okay.
And abigail elwell, Her parents, her father, at least, Was jabez elwell.
- Jabez.
- J-a-b-e-z.
- Jabez? - [laughing.]
How that name wasn't carried to this century is beyond me! - We don't know.
- What a wonderful name! Jabez is the son of samuel elwell.
- Okay.
- Okay? And then samuel elwell - Yes? Is the son of samuel elwell.
[both laughing.]
Who was born in massachusetts and came down to connecticut.
This is crazy! And then samuel elwell father was-- Can you guess this one? - Samuel.
Was samuel elwell.
Exactly.
So there were three samuels in a row? - Three samuels in a row.
- And now what year are we in? - We are back to about 1630.
- Oh, my god! Okay? So my family has more than a colonial connection.
We've got roots running At least five generations deep in new England Down the hodge and elwell lines, All the way to the first samuel elwell, Born in new England in 1635, Just 15 years after the mayflower.
And josh has even more information about my family.
We have a project here Called the great migration study project, Which basically documents All of the immigrants from England Over into new England between 1620 and 1635.
- Okay.
- Okay? So if we come here - Okay.
And we basically just type in-- Are you gonna type in the name samuel? We're gonna type in robert elwell, 'cause actually, that's samuel's father.
- Robert.
- Robert.
- Okay.
Got it.
- Yes.
I cannot believe this! Okay, so we have lots of results on robert.
Is that because there are lots of robert elwells? No, it's because robert elwell was the first elwell in america.
[gasps.]
[laughing.]
oh, my god! So there's all kinds of ancestors there.
Oh, my god! So here is his sketch.
You are sure this person is related to me? I am absolutely positive.
You're not doing some goofy Ba-ha! - No, no, no.
I'm just kidding.
I just can't believe this! I swear on a stack of genealogy Robert elwell is your ancestor.
Oh, my gosh! They have no idea where in England he's from.
Interesting.
So unfortunately, the elwell line Is gonna stop there for now.
- Stop there.
Okay.
- So go ahead and keep reading.
"on 19th of February, 1642, '43, Robert elwell was admitted to salem church" Yes.
What exactly do you think of when you-- UmWitch--some kind of acts against--treasonous-- It's possible.
The witch trials were in 1692.
Robert died in about 1670, 1680.
I see.
- Here are his children.
- Okay.
And there is your ancestor, samuel.
Uh, "samuel, born about 1635, Marries esther dutch.
" - So she becomes esther elwell.
- Wow! This couple would have been alive During the salem witch trials.
Right.
So when you have an ancestor Living in essex county, massachusetts around 1692, As a genealogist, we always look To see if they're involved in the witch hysteria in salem, Because it involved everyone from that area.
You're a prime candidate right now To have something to do with the salem witch trials.
Wow! UnBeLievable! Incredible! Thank you! - Oh, you're very, very welcome.
A young man with so much old information.
Narrator: The salem witch trials Are among the most infamous and terrifying cases Of injustice in american history.
A hysteria swept through The small village of massachusetts.
Innocent people were put on trial For the supposed crime of witchcraft And put to death.
I really cannot express enough how shocked I am At the turn the story has taken.
You know, do I have kin that were accused Or, maybe worse, accusers? To find out if my ancestors Were involved in the witch trials, I've come to the massachusetts historical society.
I'm looking for samuel and esther's names And the court records of 1692 With the help of librarian elaine grublin.
Wow.
Do you know what it says? It says "salem witch trials documentary archive.
" Open, by all means.
"records and files Of the quarterly courts of essex county.
" That's where my family was.
[suspenseful music.]
Esther elwell was samuel's wife.
So her name is right here.
There's three names here, esther elwell, Abigail rowe, and rebecca dike.
When it says warrant, what does that mean? They filed this, or it was filed against them? That I don't know, But I could print out this document for you.
Great.
Oh, my gosh, how absolutely terrifying.
And incredible.
Esther.
Narrator: Coming up, Sarah jessica finds out whether her ancestor Was accused of being a witch.
No! Narrator: Sarah jessica parker has crisscrossed the country From new york to california And back to the east coast.
You are sure this person is related to me? Narrator: She's discovered connections to distant relatives Dating back to the gold rush.
This is crazy! Narrator: Now the journey through her family tree Has led her to boston And the archives of the massachusetts historical society In search of her tenth great-grandmother, Esther elwell.
She's requested a document That links esther to the salem witch trials.
Sarah jessica is waiting to find out If her ancestor was accused of being a witch Or if she accused innocent people of witchcraft.
The little I know about this period in time Was really about just kind of Crazy superstition and hearsay and All that kind of small-minded-- The--the worst of us.
Like [stammers.]
the worst of us.
Honestly, I really hope she's an accused And not an accuser.
I reallyII And I-if we were involved In the way that is the- -the least likeable, The most objectionable, I would really want to You know, somehow--and this is, of course, ridiculous-- Fix it.
Did they tell you I've changed my mind? I don't want to see this document.
All right, well Maybe this will answer your question.
Okay.
Oh.
[suspenseful music.]
OhGod! [reading.]
"for that they have grounded suspicion "that the said elwell, dike, and rowe "have wickedly and feloniously Committed sundry acts of witchcraft.
" UnBeLievable! Unbelievable.
Narrator: According to the warrant, Esther and two other women Were suspected oferforming witchcraft On their gloucester neighbor mary fitch, Causing mrs.
Fitch physical harm.
When you read these charges, it's so absolutely crazy.
It's crazy time.
I mean, it's like you can see- you can see the-- You can [stammering.]
those are like fury--you know-- It's madness.
Narrator: And the library still has the original 300-year-old complaint filed against esther.
Oh, my god! This is really incredible.
Okay, "the deposition of elizabeth hubbard, "age is 17 years, "sayeth that she saw abigail rowe "esther elwell, And rebecca dike" Is that something that is relevant? "or three in their likeness.
" - Wow.
Um - "pressing.
" "pressing "squeezing, and choking of mary fitch.
And that night, the said fitchGirl--" - "died.
" - no! Wow.
Died? They're saying that she killed- that they killed-- The other one doesn't say it as explicitly That they killed her.
Mm-hmm.
I can't imagine the courage it would take To be accused, What it was like To have everybody around you and pointing at you.
It seems very unreal, and this is real.
And it's my people, It's--it's my And it's just-- oh, my god, it's crazy.
I'm kind of feeling really worried, actually, now, Because I realize she might not have lived.
She might have been hung, And now I'm so-- honestly, I'm so worried.
I'm like Kind of nauseous.
You can't believe that charges like this would have any weight.
OhI just want to go on record as saying I find this really actually Physically upsetting.
It's really horrible, so Ugh.
So Narrator: Coming up, sarah jessica arrives in salem And learns whether her ancestor esther Was sentenced to death at the witch trials.
It's changed everything About Who I thought I was.
Everything.
Narrator: Sarah jessica parker is in massachusetts, Hunting for information about her tenth great-grandmother Esther elwell.
Here in November of 1692, Esther was accused of witchcraft Leading to the death of a neighbor, mary fitch.
She's meeting a historian near salem Who has information about esther's case.
So now I have discovered that she was accused.
She was accused.
Yes, indeed.
AndOf course I'm terribly concerned about her fate.
Okay, one of the things that's interesting about this Is that it does show us how witchcraft becomes What we might today call the default explanation When there's a mysterious happening.
You see, what happened in this case Was that mary fitch fell ill, And it was a very mysterious illness.
No one could figure out what it was.
And so betty hubbard was called in.
She said, "I see the specters of these three women Pressing mary fitch, " and then mary fitch dies.
She's not actually seeing these people.
She's seeing the specters of these three women.
She's not seeing the actual women.
She's saying, "I I imagined this is how" Yes.
I'm seeing these specters.
And so they accuse the three women Of being involved in her death.
Narrator: 17-year-old betty hubbard Was one of many young girls Who said she saw visions of witches Doing the devil's work.
And the court of oyer and terminer, A special court created just for the witch trials, Admitted her visions as valid evidence.
How would esther have defended herself? When it seems the cards are so stacked, The deck is so stacked.
It was very stacked against you in 1692.
And the outcome seems so kind of preordained to me and Everybody who was tried by the court of oyer and terminer Was convicted, um In one way or another was convicted.
Narrator: In the months before esther was accused, The court convicted 20 people.
Every single one of them was executed.
I guess I thought that you could still get off, ThatThat there were a lot of survivors.
I just don't know- I don't see what-- What good could have come of-- How she got out of it.
Well, she was lucky.
I can tell you.
She was very lucky.
And she's lucky because of the date on the deposition.
Wait a minute.
Um What? Up here it says November 8th.
The 8th of November, right.
The court of oyer and terminer - Yes.
- That convicted everybody Was dissolved on the 22nd of October.
[gasps.]
- So this came after.
- So it never went to court.
It never went to court.
Oh, my god! [laughing.]
Oh, my god! They finally decided by the fall of 1692, "we've been convicting people on the evidence of the devil, And this is a terrible mistake.
" And, well, this is unbelievable! What a bit of good luck! I meanI mean, That's really like, um That's like, uh, some crazy, incredible good fortune.
In fact, this is the last formal accusation.
It's--this is the end of the salem witchcraft crisis, This accusation against esther elwell.
November 8th now changes the course Of my family's history.
- It certainly does.
- Thank you so much.
Mary beth told me that the records show Esther not only survived the witch trials, But she lived to be 82 years old.
What an unbelievable story A very ugly time In a beautiful place.
My relief is somewhat Dampened by guilt because I know She was such an exception.
Who knows what would have happened to our family Had the witch hunt continued.
This has been such a moving experience for me.
I want to pay my respects To those who were not as fortunate as esther.
I'm visiting their memorial in salem before I return home.
There are people connected to every marking and There were generations who lost out Because of this.
This has changed the lens That I see these times through completely.
It's very-- it's become personal.
I know I have now historical roots.
I have family ancestral roots here.
It's amazing.
It's changed everything About Who I thought I was.
Everything.
I mean, it's completely flipped it upside down And turned it inside out.
Now that I have learned so much About my family's history, There is only one more thing that I have to do.
I'm really excited about seeing my mother Telling her this story.
I-I think she'll be absolutely flabbergasted.
I think she's going to be stunned.
I think she's going to think we have made this up.
Narrator: Coming up, Sarah jessica returns home And reveals to her mother The secrets of their family's past.
I have so much to tell you, I don't even know where to begin.
Narrator: The search through Sarah jessica parker's family history Has taken her from new york and cincinnati To the gold rush in california And salem witch trials in massachusetts.
She's on her way back home to see her mother And share what she's found out about her american ancestors.
I went into this thinking That I'm not connected to anything historical.
That was the feeling, Like there's no real Link to the past, And there is.
There's strong links to historical times.
And I was Terribly wrong.
Thrillingly.
Mommy? Hello! - Hi! [overlapping chatter.]
Do I look different? [laughing.]
I have a lot - You look A lot to tell you.
I will say this, that your family's history IsSo Surprising and so interlaced With historic times and moments In our country's past And has taken me to places that I would never have gone.
I've believed in america.
I've believed in You know, the things I love about being american, But I never Felt that I was really american.
let it end let your clarity define you in the end we will only just remember how it feels our lives are made in these small hours these little wonders these twists and turns of fate time falls away but these small hours these small hours still remain I still cannot believe the connection.
That is your Surprising and very - American.
American.
- Honorable - American history.
- It is, and yours! Your children will grow up now knowing it, And they'll be able to pass it on.
Isn't it funny that no one said like, "I want to write this down so So lillian will know it And then barbara lillian will know it.
" And now you have to, 'cause you're the only one with legible handwriting! What I've learned is I have real stock in this country And real roots, and I have belonging, I have I, you know, I'm an american.
I'm actually an american.
They will travel the world in search of their heritage.
Ooh! Narrator: Family mysteries will be revealed.
I had always thought she was dead.
Is this the only known picture of him? That's the only known picture.
How absolutely terrifying.
Narrator: And everything they thought they knew Will be rewritten.
- Oh, my god! - What?! This is a story that's gettin' good.
Yes.
- Gettysburg.
- Gettysburg? - That's history right there.
- It sure is.
narrator: Lives will be changed.
- My name is lisa kudrow and-- - uh-huh.
And I think we're related.
narrator: Roots will be discovered.
Amazing.
It's incredible.
This is it.
This is where it all began.
It all started here.
narrator: Because to know who you are, You have to know where you came from.
It's like learning that there's something different In your being than what you always thought.
I have found what I was looking for.
So do you know who you are? Oh, I've always known who I am.
But now I know more.
It's changed everything About who I thought I was.
Everything.
Narrator: Tonight Unbelievable! Narrator: Actor sarah jessica parker Explores her family's past.
We were clinging for some kind of identity Our entire lives! Narrator: And discovers an incredible american history.
Oh, my god! I can't get him out of my mind.
They're saying that they killed her.
I just want to go on record as saying I find this really actually physically upsetting.
[dramatic music.]
Narrator: She's known the world over As the ultimate single girl.
But actor and producer sarah jessica parker Is fundamentally different from her famous character, Sex in the city's carrie bradshaw.
There's no mention of family in carrie's life.
I mean, purposefully, We chose to not talk about a past.
Family plays a central role in my life.
I'm a wife, a mother, and a sister.
I grew up in a large family with seven siblings.
One of my older brothers is also an actor.
So I'm going up to the gershwin theater To see my brother toby Who's in the broadway production of wicked, the musical.
As children, my parents took us to the theater All the time, And this had an enormous influence on us.
We would read stories of remarkable people, And, I think, secretly wished we had been remarkable.
The truth is, is that We're just a lot more common than that.
Like, we're not that Extraordinary.
Hey, tobe.
- Hey.
- Hey! [laughing.]
- how are you? - Hi.
- Hi.
So I'm just wondering, with all the joking aside [both laughing.]
- That's impossible.
- Do you[laughing.]
Do you think there's any hope at all To find something remotely interesting To tell our children? Do you think we'll come across any You know, I always thought that both sides Were immigrants, you know, That there was no lineage, really.
- Right.
- You know, in the 1800s We're certainly not mayflower.
Yeah, like the 18-- There's no way they let our ancestors on the mayflower.
[both laughing.]
We might have helped build the mayflower.
- [laughing.]
exactly! - Or cleaned it When it got back.
Even that I would be proud of.
That would be a total shock.
But to be related to somebody of--of--of Note? Significance to american history Would be also equally surprising.
- A long shot.
- Yeah, yeah.
I wish that you guys were with me.
You will be.
We're all excited to find out, you know, And to share the information and to Anyway, you'll be fine.
This is crazy.
You'll be fine.
Taxi.
[horn honks.]
I'm going to see my mother now in new jersey.
Seeing as I know nothing, Or I know tiny fragments About her, uh Past ancestry, It seems the best place to start is with her.
I know my father stephen's side is eastern european jewish.
But there are a lot of questions about my mother's ancestry.
I want this for her I think, even more than for me.
My mother's done so much for all of us, raising our family.
So this is an opportunity For me to do something special for her.
It's the one thing that I can give her.
It's the one thing I can teach her.
I mean, I'll come back, hopefully, from this trip With information that I can impart That I think will be Intensely meaningful to her.
Mommy? - Sarah.
- Hello.
- Hi! - [laughing.]
My mother, barbara, was born and raised In cincinnati's german community, Like her parents and grandparents.
But I don't think she knows much more About her side of the family than that.
My father's family, as I understood it, Came from bavaria.
All german, all--on all sides.
That's all I heard about when I was growing up, Was the german culture.
- Okay.
But this is really interesting.
This is wonderful.
This is grandma dolly.
- Mm-hmm.
And this is grandma dolly's mother Whose name was lillian hodge.
Wait, just back up for one second.
Hodge isYour mother's mother's maiden name? Yes.
I knew my grandmother dolly, And she had a german surname.
But I never met my great-grandmother lillian, And I've never heard the name hodge before In connection with my family.
HodgeSounds english.
It appears Doesn't it? I don't know what it sounds like, actually.
I don't know! And does that mean she's not from cincinnati With that very un-german I don't know anything about her background at all, Because she died before I was two.
And that's all you know about And that is all I know about her, except Here's a picture of her father Elva hodge.
- His name was elva? - Elva.
So your great-grandfather.
Yes.
He's so hodgian.
[both chuckling.]
And in cincinnati.
As far as I know, everyone lived in cincinnati.
Which means we should really go to ccinnati.
- I think you have to- - I think you have to search - My hope was that we-- - search cincinnati.
See what you can find, high and low.
I'm really excited to be home.
I'm thrilled that the help I need is here.
Any excuse to come back.
My first stop is the public library In my old neighborhood of clifton.
I want to find out where this new And very english-sounding name hodge will lead me.
So I'm meeting with a genealogist, Natalie cottrill.
Would never have suspected that there would be anything Other than a german name on my mother's mother's side.
So I'm so excited at the notion That you might have more.
First of all, the hodge surname Is a very old, old name In american history.
And I've come across this name over and over again In the 1700s and the 1600s, primarily in new England.
It's been around for a while.
It would be really intriguing to see If your hodge family connects in With these new England hodges.
- Wow.
- Okay? Wow! [laughing.]
You know, before we, you know, get too far back Okay.
I did find this great record on elva.
This is his death record.
Wow.
"elva d.
Hodge.
" This is a great record, because it also gives his "name of father John e.
Hodge.
" Unbelievable- his birthplace, ohio.
This next document is the 1860 census.
This is john hodge.
We found him living with his mother, amy.
She's widowed at this point.
- In 1860.
- Mm-hmm.
Narrator: The ohio census shows That in 1860 sarah jessica's third great-grandfather, John eber hodge, Was a young, fatherless boy.
But how did his father die? As I studied john a bit further, I found his obituary.
Wow! "john eber hodge was born on a farm "in maplewood in logan county, "September 29, 1850.
"he worked on the farm to assist his mother until-- Assist his mother, amy" - mm-hmm.
"until he was 18 years of age, "his father having died during a journey to california In 1849.
" - mm-hmm.
Hmm.
He was part of the gold rush? Very well could have been.
Why else might someone have been going to california From ohio in 1849? That was usually the reason.
I wish my mom was here.
I've asked natalie to pull The california census information from ancestry.
Com To see if john eber hodges' father, john s.
Hodge, Ever made it to california.
Hodge! He shows up.
- Yes.
And it does say he was born in ohio, And he is the right age.
Unbelievable.
- He's a - A miner? - He's a miner.
- He's a miner.
Mm-hmm.
This is 1850.
Didn't he pass-- I'm--wait.
So '49, he is Alleged to have died, And he's showing up on the census.
- In 1850.
- In 1850.
- Mm-hmm.
- Is that common? Or is he a swindler? Did he fake his death for the insurance? [both laughing.]
- it's the insurance.
- What happened? - That's a good question.
There's a mystery there.
I see.
Right.
- So when did he die, where? - And where did he die? - And did he die? - Right.
Or did he leave the family when he went to california? - So there's a lot of - Right.
Questions that need to be answered.
Wow.
Narrator: Coming up Sarah jessica learns what really happened To her ancestor john hodge.
Does he know that he's leaving a pregnant wife behind Who's on her own? Narrator: Sarah jessica parker Started her journey by meeting with her mother, Only to find out she didn't know much more About her family tree Further than a couple of generations back.
My father's mily came from bavaria.
That's all I heard about when I was growing up Was the german culture.
Narrator: Now she's in her hometown of cincinti, Trying to solve a family mystery.
She wants to know if her ancestor john hodge Really died during the gold rush, Or did his family merely think he died? She's at cincinnati's museum center For a meeting with a western historian.
- I'm stephen aaron.
- Hi.
It's so nice to meet you.
- Welcome.
- Thank you.
I hear you had a gold rush adventure today.
- Right here in cincinnati.
- Right here in cincinnati.
Well, it starts here.
John s.
Hodge left ohio, allegedly, In 1849 - Mm-hmm.
But in this obituary, the obituary of his son, He is cited as dying during a journey to california In 1849.
He then shows up in california On a census in 1850.
El dorado.
He's showing up in this census.
Obviously, right away, you know that - He didn't die.
- He didn't die along the way.
Well, I have buckets of questions, obviously.
And I'm kind of not sure where to begin.
Well, we know that gold was discovered in california In January, 1848.
Everybody runs to the gold fields to try to strike it rich.
So here you have people back in ohio, People like john hodge, hearing these tales Of unprecedented, immense wealth Just for the taking, Rocks of gold easily gathered.
All you need is a pick, a shovel, and a pan, And you can have this fortune beyond imagination.
How can anyone not want to go? - Right.
Everyone wants to go, and in fact, we have Some documents that we found.
Just start reading here.
You see the date.
Want me to try? "February 14th of 1850, "article of agreement made and entered into "that a partnership was formed on the above date "for the purpose of migrating to california in search of gold.
"the company consisted of following members "jacob singer, abraham mays, john gish, Joseph hill, and john s.
Hodge.
" You find hundreds of documents like these.
What's remarkable is that they found the one That had your ancestor's name on it.
That is unbelievable.
And there's his signature on the article of agreement.
According to this contract, My ancestor john hodge and his partners Had to invest $200 each in the company-- A lot of money in those days, But nothing compared to the gold They hoped to find in california.
I know from the obit that john and amy's son John eber was born on September 29th, So that means amy would have been about two months pregnant When her husband decided to head west.
He's thinking, I'm gonna go to california Because there's riches beyond imagination To be had there.
And I'm leaving my family behind.
And maybe--we don't know, given the timing here-- Does he know that he's leaving a pregnant wife behind Who's on her own.
Narrator: John hodge was only 24 When he left ohio in a covered wagon On a 2,300-mile trek.
It was an extremely dangerous journey.
As many as ten people died For every mile traveled along the route.
More than four months after leaving his family, John hodge crossed the sierra nevada mountains Into california.
So we see that hill, hodge, and gish Mm-hmm.
From this list certainly make it to california.
Yesterday, when I saw 1849, I thought, "ohDrat," You know? I'mI'mI'm a I'm a relative of a dreamer.
I'm a relative of a fool.
Or I'm a relative-- I would say you're the relative Of an archetypal american In that way.
Your family was so deeply entwined In this sort of central saga, Which, arguably, other than the civil war, Is the most important event in 19th century america.
Hodge presumably is there.
The question is What does he find? You know, whether it's dream or delusion - Right.
- Remains to be seen.
So what--I guess what I need to do now is I think where you have to go - Go - I think you have Another journey ahead of you, 'cause I think your next stop is [giggling.]
Lovely el dorado, california.
Oh, my god.
And we think that's where he is, And I think that's the place where you've gotta go In order to find out how john s.
Hodge fares On his search for fame and fortune.
John hodge's last known location Was el dorado county In the foothills of the sierra nevada mountains 45 miles east of sacramento.
I'm following his path there.
Since the last piece of information emerged About john s.
Hodge, I can't get him out of my mind.
If he made it to california And he was able to survive that, What happened in california That didn't allow for him to come home? I'm meeting local historian jon mccabe.
He's gonna show me some places where john hodge Might have lived and worked.
I'm very excited.
We're on pleasant valley road right now, The early road coming from the oregon/california trail.
John would have come down here Wow! You look up on the hill, and see these little piles? Piles of gravel, piles of quartz? - Yeah.
- That's what they mined.
- Oh, wow.
- This whole area Yeah, right there.
Narrator: When john hodge reached gold country In the autumn of 1850, More than 100,000 prospectors from all over the world Were already mining the hills and old creek beds.
Setting up camp in a tent town, John became a miner.
This is where they've mined all through here - All those rocks? - And down to this bedrock.
Wow! Look at that! You can see the tailings right up close.
I just cannot believe That this is - Yeah.
Part of that, you know? That it's still here, that no one's moved it.
Yeah.
And here's what john was lookin' for.
This is what everybody came to california for.
This is amazing.
It's heavy, it's - Yeah.
- Substantial-feeling.
- Yeah.
- I understand.
- And you can imagine It seems like a lark, and then you hold it.
The first time he uncovered a crevice That had this gold in it.
- Oh, my god, he must have-- - [stammers.]
you know.
"this is what I came to california for!" you know.
I do have some information here That might help answer your question About what happened to john.
- Okay.
- And, uh - Sure.
- Read that.
Thank you.
I'll give you your gold.
I'm trustworthy, but Thank you.
I'm sort of terrified of reading it.
"December 29, 1850, In the mines of el dorado county, california.
" It's john gish writing.
Mm.
"I wrote a letter to your father about the death of joseph hill And john hodge.
" [sucks tongue.]
ah.
"they hath lay sick nearly six weeks, And I attended on them.
" [sucks tongue.]
darn! Hmm.
"the last six days "john knew nothing, "and the last three days, joseph knew nothing.
"I had such a job, before I was up "day and night with them until I was utterly done out And was taken sick the next day after they were buried.
" [sighs.]
What's the date? His son would have been two months old.
I'm sad that his son didn't know His father and his father didn't know his son, and Such a long journey.
I guess like thousands of others That didn't prove to be worth the risk, so I'm kind of heartbroken.
It's so sad.
Gish didn't say what disease killed john.
It's tragic to think his letter would take months to reach ohio, So amy probably wouldn't have learned of her husband's death Until early 1851.
He died a miner.
Yeah.
So he gets to go to his unmarked grave As part of history.
So thank you.
Thank you very much.
- No problem.
It's extraordinary to think that one of my relatives Was part of such a major event in american history.
Now I'm heading to new England.
Because if the colonial hodges are related to me, Then I'm dying to know what other events My family might have been part of.
Narrator: Coming up, sarah jessica Finds a family connection To one of the darkest periods in american history.
How absolutely terrifying.
Narrator: Sarah jessica parker's search For her mother's ancestors Has taken her from cincinnati, ohio, To gold country in california.
It will be really intriguing to see If your hodge family connects in With these new England hodges.
Wow! Narrator: Now that she knows The hodge name has roots in new England, She's come to boston to look for more clues.
She's already discovered that her Fourth great-grandfather, john hodge, Died in the gold rush in 1850.
Her next step is to meet with New England genealogist josh taylor.
I come here wondering if, in fact, Hodge is a new England colonial name, If there really is a connection, And what it means to you As an expert in new England family history and ancestry.
It means a lot to us.
Hodge is a big new England name.
- Okay.
- And we actually have-- This is the estate of john s.
Hodge.
- Oh! Yes.
- Who you mentioned.
And his father is actually eber hodge.
His name was eber hodge! And eber hodge was actually from connecticut, Probably born just after the revolution ends.
Wow! That's so crazy! He would be the first, you know, generation born As an american.
Really? And his mother was abigail elwell.
- Abigail elwell.
- Yes.
Now, elwell's another big new England name, Just like hodge- when the genealogist told you That they could go back with hodge, Elwell is the same way.
- Okay.
And abigail elwell, Her parents, her father, at least, Was jabez elwell.
- Jabez.
- J-a-b-e-z.
- Jabez? - [laughing.]
How that name wasn't carried to this century is beyond me! - We don't know.
- What a wonderful name! Jabez is the son of samuel elwell.
- Okay.
- Okay? And then samuel elwell - Yes? Is the son of samuel elwell.
[both laughing.]
Who was born in massachusetts and came down to connecticut.
This is crazy! And then samuel elwell father was-- Can you guess this one? - Samuel.
Was samuel elwell.
Exactly.
So there were three samuels in a row? - Three samuels in a row.
- And now what year are we in? - We are back to about 1630.
- Oh, my god! Okay? So my family has more than a colonial connection.
We've got roots running At least five generations deep in new England Down the hodge and elwell lines, All the way to the first samuel elwell, Born in new England in 1635, Just 15 years after the mayflower.
And josh has even more information about my family.
We have a project here Called the great migration study project, Which basically documents All of the immigrants from England Over into new England between 1620 and 1635.
- Okay.
- Okay? So if we come here - Okay.
And we basically just type in-- Are you gonna type in the name samuel? We're gonna type in robert elwell, 'cause actually, that's samuel's father.
- Robert.
- Robert.
- Okay.
Got it.
- Yes.
I cannot believe this! Okay, so we have lots of results on robert.
Is that because there are lots of robert elwells? No, it's because robert elwell was the first elwell in america.
[gasps.]
[laughing.]
oh, my god! So there's all kinds of ancestors there.
Oh, my god! So here is his sketch.
You are sure this person is related to me? I am absolutely positive.
You're not doing some goofy Ba-ha! - No, no, no.
I'm just kidding.
I just can't believe this! I swear on a stack of genealogy Robert elwell is your ancestor.
Oh, my gosh! They have no idea where in England he's from.
Interesting.
So unfortunately, the elwell line Is gonna stop there for now.
- Stop there.
Okay.
- So go ahead and keep reading.
"on 19th of February, 1642, '43, Robert elwell was admitted to salem church" Yes.
What exactly do you think of when you-- UmWitch--some kind of acts against--treasonous-- It's possible.
The witch trials were in 1692.
Robert died in about 1670, 1680.
I see.
- Here are his children.
- Okay.
And there is your ancestor, samuel.
Uh, "samuel, born about 1635, Marries esther dutch.
" - So she becomes esther elwell.
- Wow! This couple would have been alive During the salem witch trials.
Right.
So when you have an ancestor Living in essex county, massachusetts around 1692, As a genealogist, we always look To see if they're involved in the witch hysteria in salem, Because it involved everyone from that area.
You're a prime candidate right now To have something to do with the salem witch trials.
Wow! UnBeLievable! Incredible! Thank you! - Oh, you're very, very welcome.
A young man with so much old information.
Narrator: The salem witch trials Are among the most infamous and terrifying cases Of injustice in american history.
A hysteria swept through The small village of massachusetts.
Innocent people were put on trial For the supposed crime of witchcraft And put to death.
I really cannot express enough how shocked I am At the turn the story has taken.
You know, do I have kin that were accused Or, maybe worse, accusers? To find out if my ancestors Were involved in the witch trials, I've come to the massachusetts historical society.
I'm looking for samuel and esther's names And the court records of 1692 With the help of librarian elaine grublin.
Wow.
Do you know what it says? It says "salem witch trials documentary archive.
" Open, by all means.
"records and files Of the quarterly courts of essex county.
" That's where my family was.
[suspenseful music.]
Esther elwell was samuel's wife.
So her name is right here.
There's three names here, esther elwell, Abigail rowe, and rebecca dike.
When it says warrant, what does that mean? They filed this, or it was filed against them? That I don't know, But I could print out this document for you.
Great.
Oh, my gosh, how absolutely terrifying.
And incredible.
Esther.
Narrator: Coming up, Sarah jessica finds out whether her ancestor Was accused of being a witch.
No! Narrator: Sarah jessica parker has crisscrossed the country From new york to california And back to the east coast.
You are sure this person is related to me? Narrator: She's discovered connections to distant relatives Dating back to the gold rush.
This is crazy! Narrator: Now the journey through her family tree Has led her to boston And the archives of the massachusetts historical society In search of her tenth great-grandmother, Esther elwell.
She's requested a document That links esther to the salem witch trials.
Sarah jessica is waiting to find out If her ancestor was accused of being a witch Or if she accused innocent people of witchcraft.
The little I know about this period in time Was really about just kind of Crazy superstition and hearsay and All that kind of small-minded-- The--the worst of us.
Like [stammers.]
the worst of us.
Honestly, I really hope she's an accused And not an accuser.
I reallyII And I-if we were involved In the way that is the- -the least likeable, The most objectionable, I would really want to You know, somehow--and this is, of course, ridiculous-- Fix it.
Did they tell you I've changed my mind? I don't want to see this document.
All right, well Maybe this will answer your question.
Okay.
Oh.
[suspenseful music.]
OhGod! [reading.]
"for that they have grounded suspicion "that the said elwell, dike, and rowe "have wickedly and feloniously Committed sundry acts of witchcraft.
" UnBeLievable! Unbelievable.
Narrator: According to the warrant, Esther and two other women Were suspected oferforming witchcraft On their gloucester neighbor mary fitch, Causing mrs.
Fitch physical harm.
When you read these charges, it's so absolutely crazy.
It's crazy time.
I mean, it's like you can see- you can see the-- You can [stammering.]
those are like fury--you know-- It's madness.
Narrator: And the library still has the original 300-year-old complaint filed against esther.
Oh, my god! This is really incredible.
Okay, "the deposition of elizabeth hubbard, "age is 17 years, "sayeth that she saw abigail rowe "esther elwell, And rebecca dike" Is that something that is relevant? "or three in their likeness.
" - Wow.
Um - "pressing.
" "pressing "squeezing, and choking of mary fitch.
And that night, the said fitchGirl--" - "died.
" - no! Wow.
Died? They're saying that she killed- that they killed-- The other one doesn't say it as explicitly That they killed her.
Mm-hmm.
I can't imagine the courage it would take To be accused, What it was like To have everybody around you and pointing at you.
It seems very unreal, and this is real.
And it's my people, It's--it's my And it's just-- oh, my god, it's crazy.
I'm kind of feeling really worried, actually, now, Because I realize she might not have lived.
She might have been hung, And now I'm so-- honestly, I'm so worried.
I'm like Kind of nauseous.
You can't believe that charges like this would have any weight.
OhI just want to go on record as saying I find this really actually Physically upsetting.
It's really horrible, so Ugh.
So Narrator: Coming up, sarah jessica arrives in salem And learns whether her ancestor esther Was sentenced to death at the witch trials.
It's changed everything About Who I thought I was.
Everything.
Narrator: Sarah jessica parker is in massachusetts, Hunting for information about her tenth great-grandmother Esther elwell.
Here in November of 1692, Esther was accused of witchcraft Leading to the death of a neighbor, mary fitch.
She's meeting a historian near salem Who has information about esther's case.
So now I have discovered that she was accused.
She was accused.
Yes, indeed.
AndOf course I'm terribly concerned about her fate.
Okay, one of the things that's interesting about this Is that it does show us how witchcraft becomes What we might today call the default explanation When there's a mysterious happening.
You see, what happened in this case Was that mary fitch fell ill, And it was a very mysterious illness.
No one could figure out what it was.
And so betty hubbard was called in.
She said, "I see the specters of these three women Pressing mary fitch, " and then mary fitch dies.
She's not actually seeing these people.
She's seeing the specters of these three women.
She's not seeing the actual women.
She's saying, "I I imagined this is how" Yes.
I'm seeing these specters.
And so they accuse the three women Of being involved in her death.
Narrator: 17-year-old betty hubbard Was one of many young girls Who said she saw visions of witches Doing the devil's work.
And the court of oyer and terminer, A special court created just for the witch trials, Admitted her visions as valid evidence.
How would esther have defended herself? When it seems the cards are so stacked, The deck is so stacked.
It was very stacked against you in 1692.
And the outcome seems so kind of preordained to me and Everybody who was tried by the court of oyer and terminer Was convicted, um In one way or another was convicted.
Narrator: In the months before esther was accused, The court convicted 20 people.
Every single one of them was executed.
I guess I thought that you could still get off, ThatThat there were a lot of survivors.
I just don't know- I don't see what-- What good could have come of-- How she got out of it.
Well, she was lucky.
I can tell you.
She was very lucky.
And she's lucky because of the date on the deposition.
Wait a minute.
Um What? Up here it says November 8th.
The 8th of November, right.
The court of oyer and terminer - Yes.
- That convicted everybody Was dissolved on the 22nd of October.
[gasps.]
- So this came after.
- So it never went to court.
It never went to court.
Oh, my god! [laughing.]
Oh, my god! They finally decided by the fall of 1692, "we've been convicting people on the evidence of the devil, And this is a terrible mistake.
" And, well, this is unbelievable! What a bit of good luck! I meanI mean, That's really like, um That's like, uh, some crazy, incredible good fortune.
In fact, this is the last formal accusation.
It's--this is the end of the salem witchcraft crisis, This accusation against esther elwell.
November 8th now changes the course Of my family's history.
- It certainly does.
- Thank you so much.
Mary beth told me that the records show Esther not only survived the witch trials, But she lived to be 82 years old.
What an unbelievable story A very ugly time In a beautiful place.
My relief is somewhat Dampened by guilt because I know She was such an exception.
Who knows what would have happened to our family Had the witch hunt continued.
This has been such a moving experience for me.
I want to pay my respects To those who were not as fortunate as esther.
I'm visiting their memorial in salem before I return home.
There are people connected to every marking and There were generations who lost out Because of this.
This has changed the lens That I see these times through completely.
It's very-- it's become personal.
I know I have now historical roots.
I have family ancestral roots here.
It's amazing.
It's changed everything About Who I thought I was.
Everything.
I mean, it's completely flipped it upside down And turned it inside out.
Now that I have learned so much About my family's history, There is only one more thing that I have to do.
I'm really excited about seeing my mother Telling her this story.
I-I think she'll be absolutely flabbergasted.
I think she's going to be stunned.
I think she's going to think we have made this up.
Narrator: Coming up, Sarah jessica returns home And reveals to her mother The secrets of their family's past.
I have so much to tell you, I don't even know where to begin.
Narrator: The search through Sarah jessica parker's family history Has taken her from new york and cincinnati To the gold rush in california And salem witch trials in massachusetts.
She's on her way back home to see her mother And share what she's found out about her american ancestors.
I went into this thinking That I'm not connected to anything historical.
That was the feeling, Like there's no real Link to the past, And there is.
There's strong links to historical times.
And I was Terribly wrong.
Thrillingly.
Mommy? Hello! - Hi! [overlapping chatter.]
Do I look different? [laughing.]
I have a lot - You look A lot to tell you.
I will say this, that your family's history IsSo Surprising and so interlaced With historic times and moments In our country's past And has taken me to places that I would never have gone.
I've believed in america.
I've believed in You know, the things I love about being american, But I never Felt that I was really american.
let it end let your clarity define you in the end we will only just remember how it feels our lives are made in these small hours these little wonders these twists and turns of fate time falls away but these small hours these small hours still remain I still cannot believe the connection.
That is your Surprising and very - American.
American.
- Honorable - American history.
- It is, and yours! Your children will grow up now knowing it, And they'll be able to pass it on.
Isn't it funny that no one said like, "I want to write this down so So lillian will know it And then barbara lillian will know it.
" And now you have to, 'cause you're the only one with legible handwriting! What I've learned is I have real stock in this country And real roots, and I have belonging, I have I, you know, I'm an american.
I'm actually an american.