In Essex County, Massachusetts, Elizabeth Johnson is whipped and fined for "unseemly practices with another maid attempting to do that which man and woman do."

From the Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County "Elizabeth Johnson, servant to Mr. Jos. Yonge, [is] to be severely whipped and fined 5 li. [pounds] for unseemly practices betwixt her and another maid; also, for stubbornness to her mistress answering rudely and unmannerly; and also for stopping her ears with her hands when the Word of God was read..." Lesbians had a hard life in the 17th century.

Pictured: The seal of the Massachusetts Bay Colony

Location: Essex county, MA. The court was in Salem, MA

Source: https://outhistory.org/

Date: 1642-12-05