Case file · Witch trials
Moll Pitcher, the fortune-teller of Lynn
Moll Pitcher (Mary Diamond, about 1736–1813) of Lynn, Massachusetts, was the most famous fortune-teller in New England; sailors and merchants consulted her before voyages.
1813 CE · 42.47, -70.95 · status: account
The account
She is remembered in poems and place names; a tree in West Dedham was named after her in 1837. She stands for the folk magic that carried on long after the witch trials ended.
The sceptical view
Her fame rests on anecdotes; there is no record of her predictions being tested.