Salem witch trials (participants)

1876 illustration of the courtroom; the central figure is usually identified as being Mary Walcott

• See Salem witch trials for historical background and a more complete list of participants.

Accused

Nineteen were hanged, and one, Giles Corey was pressed to death. Altogether, about 200 people were tried.

June 10, 1692 Executions (1)

1. Bridget Bishop (1632-1692) - first person hanged for witchcraft - Jun 10, 1692. Falsely accused of bewitching her former husband, Thomas Oliver, to death and then getting his inheritance. She claimed innocence to the end.

July 19, 1692 Executions (5)

1. Rebecca Towne Nurse (1621-1692) - Hung July 19, 1692 (age 71) for Witchcraft with her sister. Another sister was accused but released. Rebecca immigrated from England as a young child on the ship "Rose of Yarmouth" in April 1637.
2. Susannah North Martin (1621-1692) - hung July 19, 1692
3. Elizabeth Jackson Howe (1637-1692) - hung July 19, 1692
4. Sarah Solart Good (1653-1692) - hung July 19, 1692 - one of the first accused and executed.
5. Sarah Wildes (1627-1692) - hung July 19, 1692

August 19, 1692 Executions (5)

1. George Burroughs (1650-1692) - the only minister executed for witchcraft during the course of the Salem witch trials. He is best known for reciting the Lord's Prayer during his execution, something it was believed a witch could never do.
2. Martha Allen Carrier (c1650-1692) -
3. John Willard (1657-1692) - Salem constable who refused to make any more arrests for witchcraft was in turn accused by Ann Putnam, Jr and then by his in-laws.
4. George Jacobs (1609-1692) - accused by his own granddaughter at trial.
5. John Proctor (1631-1692) - he had bravely declared the Salem children of lying about witchcraft, but they then accuse him and his wife Elizabeth of witchcraft.

Sept 22, 1692 Executions (8)

1. 'Mary Towne Eastey (1634-1692) - hung on September 22, 1692 (age 53) sister of Rebecca Nurse. Another sister was accused but released. Mary from England as a young child on the ship "Rose of Yarmouth" in April 1637.
2. Alice Parker : 12-Jan-1692, found unconscience in the snow and assumed to be dead, but later springs to life. Suspected of sorcery for casting off her body.
3. Ann Pudeator
4. Martha Corey
5. Margaret Scott
6. Wilmot Read
7. Mary Parker
8. Samuel Wardwell

Last 1692 Execution (1)

1. Giles Corey, husband of Martha Corey - Giles died at trial after being crushed with heavy rocks for refusing to speak.

Accused but released

Accused of witchcraft but later released.

1. Sarah Cloyse (1642-1703), was accused but eventually released. But two of her sisters (Towne) were hung in 1692 for witchcraft.
2. Mary Phips - wire of Massachusetts Governor William Phips - When she was accused of witchcraft, her husband ordered a halt to all witch hunt activity.
3. Sarah Osborne - died in jail in Spring 1692 while awaiting trail
4. Elizabeth Proctor - spared the fate of her husband because she was pregnant. By delaying here , her baby, who may not have survived infancy, saved her life.
5. Tituba - She became Samuel Parris' slave when he lived in Barbados. She was the first person accused of witchcraft, and the first to confess (possibly to gain leniency). Frequent "games" with the children in Rev Parris' household. But she later recanted her confessions. Eventually released after a year in jail and then disappeared.
6. John Alden (1622-1701) - (son of Mayflower pilgrims) a 17th-century American soldier and sailor. He was a well-known public figure in his time but is now chiefly remembered as a survivor of the Salem witch trials, of which he wrote a much quoted account. He was subsequently accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials in May 1692. He had been inclined not to make much of the matter, but was prevailed upon by some friends and broke out of jail. He escaped to Duxbury, where he stayed with friends until, as he later said, "the public had reclaimed the use of its reason". When he returned, he was cleared by proclamation.

Accusers

First Accusers

The first accusation of witchcraft originated from the household of Reverend Samuel Parris who had recently (in 1689) moved to Salem with his family and two slaves from the Barbados, John Indian and his wife Tituba. Slavery at this time in New England was uncommon (only about 400 total) and a bit ironic for a preacher no less. John worked the fields and Tituba kept the house and did laundry. They were a bit of an oddity in a Puritan household. Tituba entertained can cared for the Parris children regularly because Mrs. Parris suffered frequent illnesses.

This circle of teen s included:

• Abigail Parris
• Betty Parris
• Ann Putnam (1679-1716) - age 12, daughter of Thomas Putnam, very influential family in Salem village, and prime accuser of witches. she alone accused 62 poeple of witchcraft. In 1706 Ann made a public apology in the Salem Village church for her role, and stated her belief that all of the accused witches had been innocent.
• Mary Wolcott - age 16, neighbor to the Parris family
• Elizabeth Hubbard - age 17, great neice to the local doctor
• Susan Sheldon
• Elizabeth Booth
• Mercy Lewis
• Mary Warren (1675-1732), age 17. servant to John and Elizabeth Proctor

Feb 1692 accusations

1692, February 29: Based on formal complaints from Joseph Hutchinson (1633-1716), Thomas Putnam, Edward Putnam (1654-1747) and Thomas Preston, Magistrates John Hathorne and Jonathan Corwin issue warrants to arrest Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne and Tituba for afflicting Elizabeth Parris, Abigail Williams, Ann Putnam Jr. and Elizabeth Hubbard."

• Joseph Hutchinson (1633-1716)
• Edward Putnam (1654-1747)
• Thomas Preston

Other Accusers

• Ann Carr (1661-1699) - Mother of Ann Putnam (above)
• Thomas Putnam, Jr. (1652-1699) - Father of Ann Putnam (above)
• Samuel Barton (1664-1732) - step son-in-law to Towne/Cloyes Family.
• Edward Putnam (1654-1747) - accused numerous witches.
• John Gould (1635-1710) - Militia Captain from Topsfield, Massachusetts - Gould/Wilders family arguments.
• Joseph Houlton (1621-1705)
• Josep Hutchinson- Early 1692 accuser of first subjects.

Other Victims

• Thomas Oliver (1605-1679) - a major link in the old and well-known theory that his widow, Bridget Bishop, was executed on trumped up charges because her in-laws were jealous of what she had inherited from him. Upham's History of the Salem Witchcraft Trials makes clear that her marriage to Thomas Oliver is a determining factor in the witchcraft prosecution of Bridget Oliver Bishop.

Judges

Court of Oyer and Terminer

The Court of Oyer and Terminer was based on an old Anglo-French legal phrase meaning to hear and determine. When Increase Mather returned from England in May-1692, he arrived with a new colonial charter that allowed for the creation of such special criminal courts. Seven judges were appointed to serve on this court.

• Samuel Sewall - one of the trial judges who five years laters expressed publicly deep remorse for his role.
• John Hathorne - one of two magistrates to approve the first witchcraft arrest warrants in Salem. Becomes heavily invested in the proceedings because he allowed them to start.
• Jonathan Corwin - one of two magistrates to approve the first witchcraft arrest warrants in Salem. Becomes heavily invested in the proceedings because he allowed them to start.
• Hon. William Stoughton (1631-1707), Acting Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, in charge of the Salem Witch Trials
• John Richards - Boston -appointed to Court of Oyer and Terminer
• William Sergeant - Boston -appointed to Court of Oyer and Terminer
• Samuel Sewall - Boston - appointed to Court of Oyer and Terminer
• Wait-Stil Winthrop (1642-1717), magistrate - appointed to Court of Oyer and Terminer
• Nathaniel Saltonstall - Haverhill -appointed to Court of Oyer and Terminer
• Bartholomew Gedney - Salem - appointed to Court of Oyer and Terminer

Other Judges

Other judges for the courts of Essex County, Massachusetts:

• Hon. Jonathan Corwin (1640-1718)
• Bartholomew Gedney (1640-1698), magistrate
• Hon. William Hathorne, Esq. (c1606-1681), 1st Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
• Hon. John Hathorne (1641-1717), Justice of the Salem witch trials
• George Herrick (c1658-1695), Marshall for the Court of Oyer and Terminer
• Joseph Herrick (1645-c1710), principal law enforcement officer
• Samuel Appleton
• Robert Pike

Prosecutors

• Cotton Mather - famous reverend an author of many books
• Samuel Parris - famous reverend

Constables

• Ephraim Wildes (1665-1725), Constable for Topsfield, Massachusetts. His mother, Sarah Wildes, was one of those accused and executed in 1692.

Court Officers

• John Higginson (1646-1719) -
• Hon. Nathaniel "Land Lord" Putnam (1619-1700), Constable and Deputy of Salem

Others

• Joseph Putnam (1669-1725)
• Dea. Eleazer Putnam (1665-1732/33), "During the witchcraft delusion Eleazer Putnam "drew his rapier" and punched at an imaginary devil or two which seemed to be torturing one the afflicted girls. According to the ancient depositions his thrusts were as affective against the witch as against the French and Indians a couple of years ago." Putnam Genealogy, p. 71, Vol. 1, by Eben Putnam.

Church Leaders

1. Rev John Higginson (1616-1708) - Long time minister for Salem Town, but took no active part. Rev Higginson wrote a short little book: "Our Dying Saviour's Legacy of Peace to His Disciples in a troublesome World" (Boston, 1686). It reflects a lot of the troubled mindset of the era:
2. Nicholas Noyes (1647-1717) - Reverend that officiated at the Salem witch trials and executions. Second Minister for main church in Salem, Massachusetts.
3. James Bayley (1650-1706) - minister for new church in Salem Village (1672-1682). Many relatives involved with the Salem witch trials. Church minister in Salem, Massachusetts (age 22), Killingworth, Connecticut / Physician in Roxbury, Boston.
4. George Burroughs (1650-1692) - the only minister executed for witchcraft during the course of the Salem witch trials. He is best known for reciting the Lord's Prayer during his execution, something it was believed a witch could never do.
5. Deodat Lawson (c1650-aft1727) - a minister in Salem Village from 1684 to 1688 and is famous for a 10-page pamphlet describing the witchcraft accusations in the early spring of 1692. The pamphlet was billed as "collected by Deodat Lawson" and printed within the year in Boston.

1703 Dissenting Church Leaders

On July 8, 1703, Capen was among many other ministers who signed an address to the general court that asked to formally clear the names of the accused.

1. Joseph Capen (1658-1725), Topsfield;
2. Thomas Barnard, Andover;
3. Joseph Green, Salem;
4. William Hubbard, Salem;
5. John Wise, Ipswich;
6. John Rogers, Ipswich;
7. Jabez Fitch, Ipswich;
8. Benjamin Rolfe, Haverhill;
9. Samuel Cheever, Marblehead;
10. Joseph Gerish, Wenham;
11. Zacariah Symonds, Bradford and
12. Thomas Symonds, Boxford.