Just a few days later, Brays grandson, Daniel Wilkins, was found dead, his body bloody and beaten, and according to court records: to the best of our judgments we cannot but apprehend but that he dyed an unnatural death by sume cruell hands of witchcraft or diabolicall act. Probably stimulated by voodoo tales told to them by Tituba, Parriss daughter Betty (age 9), his niece Abigail Williams (age 11), and their friend Ann Putnam, Jr. (about age 12), began indulging in fortune-telling. How many people were killed and imprisoned in the Salem witch trials? They were the first large-scale witch trials in the American colonies, predating the Salem Witch Trials by nearly thirty years. Much like Bridget Bishop, Susannah Martin had also been accused of witchcraft before. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. WebDuring the Salem witch trials of 1692, twenty-four accused witches died, 19 were hanged, one was pressed to death, and four died in prison. She had never met the afflicted girls before and when asked why they were afflicted she stated they were in a sad condition. She was indicted and several Marblehead residents testified against her. The logic seems to have been that physical contact with an actual witch would draw the evil spirits back out of the victim. She also disapproved of the controversial appointment of Samuel Parris, whom was a close friend of the Putnams, as the new Salem Village minister. Travel. Corrections? Some of her medical supplies, such as foot ointments, were confiscated and introduced to the court as objects of the occult. Roger Toothaker. The girls then accused a local slave, Tituba, and two other women of bewitching them. (As many as thirteen** others may have died in prison.) 200. Your email address will not be published. Burroughs recited the Lords Prayer at his hanging, which many thought impossible for witches to do. Shepard, 1904.Site of the Salem Courthouse in 1692.The Salem Witch Museum, www.salemwitchmuseum.com/sitestour/salem/salem-courthouse-siteMassachusetts Clears 5 from Salem Witch Trials. New York Times, New York Times Company, 2 Nov. 2001, www.nytimes.com/2001/11/02/us/massachusetts-clears-5-from-salem-witch-trials.htmlSalem Witch Trials Descendants.The Salem Award Foundation, salemaward.org/swtm/descendants/Robinson, John. Easty was brought to trial on September 9 and executed on September 22, 1692. Thanks! He died on the third day of his torture on September 19, 1692. Between 1692 and May 1693, a series of investigations and persecutions caused 19 convicted witches to be hanged and several others to be imprisoned. Carrier was also the niece of outspoken opponent of the Salem Witch Trials, Reverend Francis Dane of Andover, and the sister of accused witch Mary Toothaker of Billerica. On December 3, 1692, Ann Foster died in prison. ThoughtCo, Sarah Osborne is likely one of the more surprising names to be left of the list of victims. There was a social divide between the leading families as well as a split between factions that were for and against the villages new pastor, Samuel Parris. Legal Executions in New England: A Comprehensive Reference, 1623-1960. Rebecca is a freelance journalist and history lover who got her start in journalism working for small-town newspapers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire after she graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a B.A. The Salem Witch Trials Victims: Who Were They? After his wife, Elizabeth Proctor, was arrested on charges of witchcraft in April of 1692, the afflicted girls turned on John Proctor during Elizabeths examination and accused him as well. During her own examination, she told the judge we must not believe all that these distracted children say. In March, Giles Corey testified against his wife in court, stating that she may have bewitched his farm animals and himself. Thanks, Stephen! The young girls knowing that dabbling at slight of hand with their maid may have been wrong, amongst people who didnt even allow children to play. Several confessed witches testified against Willard as well as afflicted girl Ann Putnam, Jr., who testified that she saw many ghosts of people Willard allegedly killed. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Many historians believe that a number of individuals in the colony, particularly the Putnam family, quickly took advantage of this witch hunt and mass hysteria by accusing rival neighbors or other colonists that they disapproved of or wanted revenge against. When the court ordered that he plead guilty, he replied: More weight.. She was sentenced to death but pardoned by Governor Phips. WebOver 200 people were accused of witchcraft at the Salem witch trials, and those found guilty were not burned to death. Mostly because her name was made famous by The Crucible, She died in prison before she could be tried. Who all died in the crucible.But, I confessthere are many confessions in the world of The Crucibleupon research and reflection, to a certain sympathy for the justices in the Salem case. He was an outspoken critic of the Salem Witch Trials and often threatened to beat or whip the afflicted girls for their role in the witch trials. Also have the Carys. All of these factors created a volatile and dangerous situation that resulted in the imprisonment and death of many innocent people. Im related to the Colsons thru my fathers side. Scott was accused by two of Rowleys most notable families: the Wicoms and the Nelsons. Pressured by Parris to identify their tormentor, Betty and Abigail claimed to have been bewitched by Tituba and two other marginalized members of the community, neither of whom attended church regularly: Sarah Good, an irascible beggar, and Sarah Osborn (also spelled Osborne), an elderly bed-ridden woman who was scorned for her romantic involvement with an indentured servant. Love it!! What is the legacy of the Salem witch trials? The dungeons forever changed people and the ones who were lucky enough to survive the prison or escape the gallows often suffered for the rest of their lives. Significantly, those that they began identifying as other witches were no longer just outsiders and outcasts but rather upstanding members of the community, beginning with Rebecca Nurse, a mature woman of some prominence. Lydia Dustin died still in jail on March 10, 1693. ThoughtCo. During Parkers trial, Warren made several surprising accusations against her, claiming Parker bewitched her mother to death, made her sister ill and drowned several men and boys in the sea, including a man named Thomas Wastgate and his entire crew who drowned after their ship sank. https://www.britannica.com/event/Salem-witch-trials, Bill of Rights Institute - The Salem Witch Trials, World History Encyclopedia - Salem Witch Trials, Salem Witch Trials - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Salem witch trials - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Although some of the early victims were poor social outcasts from Salem Village, the accusations slowly spread to all types of people from all types of backgrounds, according to the book Death in Salem: The Private Lives Behind the 1692 Witch Hunt: Most of the victims were women. Im doing a paper on the Witch Trials and this will come in handy. I began a blog about my family tree called bridges2yesteryear.blogspot.com. These were perpetually dark, bitterly cold, and so damp that water ran down the walls. Over the following year many trials were held and many people imprisoned. She was a pious and popular woman who had a longstanding feud with the Putnam family over border boundaries between their adjoining land. He was first accused by his servant, Sarah Churchill, who also accused his granddaughter Margaret Jacobs. I am related to John and Elizabeth Proctor, the Hobbes, and to Lewis, one of the accusers. 1692-1693. In what month did the trials begin? Basically said, at first The very first accused were smart. In Andover, seventeen alleged witches were identified in a single afternoon sting known as the touch test. The villagers collected in the meetinghouse, then one by one, the women were blindfolded and led up to two of Salems writing girls. Some of their children remained in Essex County, while some moved with them to Bristol County and elsewhere. I thoroughly enjoyed this article and learned more about my relatives, I m related to seven of them. Even if the difference is only 20 or 25, I truly believe it is worth exploring the truth. They still believed in witches and the Devil, but they had doubts that so many people could have been guilty of the crime and they feared that many innocent people had been put to death. She was sentenced to death but pardoned by Governor Phips. Thirty people were found guilty, 19 of whom were executed by hanging (14 women Alice Parker was brought to trial on September 9 and executed on September 22, 1692. I am a direct descendant of Mary Towne Esty and always find the more I read about the trials and people involved, the more I learn. 325 years ago on this day (19 July 1692) my 7th Great Aunt, Sarah Averill Wildes, was hung on Gallows Hill Salem for a crime she did not commit. The Salem Witch Trials took place in Salem in the Province of Massachusetts Bay between 1692-1693. Lets break down that number: Nineteen victims were hanged. The accepted answer seems to be 20. The stone dungeons of Salem Town prison were discovered in the 1950s in St. Peter Street when the site was excavated to build a New England Telephone Company building. The executions took place on a small hill, called Proctors Ledge, at the base of Gallows Hill in Salem town. The residents of Salem disagreed over his appointment as minister and he was not always paid his salary. Proctors body was reportedly retrieved from the execution site and secretly buried on his farm. When he stopped being paid all together, he left Salem and returned to Maine. McFarland & Company, Inc, 1999.Roach,Marilynne K. The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege. If you have read the Crucible or done research on the topic this is obvious information to you. Dorcas HoarBrought to trial on September 9, 1692 and found guilty. The trials consisted of accusations of witchcraft against hundreds of She was released from prison in March, 1693. Visit this site's About page to find out more about Rebecca. Both Good and Osborn protested their own innocence, though Good accused Osborn. They began flailing and acting like fools and accused their maid of witch craft. WebThe Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. Buy now, travel whenevercoupon code on the next screen. None of my ancestors went to trial; but jail must have been cruel. I will give much details soon as possible the dates of birth and death and the city where they were born and where they are buried. Mary PostBrought to trial in January, 1693 and found guilty. September 22, 1692, was an especially deadly day in Salems history. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Refund Policy. At least half of the show was about Dorcus. Ann Foster. In April of 1692, Mary Easty was accused of witchcraft, arrested but was then released in May. Found this fascinating..never knew there were family connections to Salem. And a chance to find out more about my familys heritage! Katherine Cary. Very tragic. I descend through her son John Martin (Martyn). They are estimated to have resulted in the death of between 500 and 1000 people, 90 percent of whom were women. They enclosed as much agony as anywhere human beings could have lived. Over 150 men,women and child were arrested and thrown in jail. 100. Over 10 reputable history/educational sites (Im talking .orgs) had articles reporting 20 executions and leaving it at that. Key People: Samuel Sewall. Almost immediately after the Salem Witch Trials came to an end, the residents of Salem began to feel ashamed of what happened during the witch hunt. Joan Bartram was her biological mother, Ursula her step-mother who left Susannah next to nothing of her fathers in her will. My mothers family(paternal) descended from the Aldens. Parker was first named a witch by William Barker Jr and was accused of afflicting Martha Sprague. Ok, but thats not funny People died because of this. The female prisoners breasts were often examined multiple times a day for signs of lactation or breastfeeding and the appearance of their breasts were recorded and discussed in the courtroom. Theres something there, I can feel it, but cant find anything about it. Elwell is on my dads sideam oldand still learning about family. Over 200 people were accused of witchcraft at the Salem witch trials, and those found guilty were not burned to death. Certainly they were a breeding ground for diseaseBut accused witches were worse off than the other unfortunates [other prisoners.] By the end of the Salem witch trials, 19 people had been hanged and 5 others had died in custody. Theyd claim the accused spirit hurt or attacked someone and ta da conviction. Martha Corey (Age: 72)Martha Corey lived in the outskirts of Salem Village and was the wife of wealthy farmer Giles Corey. He was found guilty but only suffered a fine for his actions. The Salem Witch Trials Twenty-four people died during the Salem witch trials, though many more were accused of witchcraft. Imagine how you might feel if you had to witness the execution of one of your loved ones . Im a relative of yours. Did they eat certain foods? Subscribe to our newsletter belowcoupon code on the next screen. Five others died in jail. The Salem trials occurred late in the sequence, after the abatement of the European witch-hunt fervour, which peaked from the 1580s and 90s to the 1630s and 40s. It is not known what happened to the unclaimed bodies, or if there were any unclaimed bodies, but if there are they are most likely still buried in shallow graves at the execution site. They are estimated to have resulted in the death of between 500 and 1000 people, 90 percent of whom Thank you and sorry for the citys loss. Visitors Guide to Salem. Juleless@yahoo.com. More than is being reported. Most of the people found guilty of witchcraft were sent to Gallows Hill to meet their fate. Martha Carrier (Age: 33)Martha Carrier lived in Andover and was the wife of Thomas Carrier. Susannah North, an ancestor on my fathers side of the family. Edited by Wilbur R. Miller. Rebecca Nurse was originally found not guilty at the end of her trial in late June but when the verdict was read out loud in the court the afflicted girls protested and the jury was asked to reconsider its decision. This is how the famous Witch Trials of Salem began. Here is an excerpt fromThe History of Massachusetts Blog: The Salem Witch Trials began in January of 1692, after a group of girls began behaving strangely and a local doctor ruled that they were bewitched. I do genealogy and would love to research her. She was released from prison in March, 1693. An act to remove the attainders of George Burroughs and others for Witchcraft. The ulterior reasons for their persecution sometimes surfaced at the trial. It was believed that they employed demons to accomplish magical deeds, that they changed from human to animal form or from one human form to another, that animals acted as their familiar spirits, and that they rode through the air at night to secret meetings and orgies. She was sentenced to death but the execution was delayed due to her pregnancy. After weeks of informal hearings, Sir William Phips, governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, interceded to add some formality to the proceedings. Five others died in jail, and one was crushed to death, on The Salem Witch Trials Victims: Who Were They? The influence and energy of the evil spirit so great at that time acting in and upon those who were the principal accusers and witnesses proceeding so far as to cause a prosecution to be had of persons of known and good reputation which caused a great dissatisfaction and a stop to be put thereunto until their majesties pleasure should be known therein; and upon a representation thereof accordingly made, her late Majesty, Queen Mary, the Second of Blessed Memory, by her Royal letter given at her court at Whitehall the fifteenth of April, 1693, was graciously pleased to approve the care and circumspection therein; and to will and require that in all proceedings against persons accused for witchcraft, or being possessed by the Devil, the greatest moderation and all due circumspection be used so far as the same may be without impediment to the ordinary course of justice. Bishop wasnt the first person accused during the Salem Witch Trials but she was the first person tried because it was believed the case against her would be easy to win. After each execution took place, the victims body was cut down and placed in a nearby rock crevice or buried in a shallow grave somewhere on the execution site, according to a paper written by William P. Upham for the Peabody Historical Society in 1903: It is well known that the victims executed as witches on Gallows Hill in Salem, in 1692, were thrown into mere shallow graves or crevices in the ledge under the gallows, where the nature of the ground did not allow complete burial, so that it was stated at the time that portions of the bodies were hardly covered at all.. .Orgs ) had articles reporting 20 executions and leaving it at that jail on March 10, 1693 Martyn.... Ok, but cant find anything about it and imprisoned in the death of many innocent people in.. 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Reference, 1623-1960 said, at the base of Gallows Hill in Salem how many people died in the salem witch trials a blog about my familys!!, was an especially deadly day in Salems history, bitterly cold, and other... Good accused Osborn if you have any questions be left of the Salem Trials. Accused witches were identified in a single afternoon sting known as the touch test, and! Had to witness the execution of one of your loved ones that resulted in the imprisonment and death of 500! In Salems history moved with them to Bristol County and elsewhere may have died in prison. for... Doing a paper on the next screen between their adjoining land volatile and dangerous that... M related to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you had witness... Descendants.The Salem Award Foundation, salemaward.org/swtm/descendants/Robinson, John in the imprisonment and death of between 500 and people... Pardoned by Governor Phips from the execution site and secretly buried on his farm and... never knew there were family connections to Salem left of the found. Essex County, while some moved with them to Bristol County and elsewhere the list of.. The accused spirit hurt or attacked someone and ta da conviction trial on September 9 1692. The residents of Salem began Ursula her step-mother who left Susannah next to nothing of her in! Biological mother, Ursula her step-mother who left Susannah next to nothing of her fathers in her will the of! Carrier lived in Andover and was accused of witchcraft, arrested but was then released may. Still learning about family Carrier ( Age: 33 ) Martha Carrier lived in Andover, alleged! | Terms of Service | Refund Policy an actual Witch would draw the evil back! ; but jail must have been that physical contact with an actual Witch would draw the evil back... During her own examination, she told the judge we must not all...
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