Salem, More Witch Hunts & Accusations
Continued Even After the Imprisonment of Tituba, Good and Osborne
Sep 24, 2008
The stage for the mass hunts and persecutions was set. Perhaps, the citizenry’s thoughts were “Three have been found; there must be more.” Before the frenzy was over, 138 additional people would be accused and arrested.
To provide information of all the accused would be a Herculean, if not impossible, feat. The background sketches provided have a common thread, “fatal flaws.” Sarah Osborne’s and Sara Good’s sketches are in Salem's Witch Hunts and Mass Hysteria. Former Salem Village minister Reverend George Burroughs’ chronicle is the subject of another article because his case, along with Tituba’s, is one of the most thoroughly documented.
The Accused and Executed in Salem
- John Proctor: first man to be accused. He was a wealthy tavern-keeper. When his maid, Mary Warren, began to display the same behavior as The Afflicted, he threatened to beat her. He strongly defended and supported his wife, Elizabeth, when she was tried for witchcraft. Both vociferously spoke out against the persecution of witches. Hanged.
- Rebecca Nurse: although generous, kind and well-liked, Ann Putnam Jr. and the other girls testified her ghost floated into their rooms at night. Nurse had disputed property boundaries with the Rev. James Allen and often didn’t answer when spoken to because of poor hearing. She was found not guilty by the court. The Afflicted and spectators protested. Chief Justice Stoughton asked the jury to reconsider one of the prisoner’s statements. Nurse was found guilty this time because she failed to respond to questions about the statements due to her hearing problems. Hanged.
- Martha Corey: went to church faithfully, but was opinionated and outspoken. She gave birth to an illegitimate mulatto, who lived with her and her husband, Giles. Against the witch trials from the beginning, she never confessed to being a witch and didn’t believe they existed. Hanged.
- Giles Corey: had a criminal record prior to his arrest for witchcraft, mainly for stealing food and tobacco. He was known for his sudden hot temper and arguments with and threats to neighbors. Corey was the only victim to be crushed to death, not because he was guilty, but because he refused to recognize the court had the power to try him.
- Bridget Bishop: had a flamboyant lifestyle and dressed differently. She entertained guests until late at night, played shovel board, a banned game, drank and owned two taverns. First to be hanged.
- Martha Carrier: arrested on the complaint of two villagers. Four of her children went to jail with her. Eight-year-old daughter, Sarah, admitted to being a witch since she was six. Richard and Thomas Carrier also confessed to witchcraft, blaming their mother for making them witches. Numerous others confessed that she turned them into witches. Martha denied all charges. She spoke freely about her feelings concerning the Court of Oyer and Terminer and its methods. Futilely, the Rev. Francis Dane spoke in her defense, saying she was a victim of gossip. Hanged.
Salem's Accused Not Executed
- Elizabeth Proctor: her grandmother, Ann Lynn, was a suspected witch. Mary Warren testified Proctor tried to force her to sign the Devil’s Book. Given a stay of execution due to pregnancy. By the time the baby was born, those convicted had been pardoned.
- Dorcas Good: Sara Good’s daughter. At age of four, she was the youngest prisoner. When questioned, she said her familiar was a little snake. It talked to her and sucked blood from her finger. She never recovered from the effects of being in prison for months.
Related articles:
Salem Witch Hunt: Tituba's Confession
Salem Witch Persecutions: Who Was Who
Sources:
The Dark World of Witches, Eric Maple, (Castle Books, 1964)
The Encyclopedia of Witches & Witchcraft, Rosemary Ellen Guiley, (Facts on File, Inc., 1999)
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