The girls then accused a local slave, Tituba, and two other women of bewitching them. He was found guilty on August 5 and executed on August 19, 1692. Hi Nora. Theyd claim the accused spirit hurt or attacked someone and ta da conviction. Please select which sections you would like to print: How many people were killed during the Salem witch trials? Also have the Carys. Certainly they were a breeding ground for diseaseBut accused witches were worse off than the other unfortunates [other prisoners.] 19. Proctors body was reportedly retrieved from the execution site and secretly buried on his farm. Location: Massachusetts Salem United States. 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. Scott had seven children but only three survived childhood. There are notions so foolish that only an intellectual will believe them. Orwell Guess that explains it. The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 was an event that lasted a year in which religion fueled mass hysteria in a small colony. This includes a Christian minister called George Burroughs. Martha Corey was brought to trial on September 9 and executed on September 22, 1692, just three days after Giles Corey had been tortured to death for refusing to enter a plea. 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. Subscribe to our newsletter below. Much like Bridget Bishop, Howe had also been accused of witchcraft before. 200. Who was the girl who was accused and admitted to her and her friends committing witchcraft? Poor little Dorcus hoar is the saddest. His son, George Jacobs, Jr, was accused as well but he evaded arrest. It has been estimated that tens of thousands of people were executed for witchcraft in Europe and the American colonies over Salem witch trials, (June 1692May 1693), in American history, a series of investigations and persecutions that caused 19 convicted witches to be hanged and many other suspects to be imprisoned in Salem Village in the Massachusetts Bay Colony (now Danvers, Massachusetts). Travel. 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. In 1692 they stood under a wooden structure, twenty feet square, known as the witch jail. Since they were so close to the banks of a tidal river, they were probably infested with water rats. Wilmot Redd (Age: unknown)Wilmot Redd lived in Marblehead and was the wife of fisherman Samuel Redd. Willard was responsible for helping to arrest the accused witches but soon began to doubt so many people could be guilty of witchcraft and quit his job in protest. There were many women from Gloucester, MA arrested. Much like Bridget Bishop, Susannah Martin had also been accused of witchcraft before. The book will be out in early 2018. I would love to hear of your relationship to Rebecca Nurse although she couldnt be a great-grandmother. I just spend my birthday on salem and the more. My 10 great grandmother was Sarah Wilde. Your email address will not be published. Everyone knew that witchcraft was largely a female perversity, but the reasoning stopped there. How many people died in the Salem witch trials in The Crucible? If any1 can send me any known links or information regarding relation or more to her story if theres any available, Id forever be grateful, as i find this to be an extremely intresting part of our countries history! Rebecca Beatrice Brooks is the author and publisher of the History of Massachusetts Blog. To Velma MasnerI might have to say Hi. Most of the people found guilty of witchcraft were sent to Gallows Hill to meet their fate. How many people were killed and imprisoned in the Salem witch trials? Four people also died in prison while awaiting trial. The Salem witch trials and executions came about as the result of a combination of church politics, family feuds, and hysterical children, all of which unfolded in a vacuum of political authority. Have land someone wanted? Most of the people found guilty of witchcraft were sent How old are you 10? How many Salem witches were hanged? I do genealogy and would love to research her. During his examination, he admitted to fortune-telling and dabbling in magic and said that the devil may have taken advantage of him for these reasons. Be it declared and enacted by His Excellency, the Governor, Council and Representatives authority of the same, That the several convictions, in General Court assembled, and by the judgments and attainders against the said George Burroughs, John Proctor, George Jacobs, John Willard, Giles Corey, Martha Corey, Rebecca Nurse, Sarah Good, Elizabeth Howe, Mary Easty, Sarah Wildes, Abigail Hobbs,Samuel Wardwell, Mary Parker, Martha Carrier, Abigail Faulkner, Anne Foster, Rebecca Eames, Mary Post, Mary Lacey, Mary Bradbury, Dorcas Hoar, and any of them be and are hereby reversed made and declared to be null and void to all intents, constitutionalism and purposes whatsoever as if no such convictions, judgments and attainders had ever been had or given, and that no penalties or forfeitures of goods or chattels be by the said judgments and attainders or either of them had or incurred. The litany of odd behaviour also mirrored that of the children of a Boston family who in 1688 were believed to have been bewitched, a description of which had been provided by Congregational minister Cotton Mather in his book Memorable Providences, Relating to Witchcraft and Possessions (1689) and which may have been known by the girls in Salem Village. 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. She gave birth in January was released from prison in May, 1693. Sarah Good (who was in jail and awaiting trial at the time) had given birth to Mercy Good in the prison. In her previous cases she was accused of infanticide and tormenting people with her specter. Elizabeth Johnson JrBrought to trial in January, 1693 and found guilty. Elwell is on my dads sideam oldand still learning about family. The English considered it an unacceptable death for women since it involved nudity. Her children were also accused and were coerced into testifying against her. Thanx. After Governor Phipss wife was accused, he again interceded and ordered that a new court be established that would not allow so-called spectral evidence. Easty was brought to trial on September 9 and executed on September 22, 1692. How many people actually died in the Salem Witch Trials? 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. Her name in the letter is Mehitabel Downing. Their initial accusations gave way to trials, hysteria, and a frenzy that resulted in further accusations, often between the differing factions. The Salem witch trials followed in 169293, culminating in the executions of 20 people. Looking forward to more of your stories. Most of the Salem Witch Trials victims were women but men were accused and executed too. Shortly after, his wife and daughters were also arrested. During the Salem witch trials of 1692, twenty-four accused witches died, 19 were hanged, one was pressed to death, and four died in prison. Over 10 reputable history/educational sites (Im talking .orgs) had articles reporting 20 executions and leaving it at that. On October 17, 1711, at the urging of the surviving convicted witches and their families, the colony passed a bill clearing some of the names of the convicted witches. John M. Taylor lists a total of 37 cases, 11 of which resulted in executions. In 1992, on the 300th anniversary of the trials, the city of Salem built the Salem Witch Trials Memorial and the city of Danvers built the Salem Village Witchcraft Victims Memorial in honor of the victims. Im a direct descendant of both the accused, accusers and judges. An arrest warrant was issued for John Willard but he had already fled Salem Village. If you need a refresher, check out the blog post in full. They are estimated to have resulted in the death of between 500 and 1000 people, 90 percent of whom were women. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. So lets start with what everyone agrees on- Nineteen witches were hung on Gallows Hills. Hi me to my 9th great grandmother Additionally, a man was pressed beneath heavy stones until he died. Not everyone who was accused was pursued by authorities or arrested though. 5 can be proven without any doubt. Visit this site's About page to find out more about Rebecca. I would love any information or stories you have about this side of the family. 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. The final hangings were on September 17th and Ann Foster withered away in prison just 5 days later. Required fields are marked *. Martha Sprague then stated that the woman in front of her was the woman who afflicted her. Noticed on the list of those arrested was the name Elizabeth Cary..and on the list of those who escaped. I think we can say for sure that number is actually closer to 25-30. Cases like Lydia Dustin and Mercy Good are perfect examples. More than 200 people were accused. Sarah Good (Age: 39)Sarah Good lived in Salem Village and was the wife of William Good. Five more died in prison and one was crushed to death, the newspaper commented. PLEASE HELP! Just because someone wasnt executed, doesnt mean these trials are the direct reason they died. Legal Executions in New England: A Comprehensive Reference, 1623-1960. Made and passed by the Great and General Court or Assembly of her Majestys Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, held at Boston the 17th day of Oct, 1711.. The clergy responded but it was too late to save Proctor, who was brought to trial on August 5 and executed on August 19, 1692. Accusations followed, often escalating to convictions and executions. And that no sheriff, constable, goaler or other officer shall be liable to any prosecution in the law for anything they then legally did in the execution of their respective offices. Bridget Bishop Arrested April 18, 1692 Executed In May of 1692, she was accused of witchcraft by the afflicted girls in Salem Village. When the court ordered that he plead guilty, he replied: More weight.. 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. There are documented deaths directly caused by the Salem Witch Trials that, for whatever reason or another, are not being included in this official death count. 14 women and 5 men were hung under the acussed. And at a special court of Oyer and Termina holden at Salem in the county of Essex in the same year 1692, George Burroughs of Wells, John Proctor, George Jacobs, John Willard, Giles Corey and Martha his wife, Rebecca Nurse and Sarah Good, all of Salem aforesaid; Elizabeth Howe of Ipswich; Mary Easty; Sarah Wildes and Abigail Hobbs all of Topsfield; Samuel Wardwell, Mary Parker, Martha Carrier, Abigail Faulkner, Ann Foster; Rebecca Eames, Mary Post and Mary Lacey, all of Andover; Mary Bradbury of Salisbury, Dorcas Hoar of Beverly, were severally indicted, convicted and attainted of witchcraft, and some of them put to death, others lying still under the like sentence of the said court and liable to have the same executed upon them. Sarah Osborne was one of the first three people to be accused in Salem. They are estimated to have resulted in the death of between 500 and 1000 people, 90 percent of whom The Salem Witch Trials Reader. Sarah died proclaiming her innocence as others had done as her husband and son watched helplessly. It has been estimated that tens of thousands of people were executed for witchcraft in Europe and the American colonies over several hundred years. You can help byexpanding itwithreliably sourcedentries.. Scott was brought to trial on September 17 and executed on September 22, 1692. On December 17, 1697, Governor Stoughton issued a proclamation in hopes of making amends with God. John Willard (Age: about 30)John Willard was a deputy constable in Salem at the time of the Salem Witch Trials. Now evenWikipediaslist on how many people died in the Salem Witch Trials simply states that 20 people were executed in their introduction paragraph. However, no one ever embodied the concept of a witch as previously described. Judy Skidmore Cottrell, I just today read your comment on this post. Now along with the lives that were wrecked and lightly shortened by the stress and tragedy caused by the Salem Witch Trials, there are at least 4 individuals who were indicted and escaped or evaded arrest. That my friends, is a subjective question. 1692-1693. According to the Salem Award Foundation website, there are roughly 25 million people around the world who are descended from the Salem Witch Trials victims and the other participants in the trials. Both Good and Osborn protested their own innocence, though Good accused Osborn. The residents of Salem disagreed over his appointment as minister and he was not always paid his salary. 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. Due to insufficient care, the newborn died shortly after birth. However, they could not be released until they paid jail fees. When is the Best Time to Visit Monument Valley. As the trials continued, accusations extended beyond Salem Village to surrounding communities. Historians believe the accused witches were victims of mob mentality, mass hysteria and scapegoating. Drs examined them could find nothing wrong so religion came to play. Sarah was accused of witchcraft in February 1692. Its a sad reality of human nature. The results of the examinations were reduced to written reports, going into details, and, among other evidences in the trials, spread before the court and jury.. The Salem trials also went on to become a powerful metaphor for the anticommunist hearings led by U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy during the Red Scare of the 1950s, famously in the form of Arthur Millers allegorical play The Crucible (1953). My ancestral grandmother, Mary Prince of Gloucester along with her daughter and granddaughter were accused and arrested for witchcraft, then jailed in Ipswich. Did a lot of people die in the Salem witch Trials? After her husband died in 1671, Scott was left destitute and forced to beg from her neighbors. Some three-fourths of those European witch hunts took place in western Germany, the Low Countries, France, northern Italy, and Switzerland. My great-great-great grandmother was Elizabeth Colson (1833-1900), married to James Stewart (1826-1911). How many people actually died in the Salem Witch Trials? Rebecca Nurse was executed on July 19, 1692. She confessed and spent almost a year in jail but was not executed because of a ruling that came a day before prohibiting further executions. A Delusion of Salem: The Full Story of the Salem Witch Trials. Salem Press Company, 1916.Municipal History of Essex County in Massachusetts: Tercentenary Edition. 1692-1693. The Salem witch trials followed in 169293, culminating in the executions of 20 people. But how many people actually died in the Salem Witch Trials? According to The Boston Globe, 25 people were killed during the witch trials in Salem. Updates? Ann FosterDied in jail on December 3, 1692. She was accused by her neighbor Benjamin Abbot after the two had a dispute over land and Abbot immediately fell ill. Hi every1, Ive recently found out im a descendent of Hannah Bromage of Haverhill! In what years did the Salem Witch Trials occur? In total 19 people were executed after being charged with witchcraft: 14 women and 4 men Burning at the stake was more popular in countries with a strong Catholic church because it did not involve the shedding of blood, which was not allowed in the Roman Catholic doctrine, and it ensured that the victim would not have a body to take with them to the after life. Lydia DustinDied in jail on March 10, 1693. 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. But after we started digging into this, I realized that while the official number is lower than one might expect (20 executed), it seems a few are being left out. It is not known why Parker was accused but she stated during her examination that there was another woman in Andover named Mary Parker and suggested it was a case of mistaken identity. During the Salem Witch trials in 1692 religion, specifically the Puritan religion, played a major rule in the Location: Do you know her name? 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. Between 140 and 150 people were arrested for witchcraft during the witch hunt. All of these factors created a volatile and dangerous situation that resulted in the imprisonment and death of many innocent people. WebBy the end of the Salem witch trials, 19 people had been hanged and 5 others had died in custody. DaCapo Press, 2009.Hearn, Daniel Allen. Joan Bartram was her biological mother, Ursula her step-mother who left Susannah next to nothing of her fathers in her will. 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. When he stopped being paid all together, he left Salem and returned to Maine. John Wildes daughter (from a previous marriage) and son-in-law, Sarah and Edward Bishop, were also arrested as was Johns other daughter Phoebe Wildes. Martha Carrier (Age: 33)Martha Carrier lived in Andover and was the wife of Thomas Carrier. The Gould family were close friends with the Putnam family of Salem Village. Susannah North, an ancestor on my fathers side of the family. Source. They are wrong. McFarland & Company, Inc, 1999.Roach,Marilynne K. The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege. After weeks of informal hearings, Sir William Phips, governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, interceded to add some formality to the proceedings. Bridget Bishop (Age: 50s)Bridget Bishop was a widow who lived in Salem town. In 1649, she was accused of fornicating out of wedlock with Thomas Wardwell and in 1663 she was accused of wearing a silk scarf. 2. The elderly Giles Corey, meanwhile, was pressed to death with heavy stones after he refused to enter an innocent or guilty plea.. Names like Lydia Dustin and Ann Foster seem to have been forgotten. Thats very interesting, could I get ur Email, and Interview you for a history project? She was in her 50s in 1692 when the witch hysteria reached its peak in Salem. Thats amazing that youre related to seven of the victims. They enclosed as much agony as anywhere human beings could have lived. Edited by Benjamin F.Arrington, vol. I learn by the more I want to you,.. Their daughter, Elizabeth Virginia Stewart (aka, Jennie or Ginnie)(1861-1939?) Sarah Good was later convicted and executed. Get accused. The last hangings in that years witch craze was on September 22. In June 1692 the trials began, and the accused were judged mainly on their behavior at the trials. Possibly one of the most forgotten about victims of the Salem Witch trials, was Mercy Good. Thirty people were found guilty, 19 of whom were executed by hanging (14 women Did a lot of people die in the Salem Witch Trials? WebThe Salem witch trials followed in 169293, culminating in the executions of 20 people. The Witch trials in England were conducted from the 15th century until the 18th century. 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). Found this fascinating..never knew there were family connections to Salem. In one o the more ironic deaths. People today actually pay witches or people to do witchcraft on other people. Roger Toothaker was a farmer and folk-healer from Billerica who specialized in detecting and punishing witches. **sources conflict as to the exact number of prison deaths. It was fascinating. Well go through the 5 that are indisputable quickly: Lydia Dustin, her daughter, and grand-daughter all were accused and arrested of witchcraft, Both Lydia Dustin and Sarah were found not guilty by the Superior Court of Judicature, Court of Assize and General Gaol Delivery in January or February, 1693, after the initial trials had been suspended when criticized for their use ofspectral evidence.