Hello, Salem-ites! Act II in Salem has begun and we’re about to turn a corner.
The royally appointed Governor Phips has returned from London with the all-important Charter from the King. This is huge. Massachusetts hasn’t been able to put the accused witches on trial because there’s no high court, and the King wouldn’t let them create one. But the King has changed his mind and given them a Charter to go ahead. So the Trials (and sentences) will begin in just a few days. To learn more about the Charter and why it was so important, go here.
Meanwhile, the group of endangered people continues to grow. The former deputy John Willard was nabbed after four days on the run, and put in jail after he tried and failed (five times!) to recite the Lord’s Prayer.
The pious Mary Esty was actually released from jail, and spent all of two nights in her own bed before being arrested again. But her accuser, Mercy Lewis, is still suffering, so the jail keeper chained Mary in heavy irons to keep her specter under control.
The quarrelsome Elizabeth Proctor thinks she might be pregnant. Assuming she’s found guilty, if she’s pregnant her execution will be delayed until after she gives birth.
Notes:
- If you’re following the story on Facebook or Twitter and the daily posts are disappearing in your newsfeed, you can subscribe to the Salem Substack.
- You can always find historical context, biographical sketches, and an archive of posts at www.TodayInSalem.com.
WHO’S DIED: 1 person
The sickly Sarah Osborne died in prison, probably of typhus. She was a scandal-ridden woman who’d married her servant and was trying to take her sons’ inheritance.
WHO’S BEEN ACCUSED and/or ARRESTED: 51 people (3 have escaped)
Bridget Bishop (unruly) – an outspoken woman who’s been in and out of court for years. She’s in prison with her son and daughter-in-law, who are noisy tavern owners.
George Burroughs (Reverend) – a minister from Maine who used to be the minister of Salem Village. He’s resented for leaving unpaid debts behind, suspected because his first two wives died, and disliked for the way he did or didn’t protect his flock from Indian attacks in Maine.
Sarah Churchill (servant) – George Jacobs Sr.’s servant. She was afflicted, then was “cured.” Her former friends accused her, and she confessed, but is now afflicted again.
Sarah Cloyce (nervous) – Rebecca Nurse’s younger sister. She’d stormed out of church, which sparked people to question whether innocent people were being accused.
Giles Corey (cantankerous) – an 80yo farmer, in prison with his wife, the gospel woman Martha Corey.
Philip English (wealthy) – a French immigrant and member of the Anglican church who’s become very wealthy, very fast, incurring a lot of resentment. He’s in prison with his wife, Mary.
Mary Esty (pious) – With the nervous Sarah Cloyce, another sister of the beloved Rebecca Nurse.
Sarah Good (beggar) – a vagrant who smokes a pipe and has a terrible temper. She’s in prison with her baby and her daughter, 4yo Dorcas Good.
Dorcas Hoar (fortuneteller) – the leader of a former burglary ring, with hair that’s more than 4 feet long.
Abigail Hobbs (wild child) – a 15yo girl who wanders through the woods at night, disobeys her parents, and claims she’s made a pact with the Devil. She’s in jail with her parents.
George Jacobs Sr. (abusive) – a toothless 80yo man with long white hair, who’s so tall and infirm that he needs two walking sticks. He has a violent temper and has abused his servant.
Margaret Jacobs — George Jacobs Sr.’s granddaughter. She was afflicted, but when her symptoms went away the other girls accused her of using witchcraft to recover. She confessed, She confessed, and because her grandfather was already accused, has named him. Now she is stricken by her lie.
Susannah Martin (rebellious) – a mean, pole cat who a prominent minister called one of the most “impudent, scurrilous, wicked creatures in the world.”
Rebecca Nurse (beloved) – a 70-year-old grandmother who is well-loved throughout the community. 39 people have signed a petition on her behalf, attesting to her upstanding character, but she’s still in jail.
Alice Parker (shrew) – forthright and even aggressive in her speech. She may have suffered from catalepsy, which causes sudden unconsciousness and rigid posture.
John Proctor (harsh) – A farmer and tavern owner, opinionated and sometimes overbearing, but respected. He’s in prison with his wife, the quarrelsome Elizabeth Proctor.
Ann Pudeator (healer) – a 70yo nurse and midwife who is suspected of murdering a woman so she could marry her widower, who is 20 years her junior.
Tituba (slave) – Enslaved by Rev Samuel Parris. She was the first to be accused and the first to confess.
Mary Warren (servant) – the Proctors’ maid. She keeps waffling between afflicted and accused, depending on who she’s afraid of and what other people say. The judges can’t figure out which side she’s on, so they’re keeping her in jail.
Sarah Wilds (flamboyant) – an aging, glamorous woman who’s left a trail of scandals in her wake.
John Willard (former deputy) – He quit his job when he became convinced he was arresting innocent people. Despite that integrity, he’s also known for beating his wife severely and being uncharitable with his extended family.
25 people from other towns. (3 have escaped.)
VIPs
- Reverend Samuel Parris is Salem Village’s Puritan Minister. The first two accusers were part of his family: his 9yo daughter, and his 11yo niece. Parris hasn’t been paid in 9 months because the Village leadership is unhappy with him, and refuses to collect taxes to support his salary.
- Thomas Putnam is the father of one of the most vocal afflicted girls. Two large families have been feuding for years, and he’s the head of one of them. He’s powerful and often angry.
- John Hathorne is a harsh and even cruel judge who assumes people are guilty, and questions them relentlessly.
- Jonathan Corwin is a quieter judge, but makes the same assumptions of guilt.
- William Phips is the new governor, appointed by the King. Phips is intelligent and ambitious, but he’s also arrogant and disliked, an upstart who commands little respect.
THE AFFLICTED GIRLS
Some of the afflicted girls were orphaned or otherwise traumatized by the Indian Wars in Maine, and could be said to have PTSD. Others were bored, or scared, or manipulative. For detailed info about any of them, click any linked name, or go to Who’s Who.
- 17yo Elizabeth Hubbard – an orphan who’s the doctor’s servant
- 18yo Mercy Lewis – a servant in the Putnam home. She is a traumatized orphan and refugee from the Indian Wars in Maine.
- 9yo Betty Parris – Rev Parris’s little daughter. She’s been sent away to live with a cousin.
- 12yo Ann Putnam – the girls’ unspoken leader.
- 17yo Mary Walcott – the daughterof the militia captain.
- 20yo Mary Warren – a servant in the Proctor home.
- 11yo Abigail Williams – a tomboy who’s Rev Parris’s niece. She lives with his family.