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May 7: the MOTHER of all summaries

Welcome to the new readers who’ve bravely jumped into the story of Salem this week. And to the readers who’ve been here for a while, tracking the many events and people in the story of Salem, your diligence is appreciated! This high-level recap should be helpful.

WHAT’S HAPPENED IN SALEM SO FAR

For historical tidbits that give context to the story, see Learn More.

3 young girls = 3 accusations/arrests. Three young girls (ages 9, 11, and 12) started hiding under chairs, babbling nonsense, and contorting themselves into impossible positions. They’ve accused a slave and 2 disreputable women of witchcraft.

5 teenage girls = 25 more accusations/arrests. The teenagers joined the younger girls within days. Some of the teens were traumatized from brutal wars in Maine, and could be said to have PTSD. Others had less of an excuse. Most of them had axes to grind with some of the people they accused, including 5 men.

Important trends are taking hold.

It’s a runaway train. In the first 7 weeks, 10 people were accused and arrested. In the following 7 weeks (which we’re in the midst of), it was 54. In addition, more types of people are being accused. The first were slaves, poor, or disreputable. Now they include the wealthiest man in Salem, a 4yo child, a minister, a beloved grandmother, and church members. The net will continue to widen, snaring yet more kinds of people, sometimes in different towns.

Protests are growing. In the beginning, only a couple of people spoke up against the arrests. Now a petition has been signed by 39 people. More and more people will begin to protest.

Counter-protests are stronger. The judges are digging in their heels, asking for help from authorities in Boston. More and more prominent legal officials and ministers are becoming involved.

Meanwhile … The governor is at sea, making his way home from England. He has no idea what’s waiting for him. His role in continuing and then ending the trials will be key.

WHO’S ACCUSING PEOPLE

For detailed info about the people involved, click any linked name, or go to Who’s Who.

18yo Mercy Lewis is a servant in the Putnam home. She is a traumatized orphan and refugee from the Indian Wars in Maine.

20yo Mary Warren is a servant in the Proctor home. She keeps flip-flopping between afflicted and accused, and is now in prison.

17yo Elizabeth Hubbard (an orphan who’s the doctor’s servant).

9yo Betty Parris is Rev Parris’s little daughter. She’s been sent away to live with a cousin.

12yo Ann Putnam is the girls’ unspoken leader.

11yo Abigail Williams is a tomboy who’s Rev Parris’s niece. She lives with his family.

WHO’S BEEN ACCUSED AND ARRESTED

For detailed info about the people involved, click any linked name, or go to Who’s Who.

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 Cloyce (nervous) – With Mary Esty, Rebecca Nurse’s younger sister. Sarah 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) and her baby – a vagrant who smokes a pipe and has a terrible temper. She’s in prison with 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 – a wild child 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.

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.

Sarah Osborne (sickly) – a scandal-ridden woman who married her servant and is trying to take her sons’ inheritance.

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.

Tituba (slave) – the minister’s slave who 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.

4 other less notable people, including a slave and women from nearby towns.

VIPs

For detailed info about the people involved, click any linked name, or go to Who’s Who.

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.

Tomorrow in Salem: GOSSIP fans the flames

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May 6: HIDING: the wealthy Philip English

counting money

Today in Salem: The wealthy Philip English is curled up under a pile of dirty laundry, opening his mouth wide and trying to breathe quietly. He’s the richest man in Salem, with a house so big that he employs 20 servants. He’s not used to indignities like this.

Philip has been hiding in his friend’s house for a week, ever since a warrant was issued for his arrest. His wife is already in jail for witchcraft, a preposterous thought. But the farmers and laborers of the Village have never felt anything but jealousy for them, so when an impoverished girl accused them, the rumors raced through the Village like fire in dry grass.

“English!” the Sheriff is shouting, over and over again. “English!” Philip can hear his friend trailing the Sheriff from room to room, insisting that he leave now, at once, until finally the door shuts and Philip can breathe again

Is it any surprise that the rich Philip English has been accused? First it was the poor and disreputable. Then it was a beloved church member. Then a minister. Now it’s the wealthiest merchant in Salem. No one has been spared.

WHO was Philip English?

Philip English, age 41, was everything that most people disliked. He was French, having changed his last name from “L’Anglois” to “English.” He was also Anglican, a member of the very church that the Puritans wanted to reform. He was extremely wealthy, even ostentatious. And he was arrogant; quick to sue people over property disputes, refusing to accept even the smallest loss.

That a French, Anglican immigrant could become the wealthiest man in Salem – run by English Puritans – rankled more than a few. So it may not have been a surprise when one of the most impoverished girls accused the wealthy Philip and his wife of witchcraft.

old house
Philip English’s house, from a drawing by Miss E. W. Dalrymple and J. R. Penniman, 1823, courtesy The Essex Institute

Mary was arrested right away, but Philip managed to evade the authorities for several weeks. Once captured, though, he and Mary were sent to jail in Boston, where, due to their wealth, they were free to roam Boston daily as long as they promised to return at night. On the day before their trial, though, they escaped to New York, aided by the Governor himself.

After the Witchcraft Trials ended, Philip English returned to Salem to discover that the Sheriff had confiscated most of his belongings, with his neighbors pilfering more than a few. English sued the Sheriff for years to regain his property, but the Sheriff died before the dispute was settled. Ultimately, of the £1,200 of lost property, only £200 was given as recompense to Philip and his heirs.

A popular myth says that English wouldn’t give up his lawsuits, and when the Sheriff died, threatened to steal his corpse and hold it for ransom. Some say he did steal the body, while others say the Sheriff was buried in his own basement for years to avoid it. Neither of these stories holds up to scholarly scrutiny.

Mary died in childbirth, a year after the Trials ended. Philip outlived her by 43 years, dying at age 85.

Tomorrow in Salem: the MOTHER of all summaries

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May 5: UNFLINCHING: the minister George Burroughs

Today in Salem: Wet, exhausted, and muddy, the minister George Burroughs arrived in Salem last night and was immediately brought to a private room in a local tavern. He’s a prisoner, yes, but he’s also a man of God, so he’ll stay here, away from the filthy jails and apart from the other prisoners.

After two days of riding through drenching rain, wind, and lightning strikes, Burroughs slept without moving all last night and most of today. Now he’s ravenous when the tavern owner’s wife brings him boiled cod, bread, and butter; the same supper that she and her husband are eating.

Burroughs is swiping the last smear of butter from his plate when a visitor knocks. The man takes his hat off and looks at the floor, shifting from foot to foot, then finally looks up at Burroughs.

”Is it true then?” His voice shakes. He’s just had a vociferous debate with a militia leader from Maine, who knows how Burroughs has protected and fought for his flock in the face of relentless Indian attacks. The military man is rock solid sure that Burroughs is innocent, and has challenged this man to see for himself.

The man just keeps turning his hat in his hands, nervous but not going anywhere. Rev Burroughs sets his mouth and stares back, unflinching. He is a minister, not an oddity, and will not speak to such disrespect. Later the unsettled man will remember this one-sided conversation, and the strange visions it conjures up that night in the darkness.

Tomorrow in Salem: HIDING: the wealthy Philip English

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May 3: A storm rages around George Burroughs

lightning

Today in Salem: The constable is choking on the acrid smell of burning wood, squinting his eyes in the stinging smoke, and pulling hard on the reins to keep his horse under control. The other horses are rearing in all directions, and the constable’s men are holding on tight. A shrieking bolt of lightning has struck a nearby tree with impossible precision, and now an entire stand of trees is on fire. In the chaos, the prisoner George Burroughs struggles with his own horse, but stays close.

The lawmen have been galloping through thunder & driving rain since dawn, bringing the accused Reverend Burroughs to Salem. They’d burst into his home last night and arrested him in the middle of supper, with his eight children watching. They’d left this morning with only two days to make a three-day ride, and there’s no time to spare. Until now, even the powerful storm hasn’t slowed them down.

fog

Now the constable can hardly see past the fog, heavy rain, and falling branches, and he’s shocked when he realizes that George Burroughs is still with them. Burroughs has his own horse, and there was every opportunity to break free and escape. Why hasn’t he fled? At first the constable is impressed with his prisoner’s integrity. But he quickly remembers that this is no ordinary prisoner. Burroughs has been accused of witchcraft. But that’s not the end of it. He’s accused of partnering with the Devil to lead the witches in an organized attack on the church.

There’s only one explanation to the constable: The Devil – the Prince of the Air – must have sent the storm to wrench Burroughs free. But the Devil has failed. He cannot stop the men of God.

Tomorrow in Salem: UNFLINCHING: the minister George Burroughs

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May 1: the beloved Rebecca Nurse’s friends rally

the petition in favor of Rebecca Nurse
A petition signed by 39 people attesting to Rebecca Nurse’s good character.

Today in Salem: The cruel judge John Hathorne rubs the thick paper between his thumb and forefinger. This is no accident. The man who has written it, with such a deliberate hand, is married to Hathorne’s sister. He’s also from the richest family in the Village, a position that the judge respects, and one that made for a good match for his sister.

Now the man has handed the document, a petition, to Hathorne, and asked for his consideration. 39 people have signed it, attesting to Rebecca Nurse’s good Christian character. She is 70 years old and frail, and has been in jail for more than a month. Now, at the behest of her worried husband, the judge’s brother-in-law has sent it to some of the more influential families.

“We have knowne her for many years and Acording to our observation her Life and conversation was Acording to her profession and we never had Any cause or grounds to suspect her of Any such thing as she is nowe Acused of.”

Most of the signatures are those of married couples, the men signing for themselves and for their wives. There are tavern owners, a prominent landowner, and the grandson of a governor. Most interesting are the signatures from Putnams and Porters, who are usually feuding and rarely agree on anything.

The judge floats the paper onto his desk and turns away. He’ll consider it.

LEARN MORE: Why couldn’t the women sign their own names? Was illiteracy common?

50 years before the Salem Witchcraft Trials, Massachusetts passed a law requiring that children be taught to read and write. In some ways, this literacy law was born of fear and resolution. Not long before that, the Mayflower had arrived, with half of its passengers dying within the first year. It took life-saving help from indigenous people, not to mention more immigrants, for the colony to take root and begin to grow.

For that to continue, the Puritans believed that its men needed to be able to read and understand the laws. And everyone, especially children, needed to be able to read the Bible. So the Puritan leaders mandated that all heads of households teach their dependents — apprentices and servants as well as their own children — to read English or pay a fine.

Many parents were half-hearted in their efforts, though, so another law was passed, requiring that towns with 50 or more families hire a schoolmaster. But many towns were reluctant, and for some, the fines were cheaper than the cost of a school. In Salem, the Town complied (it already had a fine school for boys heading into the ministry). But the agricultural Village didn’t.

Even if a school did exist, parents weren’t required to send their children. When they did, the kids that did go were typically free, white boys. Families couldn’t or wouldn’t spare the labor of slaves or indentured servants. And girls, who would never be leaders in the community or church, weren’t expected to need much education. They sometimes learned to read the Bible, but rarely to write.

In the existing documents from the Salem Witchcraft Trials, men often signed their names, and women usually made marks. This is why, as in the petition for Rebecca Nurse, the women’s ”signatures” are in their husbands’ handwriting.

book pages
Pages from “The New England Primer,” published around 1690, just before the Salem Witchcraft Trials. This reading book was in use for 150 years, and is where the prayer “Now I lay me down to sleep” first appears.

Tomorrow in Salem: A storm rages around George Burroughs

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Apr 30: ARRESTED: Widows, a burglar, and a minister

arrest warrant for Susannah Martin
Susannah Martin’s
arrest warrant

Today in Salem: 23 people are languishing in jail, some in Salem, and the rest – the overflow – in Boston. None has had a trial yet, but the judges aren’t thinking about that when they write arrest warrants for six more people.

The first is a woman in the nearby town of Amesbury; someone they haven’t even heard of. But the powerful Putnam family has filed a complaint against her, so they just write the name “Martin” and leave a space for her first name, which they fill in later: Susannah, and then cross out her station of “widdow,” even though she was one.

They know the second person well, though: the Reverend George Burroughs, the former minister of Salem who’d left two dead wives and a string of debts in his wake. They write his warrant in a decisive hand, but knowing that he can’t be fetched from Maine for an examination in two days, order the Marshall to “Convay him with all Speed to Salem before the Magestrates there, to be Examened, he being Suspected for a Confederacy with the devil.”

Others: the fortune teller and leader of a burglary ring Dorcas Hoar, one of her widowed neighbors, the rich merchant Philip English (whose wife is already in jail), and the widow Lydia Dustin, from the nearby town of Reading.

WHO was Dorcas Hoar?

old house
A late-1890s photo of
Dorcas Hoar’s house. It was
torn down in the early 1900s.

Age 58. A widow who was also a fortune teller and leader of a burglary ring, which included six of her children and numerous servants in households around town. Among her victims was a local minister whose servant stole an abundance of money, jewelry, clothing, and food, funneling all of it to Dorcas Hoar. Once captured, the burglars’ only sentence was to pay the costs of what they stole, a light sentence indeed, but one that was still resented by the Hoar family, who beat two of the minister’s cows (one to death) in revenge.

Dorcas Hoar’s hair was four feet, seven inches long, a so-called “elf lock” where evil spirits could hide. During her trial, the suspicious court ordered that her hair be cut off, a devastating blow. Her execution was delayed when she confessed.

After the trials, she moved in with her son-in-law and died in poverty. Case files: Dorcas Hoar

WHO was Susannah Martin?

Susannah Martin's memorial bench
Susannah Martin’s
memorial bench in Salem

Age 71. Depending on you you asked, she was either “one of the most “impudent, Scurrilous, wicked creatures in the world” (Cotton Mather), or an “honest, hard-working Christian woman and a “Martyr of Superstition” (her historical house marker).

We do know that her past included six unsuccessful lawsuits to inherit her father’s estate. She had also appeared in court as a defendant numerous times when her neighbors accused her of a variety of offenses, including calling one of them a liar and a thief. She was accused twice of witchcraft the Salem hysteria, with the charges eventually dropped.

During Martin’s examination, she laughed at her accusers. When asked if she had compassion for the afflicted, the forthright and hardened Martin replied, “No. I have none.”

At her later trial, at least nine (perhaps as many as 24) traveled by horse for nearly three days to Boston just to testify against her. Among their grievances: she’d caused one man’s oxen to drown themselves, her specter had stalked a farm hand, she’d bitten another man’s hand, she’d driven a neighbor mad, and she’d been seen at witch meetings. Case files: Susannah Martin

Tomorrow in Salem: The beloved Rebecca Nurse’s friends rally

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Apr 29: The resistance takes root

petition signatures

Today in Salem: The tavern keeper is fast with his quill, so eager to sign the petition that the quill catches on the paper and the ink splotches at the first stroke. This witchcraft hysteria is just that, he thinks. Hysteria. At best, those “afflicted” girls are misguided. At worst, they’re liars and trollops, drunk on attention and throwing accusations around like it’s a game. Now they’ve caught the beloved Rebecca Nurse in their net. So when one of his customers asks him to sign a petition attesting to Rebecca’s character, he doesn’t hesitate.

Nearby, a venerable old man nods and points at the paper. So the tavern keeper signs his name, too. Then of course there’s the tavern keeper’s wife, who’s incensed by the accusations against Rebecca and insists on writing her own first name. And there’s his 36-year-old daughter, who never married and has been God’s own blessing to him and his wife. He signs her name, too, then blows on the wet ink before handing the petition back to his customer.

In Boston, the prominent minister Cotton Mather is writing and praying about the “horrible enchantments and possessions” that have broken out in Salem. Could some of the prisoners be innocent? Is it possible that their specters are the Devil in disguise?

LEARN MORE: Why were some people against the search for witches? Wasn’t it dangerous to disagree?

Three kinds of records have survived the centuries: church, legal, and personal.

Church sermons paint witchcraft as a tool of Satan. Puritans believed that when bad things happened, it was because they had sinned, and God was allowing Satan to hurt them. Witchcraft was one of Satan’s tools.

Legal records show an intellectual approach to solving problems. Before Salem, calling someone a witch was sometimes just a legal (not moral) problem between arguing neighbors, and disputes could be settled in court. (This is why many of the accused people in Salem had mothers or grandmothers who’d been called witches, with nothing ever coming of it.)

Personal records, like diaries, are very few. From those we do have, it’s clear that while people often looked to the church to understand misfortune, they also knew that the world can be a naturally dangerous place. When bad things happen, it might have nothing to do with whether they’d sinned. Maybe the world is just a hard place.

Salem of 1692 was unusual in that the legal system had completely caved in to the religious one. There was no check or balance. (In fact, that tricky relationship between the church and the courts is the root of the American constitution’s separation of church and state.) Calling someone a witch was suddenly the same thing as accusing them of witchcraft.

300 years later we can see that the collapse was caused by a perfect storm of political upheaval, colonization of native lands, brutally cold weather patterns, and disease epidemics. At the time, though, it was a tremendous shock. Making it worse, children were suddenly holding immense power over adults, overturning the entire social order. Young girls called adults witches, and almost all of them went to jail, with 20 executed. In normal times, children couldn’t speak in church, court, or really anywhere in public. And now they were standing up and shouting during sermons, wailing and collapsing in court, and causing a stir in the taverns.

Was it dangerous to object? Sometimes. Calling an afflicted girl a liar could provoke her into accusing you – and she always won. Now, though, with petitions and letters, people could object in groups. There was safety in numbers.

Tomorrow in Salem: ARRESTED: Widows, a burglar, and a minister

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Apr 25: This WEEK in Salem

Joining late? Need to catch up? Here’s a snapshot of where we are.

SUMMARY

The doors have blown open in Salem, and the witchcraft hysteria has exploded. In the last 7 weeks, 10 people were arrested. In the next 7 weeks, it’ll be 54. As a reader, it’s overwhelming. But it was also overwhelming to the real-life people at the time. My hope as a writer is to link the two, so today’s readers can experience the same confusion and even pain with those who lived through it. I hope you’ll choose to stay with it – just as they had to.

WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK

12 people were arrested, examined, and sent to jail. One of them was Giles Corey (the gospel woman’s husband). He’s bewildered and angry, and has written a new will, disinheriting the sons-in-law who turned against him and his wife, Martha. He also disinherited Martha – but why?

We also met a new accuser: Susannah Sheldon, a traumatized war refugee who’s lost her brothers and father, and is suddenly living in poverty. She’s accused the wealthiest couple in Salem.

13-year-old Ann Putnam, the most active accuser, has now cried out against Salem’s former minister, and a former deputy who quit because he thought he was arresting innocent people.

WHO’S WHERE

Accused

NEW – The Reverend George Burroughs – a minister in Maine who used to be the minister of Salem Village. He left a few enemies behind. (He doesn’t know he’s accused yet.)

NEW – John Willard – a former constable and deputy who quit when he became convinced he was arresting innocent people. (He doesn’t know he’s been accused yet.)

Arrested

12 people, but they were immediately sent to jail. See below.

In Jail (23 people)

NEW – Bridget Bishop (unruly) – an outspoken woman who’s been in and out of court for years.

NEW – Mary Esty (pious) – With the nervous Sarah Cloyce, another sister of the beloved Rebecca Nurse.

NEW – Sarah Wilds (flamboyant) – an aging, glamorous woman who’s left a trail of scandals in her wake.

NEW – Giles Corey (cantankerous) – the gospel woman Martha Corey’s husband.

NEW – Abigail Hobbs – a wild child who wanders through the woods at night, disobeys her parents, and claims she’s made a pact with the Devil. Her parents were arrested a few days later.

NEW – Mary Warren – the Proctors’ servant, who’s been afflicted, cured, accused, and is now afflicted again. The judges can’t figure out which side of the fence she’s on, so they’re keeping her in jail.

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.

Martha Corey (gospel woman) – a slightly arrogant church member; Giles Corey’s wife.

Dorcas Good (4 years old) – the daughter of the beggar Sarah Good.

Sarah Good (beggar) – a vagrant who smokes a pipe and has a terrible temper. She has her baby in jail with her.

Rebecca Nurse (beloved) – a 70-year-old grandmother who is well-loved throughout the community.

Sarah Osborne (sickly) – a scandal-ridden woman who married her servant and is trying to take her sons’ inheritance.

Elizabeth Proctor (quarrelsome) – an opinionated tavern owner, married to the respected but harsh John Proctor.

John Proctor (harsh) – A farmer and tavern owner, opinionated and sometimes overbearing, but respected.

Tituba (slave) – the minister’s slave who was the first to be accused and the first to confess.

7 other people: A slave, a wealthy merchant’s wife, a woman in a nearby town, the unruly Bridget Bishop’s son and daughter-in-law, and the wild child Abigail Hobbs’s parents.

Tried & Sentenced

(No one … yet)

Died

(No one … yet)

Tomorrow in Salem: The resistance takes root

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Apr 24: the cantankerous Giles Corey writes a new will

paper and quill

Today in Salem: The cantankerous Giles Corey is pounding his fist on the jail keeper’s table. He’s ripped his will into the smallest shreds that his calloused hands can, and now, with the help of the Justice of the Peace, he’s making a new one. “Being under great troubles & affliction,” Giles begins, and goes on to proclaim:

To the son-in-law who testified against Giles and his wife Martha: NOTHING.

To another son-in-law, who called Martha a witch: NOTHING.

To Martha herself, his gospel woman wife: NOTHING. The jail keeper sits up at that. She’s been in jail for over a month now, which doesn’t bode well. Does Giles think she won’t survive? Or is she a thorn in his side that he wants to remove?

Everything – every shilling, acre, and cow – is to go to his other two sons-in-law, share and share alike, for “considerations mee at ye present Espetially moveing.”

Meanwhile, Susannah Sheldon joins the ranks of the afflicted girls when, during Sunday meeting, she sees the specter of a wealthy merchant, Philip English, crawl over a pew to torment her.

WHO was Susannah Sheldon?

Susannah Sheldon's mark
Susannah Sheldon’s mark

Susannah was an 18yo traumatized refugee of the Indian Wars in Maine. Her 24yo brother was killed in an Indian attack, and her 10yo brother died of “distraction.” Only four months before she made her first accusation, her father died of an infected wound that he’d received in Maine, and the family farm was taken. Her mother, fours sisters, and brother were reduced to poverty. Her first accusations were against the wealthiest family in Salem. Her visions were among the most disturbing.

Susannah moved to Providence, Rhode Island before the trials were over. According to local records, she was summoned before the Providence City Council two years later. We don’t know why she was summoned, but she was referred to as a person “of Evill repute” and may have been indigent at the time. Some records indicate that she died 4 years after the Trials ended.

Of the people Susannah accused and/or testified against, 15 were hanged. Her legal case files are here.

Tomorrow in Salem: This WEEK in Salem

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Apr 23: Newly accused: the former constable John Willard

man falling

Today in Salem: Yesterday the constable was deeply uneasy watching his mother, the flamboyant Sarah Wilds, be carted off to jail for witchcraft. Today another constable enters the picture, one who is just as uncomfortable. He’s sure that some of the women in jail – whom he himself arrested – are actually innocent. After several sleepless nights, he’s quit his position in protest.

Unfortunately for the former deputy John Willard, it’s becoming clear that people who say the girls are lying end up being accused themselves. And now – it’s happening. He doesn’t know it yet, but the girls’ leader, 13-year-old Ann Putnam, is crying out against him this very minute. Her worried parents are watching as she falls to her knees and begs his specter for mercy as he tries to make her sign the Devil’s book.

Ann’s parents aren’t just worried. They’re angry. John had been involved in the mysterious death of their baby three winters ago. It doesn’t surprise them one bit that he’s aligned himself with the Devil.

WHO was John Willard?

John Willard’s mark

John Willard was 35. At the time of the first allegations of witchcraft Willard was serving as a constable, and had arrested some of the accused. When he quit his position in protest, the afflicted girls accused him of being a witch himself. Not only that, but they said he’d murdered 13 people.

Unfortunately he’d made powerful enemies in the Putnams. When he first arrived at Salem Village, John Willard worked as a hired hand on the Putnam farm. One of his many tasks on the farm was looking after the young children living there, including a newborn baby girl. When the baby died, the distraught parents blames Willard.

John was also unpopular with his wife’s family, who also made several accusations against him: that he beat his wife, caused business failures, and that he caused illness and even death by looking at people with an “evil eye.” Case files: John Willard

Tomorrow in Salem: The cantankerous Giles Corey writes a new will