Who’s who in salem

Main people involved in the Salem Witch trials

 Born on November 28, 1682. Betty Paris, after an
exceptionally cold winter started to bark like a dog

She dashed about, contorted in pain, fell dumb, babbled

nonsensically and complained of fever

Betty Paris At one point she threw a bible which would have shocked
her father and the whole Puritan Society

The accusations made by her and her cousin directly

caused the death of 20 people

Her strange behavior seemed to cause a mass hysteria

role accuser among a lot of the young girls in the community, like
Abigail Williams and Mercy Lewis
profession Young girl
age 9
 In 1680 Paris moved to
This marriage connected
Salem with his two slaves
him with influential
and married Elizabeth
people in the village
Eldridge

In 1686, Paris began The villagers were

Samuel Paris substituting in as a
church minister and
dissatisfied with Paris as
their preacher, the
became the preacher in villagers sporadically
1689 paid him his salary

Paris then started Once the doctor said that

making sermons saying his daughter’s problems
that there might be a were caused by
role Convinced people conspiracy in the village witchcraft, Parris fanned
against the church by the flames of witch
about witches Satan suspicion from the Pulpit
profession Church minister
age 37
 Was a doctor in Salem

Griggs was in charge diagnosing the girls in the Salem

Witch Hunt

William Griggs Griggs claimed the girls were ’under an evil hand’

His diagnosis allowed Samuel Paris, to prove his point

that there was a Satanic conspiracy in the village

Which allowed for a witch hunt

role Sparked the witch
hunt
profession doctor
age unknown
 Cotton Mather

§ He was a friend of the Salem Witch Trial judges

ROLE BELIEVER IN
§ In 1688, he had investigated the strange behavior
THE TRIALS seen later in Salem of four children in Boston. He
identified it as supernatural
§ Firm believer in Witchcraft
profession Clergyman and
author § Wrote a book called ‘ the wonders of the invisible
world’ on specters and the supernatural
§ Had large influence over the people during the time
age 28
 Increase Mather
§ At first, he supported the witch trials
§ Then as the trials went on he doubted if it was doing
role Argued to anything

end the § Although He believed that sexual activity was

witchcraft, he didn’t believe in tests of swimming,
trials weeping and reciting the lord’s prayer as
determining if you were a witch or not
profession Boston § he was friends with the judges, so he didn’t
Minister denounce their ways just that spectral evidence
shouldn’t be used, in his paper

age 52 § He said that it was better to spare ten accused

witches than kill one innocent person
 Phips ordered the court to
hear witch trial evidence in
1692

He was the governor of the

town

William Phips Phips shut down the trial in

October due to his wife
being accused

role Husband of He banned spectral

accused, ordered evidence and spectral
trials to stop testimonies in future trials
profession governer
age 40
 A very religious man, served on the church
committee

Believed that the devil could use witches to

undermine the purpose of the church

John Hathorne
He often appeared to act as a prosecutor than as
a impartial inquisitioner

He would never admit to wrongdoing after the

role Judge during the trials to the embarrassment of his descendants,
trial who changed their last names to ‘Hawthorne’
profession Judge
age 50-51
 Jonathan Corwin

role prosecutor § Corwin signed several arrest

warrants and transcribed a few of
profession magistrate the hearings but scarcity of
records from the 1692 events
makes it impossible to determine
age 52 Corwin's overall role in the trials as
well as his attitude toward the
acceptance in court of spectral
evidence
 Samuel Sewell

§ Sewell married Hannah Hull, the daughter of one of

the wealthiest men in the colony
§ From 1691 to 1725 Sewell served on the Governor's
role prosecutor Council.
§ Sewell’s diary- The diary entries reveal little
personal reservations or remorse concerning his
profession magistrate own role in the conduct of the trials
§ n December 1696, however, Sewall wrote a
age 40 proclamation for a day of fast and penance and
reparation by the government for the sins of the
witchcraft trials. Sewall publicly apologized for his
role in the trials.
 Although he lacked any legal education,
Stoughton was appointed Chief Justice of
Massachusetts, a position he continued to
hold until shortly before his death.

William
Stoughton Although he acted as chief justice in the
Court of Oyer and Terminer during the Salem
witch trials, Stoughton suffered little political
damage. In 1694, he became acting governor
when Phips returned to London to defend his
administration against claims of corruption.
role prosecutor Stoughton died on July 7, 1701.
profession magistrate
age 61
 Ann Putnam Jr

§ She was a close friend of several of the

other afflicted girls
role accuser § Ann had listened to Tituba, who told tales of
voodoo and other supernatural events
profession Young girl § Ann was a very good actor with people
from miles around coming to see them in
age 12 court

§ Ann formally apologised for her actions in

1706
 Her mental health
declined after her sister,
Described as a fearful
Mary's three children
woman with a highly
died in quick succession,
sensitive temperament
followed shortly by Mary
herself in 1688.

She was disinherited,

from her wealthy father’s
In 1689, she lost an infant
will and the estate was
Ann Putnam Sr given to her brothers.
(she tried to sue
daughter further shaking
her mental stability.
unsuccessfully)

All those events

probably lead her to join
her daughter in her fits,
and made her come
role accuser under the mass hysteria
profession mother
age 31
 Captain John Putnam

role Loaned § Captain Putnam loaned Burroughs money

for the funeral of Hannah, who died in
money to
childbirth
George
§ Captain Putnam had him arrested for the
Burroughs,
debt when Burroughs returned from Maine,
neighbour to he was freed but left Salem in bad terms
sarah with the Putnam’s
Osborne § He was neighbours with Sarah Osborne, the
profession unknown widow of his wife’s brother.

age 65
 On September 30, 1689, an It is reported that Mercy
attack by Native Lewis was a victim of child
Americans killed her abuse after statements
grandparents, aunts, were taken from witnesses
uncles and most of her such as Abigail Williams
cousins. When she was 14 and Thomas Putnam

it was reported that Mercy She was vital in making

Mercy Lewis suffered from episodes of

seizures
the accusations against the
‘witches’

Lewis was the subject of

accusations. Ann Putnam
Jr. claimed she had seen
Lewis' apparition, though
she said it had not harmed
role accuser her
profession servant
age 17
 Mary Walcott

§ Walcott’s mother, Mary Sibley, died on

December 28, 1683, when Mary Walcott was
role accuser eight years old

§ Mary’s aunt was known for making magic

profession girl that countered witches

age 17 § Accused a lot of people after their

examinations at court like Rebecca nurse
and Elizabeth Proctor
 At least 20 years before her death, Martha had an
illegitimate, mixed race son named Benoni

Benoni lived with them and the towns people were aware
of him

Martha Corey She publicly denounced the witch trials as well as the
judges who were involved in the various cases and was
very outspoken in saying that the accusers were lying

Corey during her trial believed she was going to be not

guilty and repeatedly said to not listen to the rantings of
the historical children

role accused
profession Elderly lady
age 72
 § Had been taken to court for petty theft and for the
murder of an indentured worker on his farm

§ Was crushed to death by rocks because he didn’t want

Giles Corey to go to trial

§ Due to wanting his heirs to get his property and not the
state

role accused
profession farmer
age 50-51
 Rebecca Nurse

§ At the time of her trial she was 71 years old,

and had "acquired a reputation for
role accused exemplary piety that was virtually
unchallenged in the community”

profession none § several of the most active accusers were

more hesitant in their accusations of Nurse

age 71 § Thirty-nine of the most prominent members

of the community signed a petition on
Nurse's behalf
 § She blatantly disregarded puritan standards, she played
the illegal game shovelboard, drank and wore exotic
clothing

Bridget Bishop § Fashionable apparel was regarded by some as a "snare

and sign of the devil.”- Bishop wore this

§ In 1680 she was charged with witchcraft but was let off

role accused
profession Owner of two
taverns
age 55-60
 § In the minds of many of the villagers of Salem, George
Burroughs was "the ringleader of them all.”

§ historical records have credited Burroughs with many

character traits uncommon for a wizard (male witch).
George There is "evidence that he was self-denying, generous,
and public spirited, laboring with humility and with
Burroughs zeal."

§ Burroughs ministered in the Village of Salem for only

two years. He left as a result of a bitter dispute over his
salary
role accused
profession Church minister
age 50-51
 § He denounced the witch trials and said it was all a scam
§ He had a maid called Mary who would have fits and he
would believe they were fake and beat her for doing it
John Proctor § Proctor wrote a letter to the Boston ministers on doing
something about the trials and said that torture was
used to get a confession

role accused
profession Church minister
age 50-51