Salem The Podcast

By Sarah Black & Jeffrey LilleySociety & Culture Places & Travel

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Salem The Podcast episodes

August 26, 2025 158. Interview: Mary Bingham, Descendant of Sarah Wildes
When we talk about the Salem Witch Trials, we spend most of our time focused on 1692, give or take a half-century. Rarely do we bring it all the way to modern day. But many of those involved in the trials had descendants and we finally got the chance to interview one. Just as the stories of innocent victims are woven into our city's history, Sarah Wildes, has woven her way into Mary Bingham's life. Join Jeffrey and Sarah, your favorite Salem tour guides as they get to hear first-hand from a witch trial descendant, three times over, about her life, her research, her theories, and how the very concept of the Salem Witch Trials has impacted her life. A true lived historical experience.
https://endwitchhunts.org

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Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours www.bewitchedtours.com
Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours www.salemuncoveredtours.com

Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces
License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE
1 hr 30 min
August 19, 2025157. Salem Islands (part 2)
Fall may be approaching, but we're still living the island life! Salem Sound has so much to offer and Misery and Bakers were just the tip of the... island? In part two, we'll venture to Children's (or Cat) Island and hear about how it went from small pox to summer camp. Sarah reads us the long lost tale: “The Desperado of Cat Island.” And we've got a Spanish ship wreck at Tinkers! Join Jeffrey and Sarah, your favorite Salem tour guides, as they hop back on the boat and explore like the maritime sailors of old!
Tolles, Bryant Jr. Summer by the Seaside: The Architecture of New England Coastal Resort Hotels, 1820–1950. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 2008, 97.
Knight, Russell W. “The ‘Headers in Life and Legend.” Marblehead Magazine.
Bentley, William. The Diary of William Bentley. Vol. 3. Salem: Essex Institute, n.d., 274.
“Free Summer Pleasures for Boston People.” New England Magazine, New Series, vol. 6 (March–August 1892), 791.
Thirty-Ninth Annual Report of the State Board of Health of Massachusetts. Boston: Wright & Potter Printing Co., 1908, 71.
“Marines Landed—For Y Campers.” The Marblehead Messenger, June 17, 1971.
Hercher, Gail Pike. “Cat Island: A History of Kings, Captains and Children.” Marblehead Magazine. https://www.legendinc.com/Pages/MarbleheadNet/MM/Articles/CatIslandHistory.html.
Firger, Chris. Tinker's Island. Painting. Posted on Instagram, July 8, 2021. https://www.instagram.com/p/CfsCFNsp9SB/.
Jasper, Jack. "The desperado of cat island." Newspapers.com. The Pittsfield Sun, August 9, 1849. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pittsfield-sun/177628359/.
Gorstein, Sam. Tinkers Island Marblehead 4K. YouTube video, September 18, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ia5tH1-PWPU.
Tinker’s Island. Salem Links and Lore (Salem Public Library), last modified April 1, 2025. https://salempl.org/wiki/index.php?title=Tinker%27s_Island
Peterson, Pam. "Marblehead 101: Tinker’s and the Outer Islands." Marblehead Reporter, March 28, 2013. Accessed [today’s date]. https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/marblehead-reporter/2013/03/28/marblehead-101-tinker-s-outer/39845920007/

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Interested in supporting the Podcast? Looking for more Salem content? CLICK HERE!
www.salemthepodcast.com
NEW INSTAGRAM - @salemthepod
Email - [email protected]

Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours www.salemuncoveredtours.com
Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours www.bewitchedtours.com

Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces
License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE
1 hr 9 min
August 13, 2025156. Salem Islands (part 1)
When you think Salem, you probably envision Essex Street or the Common, perhaps the Willows or Derby Street. But what about islands in Salem Sound? Wait - Salem has islands?! You bet! And quite a few at that. Join Jeffrey and Sarah, your favorite Salem tour guides, as they explore what lies beyond Salem's shores. We'll cover just two of Salem’s many Islands in our first installment: Baker's Island and Misery Island. Let's talk private beaches, lighthouses, sunken ships, wildlife preserves, fires, hotels - there's so much to explore!
Bakers Island Light Station. n.d. See the Light! Visit Bakers Island Light Station. https://www.bakersislandlight.org/
Salem Tales: Baker’s Island. n.d. SalemWeb. https://salemweb.com/about-salem/salem-tales/bakers-island/
Bakers Island [Photograph Collection]. n.d. Flickr, “Salem State Archives.” https://www.flickr.com/photos/salemstatearchives/albums/72157670746281168/
Rosenberg, Steven A. 2012. "Baker’s Island Residents Wary of an Influx of Visitors." Boston.com, August 9, 2012. https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2012/08/09/bakers-island-residents-wary-of-an-influx-of-visitors/
Baker’s Island. n.d. Salem Links and Lore. https://salempl.org/wiki/index.php?title=Baker%27s_Island
Baker’s Island Salem, Massachusetts [Online Forum Post]. n.d. Reddit, r/massachusetts. https://www.reddit.com/r/massachusetts/comments/r4kf8x/bakers_island_salem_massachusetts/
The Bakers Bulletin – Lighthouse Living on the New England Coast. n.d. The Bakers Bulletin (blog). https://bakersbulletin.wordpress.com/
"A4U0zrTHxfY" [YouTube video]. n.d. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4U0zrTHxfY
Farmhouse Fixers, season 3, episode 4. n.d. (TV episode).
The Trustees of Reservations. Misery Islands History. Accessed August 1, 2025. The Trustees of Reservations.Wikipedia+1The Trustees of Reservations+4The Trustees of Reservations+4Wikipedia+4
“Misery Islands.” In Misery Island – Salem Links and Lore. Last modified April 20, 2017. Salem Links and Lore. Salem Public Library (Massachusetts)
“Misery Islands.” Wikipedia. Last modified [date retrieved]. Accessed August 1, 2025. WCVB+5Wikipedia+5The Trustees of Reservations+5
“Misery Islands.” Coastal Byway. Accessed August 1, 2025. Essex Coastal Scenic Byway
“The Lost Bungalows of Great Misery Island.” Street of Salem, June 27, 2017.
New England Historical Society. “Steamboat City of Rockland, The Cursed Ship of the Tourist Trade.” New England Historical Society, originally published approximately 9 years ago; updated 2024. Accessed August 1, 2025.
Interested in Salem The Podcast Merch!? CLICK HERE!
Interested in supporting the Podcast? Looking for more Salem content? CLICK HERE!
www.salemthepodcast.com
NEW INSTAGRAM - @salemthepod
Email - [email protected]

Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours www.bewitchedtours.com
Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours www.salemuncoveredtours.com

Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces
License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE
1 hr 13 min
August 05, 2025155. Witch Trials: Elizabeth Howe (part 2)
In our last episode, we covered Elizabeth Howe's life leading up to 1692, her journey from Yorkshire to Rowley, and the whispers of witchcraft that followed her before any afflicted girls in Salem cried out her name. In part two, we dive into her examination, subsequent testimonies, and trial aftermath. There's even a few research gems at the end. Join Sarah and Jeffrey, your favorite Salem tour guides, for the conclusion of Elizabeth Howe's story.
University of Virginia. Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project. Accessed July 13, 2025. http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/n72.html.
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Judicial Archives, Vol. 1 no. 321–322. Massachusetts State Archives, Boston, MA.
Peabody Essex Museum. Salem Witch Trials Collection. Accessed July 13, 2025. https://pem.quartexcollections.com/collections/salem-witch-trials-collection/salem-witch-trials-documents.
Mather, Cotton. Wonders of the Invisible World. Boston: Benjamin Harris, 1693. Digital edition via University of Michigan and Archive.org.
Roach, Marilynne K. The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege. Lanham, MD: Taylor Trade Publishing, 2002.
Baker, Emerson W. A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience. New York: Oxford University Press, 2015.
Calef, Robert. More Wonders of the Invisible World. London: Nath. Hillar, 1700.
Upham, Charles W. Salem Witchcraft. Boston: Wiggin and Lunt, 1867.
Graystone, Philip. Elizabeth Jackson of Rowley. Privately published, 1993.
Massachusetts General Court. Acts and Resolves, 1711: An Act to Reverse the Attainders of George Burroughs and Others for Witchcraft. Boston, 1711.
Topsfield Town Records. Topsfield, Massachusetts. Referenced in Perley family and local governance documentation.
Lyrics for "The Rowley Witch" by Beggar's Bridge
"The Rowley Witch" on Spotify
Interested in Salem The Podcast Merch!? CLICK HERE!
Interested in supporting the Podcast? Looking for more Salem content? CLICK HERE!
www.salemthepodcast.com
NEW INSTAGRAM - @salemthepod
Email - [email protected]

Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours www.salemuncoveredtours.com
Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours www.bewitchedtours.com

Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces
License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE
1 hr 12 min
July 29, 2025154. Witch Trials: Elizabeth Howe (part 1)
We're back from break! And what better way to return than with an episode about a victim from the Salem Witch Trials. Elizabeth Howe is the only person we have yet to cover from the July 19th executions. She was also the only person executed from the town of Ipswich, even being referred to as the Witch of Ipswich. Join Jeffrey and Sarah, your favorite Salem tour guides, as they cover the first part of Elizabeth Howe’s life. From her birth in Yorkshire England to whispers of her being a witch a decade before the Salem Witch Trials.
University of Virginia. Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project. Accessed July 13, 2025. http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/n72.html.
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Judicial Archives, Vol. 1 no. 321–322. Massachusetts State Archives, Boston, MA.
Peabody Essex Museum. Salem Witch Trials Collection. Accessed July 13, 2025. https://pem.quartexcollections.com/collections/salem-witch-trials-collection/salem-witch-trials-documents.
Mather, Cotton. Wonders of the Invisible World. Boston: Benjamin Harris, 1693. Digital edition via University of Michigan and Archive.org.
Roach, Marilynne K. The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege. Lanham, MD: Taylor Trade Publishing, 2002.
Baker, Emerson W. A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience. New York: Oxford University Press, 2015.
Calef, Robert. More Wonders of the Invisible World. London: Nath. Hillar, 1700.
Upham, Charles W. Salem Witchcraft. Boston: Wiggin and Lunt, 1867.
Graystone, Philip. Elizabeth Jackson of Rowley. Privately published, 1993.
Massachusetts General Court. Acts and Resolves, 1711: An Act to Reverse the Attainders of George Burroughs and Others for Witchcraft. Boston, 1711.
Topsfield Town Records. Topsfield, Massachusetts. Referenced in Perley family and local governance documentation.

Interested in Salem The Podcast Merch!? CLICK HERE!
Interested in supporting the Podcast? Looking for more Salem content? CLICK HERE!
www.salemthepodcast.com
NEW INSTAGRAM - @salemthepod
Email - [email protected]

Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours www.bewitchedtours.com
Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours www.salemuncoveredtours.com

Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces
License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE
49 min
July 22, 2025 2025 Update!
Hello hello! We've missed you all.
We've got some updates for you and a full witch trial episode dropping next week. Get ready for more witches, new topics, and an upcoming LIVE show! Thank you to all our listeners for your never-ending support. We could not do this without you.
TICKETS TO THE LIVE SHOW
30 min
April 06, 2025153. Winters of New England's Past
A few weeks ago, we covered the Blizzard of 1978. But what about the Blizzard of '88... 1888 that is? What about centuries before that? Snow storms are destructive enough in the modern era, but how did Puritans in colonial New England deal with them? We'll also jump 150 years forward to the Great White Hurricane of March 1888. Join Sarah and Jeffrey, your favorite Salem tour guides as they talk about more winter, more snow, and more cold.
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/47082/47082-h/47082-h.htm
https://marbleheadmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/pp-187-260-331Winthrop_s_Journal_History_of_New_Englan.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Ice_Age
https://www.colonialsociety.org/node/1742
https://www.dotnews.com/2017/oh-hunger-many-suffered
https://www.brancatosnowremoval.com/history-snow-removal-first-snow-plow/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Blizzard_of_1888
https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/the-blizzard-of-1888-americas-greatest-snow-disaster
Interested in Salem The Podcast Merch!? CLICK HERE!
Interested in supporting the Podcast? Looking for more Salem content? CLICK HERE!
www.salemthepodcast.com
NEW INSTAGRAM - @salemthepod
Email - [email protected]

Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours www.salemuncoveredtours.com
Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours www.bewitchedtours.com

Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces
License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE
1 hr 17 min
March 28, 2025 152. Interview: Georgia Wrenn
Who is the most famous artist in Salem? Some would say that title goes to 13-year-old Georgia Wrenn, the talent behind “Georgia Made This.” You've probably seen her selling Salem-inspired merchandise at the Salem Arts Festival, or perhaps at the Haunted Happenings Marketplace in October. You can also find her products in Moons Gift Shop and at the Peabody Essex Museum Store! And we know several of you listeners probably have "Georgia Made This" apparel hanging in your closet at this very moment. Join Jeffrey and Sarah as they sit down with the Georgia (and her Dad, Chris) to learn about how she got her business off the ground at just 6 years old. What's her favorite design thus far? How does she feel about opening a new store on Front Street? And did she really meet Adam Sandler?
www.georgiamadethis.com
@georgiamadethis

Interested in Salem The Podcast Merch!? CLICK HERE!
Interested in supporting the Podcast? Looking for more Salem content? CLICK HERE!
www.salemthepodcast.com
NEW INSTAGRAM - @salemthepod
Email - [email protected]

Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours www.bewitchedtours.com
Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours www.salemuncoveredtours.com

Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces
License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE
52 min
March 20, 2025151. Salem in 1892
Some of you may remember the 300th year anniversary of the Salem Witch Trials. Perhaps you watched as the memorials were dedicated. Or you followed Laurie Cabot and her fellow witches up to Gallows Hill. But surely none of you were around in 1892! Nearly a century and a half ago, Salem was commemorating the bicentenary of the Salem Witch Trials... or were they?
What exactly did Salem look like and how did they treat this grim history? Join Sarah and Jeffrey, your favorite Salem tour guides, for a little 1892 adventure. Are you buying Witch Cream and cigars from the pharmacy at the Witch House? Or being taken on a carriage tour to the hanging grounds. And which house inspired Hawthorne's House of the Seven Gables again?

Endless Night Salem Vampire Salon : discount code SALEMTHEPOD
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2025-endless-night-salem-vampire-salon-noir-blanc-tickets-1090074324649?aff=ebdshpsearchautocomplete
1892 Jan 12. "To Erect a Tablet on Witch Hill" Boston Evening Transcript. 8.
1892 Jan 2. "Origin of Souvenir Spoons" The Evening World. 4.
1892 Sept 26. "The Witch Tragedy" The Lima News. 6.
1892 Jan 16. "Witch Cream" Boston Evening Transcript. 8.
Interested in Salem The Podcast Merch!? CLICK HERE!
Interested in supporting the Podcast? Looking for more Salem content? CLICK HERE!
www.salemthepodcast.com
NEW INSTAGRAM - @salemthepod
Email - [email protected]

Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours www.salemuncoveredtours.com
Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours www.bewitchedtours.com

Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces
License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE
1 hr 12 min
March 14, 2025 150. Witch Trials: Sarah Wildes (part 2)
Join Jeffrey and Sarah, your favorite Salem tour guides, as they round out the life of Sarah Wildes. What lasting repercussions did her quick betrothal have on her life? Is that why Mary Reddington slandered her for decades? Was the scythe cursed or were they just a bunch of teenagers? It all comes together in the end.

Endless Night Salem Vampire Salon : discount code SALEMTHEPOD
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2025-endless-night-salem-vampire-salon-noir-blanc-tickets-1090074324649?aff=ebdshpsearchautocomplete

Clara Arlette Avery, The Averell-Averill-Avery Family: A Record of the Descendants of William and Abigail Averell of Ipswich, Mass.
Marilynne Roach, The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-By-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege
Walter Davis, The Wildes Family of Essex County, Massachusetts
https://salemwitchmuseum.com/locations/sarah-and-john-wildes-home-site-of/
https://historyofmassachusetts.org/sarah-wildes/
https://salem.lib.virginia.edu/tag/wilds_sarah.html

Interested in Salem The Podcast Merch!? CLICK HERE!
Interested in supporting the Podcast? Looking for more Salem content? CLICK HERE!
www.salemthepodcast.com
NEW INSTAGRAM - @salemthepod
Email - [email protected]

Book a tour with Sarah at Bewitched Historical Tours www.bewitchedtours.com
Book a tour with Jeffrey at Salem Uncovered Tours www.salemuncoveredtours.com

Intro/Outro Music from Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/all-good-folks/unfamiliar-faces
License code: NGSBY7LA1HTVAUJE
1 hr 19 min

About Salem The Podcast

From the publisher's feed

Welcome to Salem, Massachusetts! Join tour guides Jeffrey Lilley and Sarah Black as they talk all things Witch City. Learn its history, meet its people, and discover the magic.