Salem Witch Trials Daily

June 18, 1692: Mercy Lewis’s Trance and Major Salem Witch Trials Prisoner TransfersWe follow a tense moment from the Salem Witch Trials on Saturday, June 18, 1692, as Reverend Samuel Parris and John Putnam Sr. visit the ailing Jonathan Putnam and summon Mercy Lewis—who suddenly loses her voice, signals that witches are afflicting him, and later describes specters of Rebecca Nurse and Martha Carrier holding Jonathan’s head. Our update also tracks key prisoner movements that reshape the crisis: Lydia Dustin and her daughter Sarah Dustin are transferred from Boston jail to Cambridge, while nine accused—Dorcas Hoar, George Burroughs, Susannah Root, George Jacobs Sr., Sarah Wilds, Giles Corey, Martha Corey, Ann Pudeator, and Sarah Cloyce—are moved from Boston to Salem.00:00 June 18th 1692 Intro00:09 Mercy Lewis Trance00:38 Prisoner Transfers Update00:42 Closing Notes

July 1692 Thanksgiving Proclaimed Amid Salem Witch TrialsJosh Hutchinson and Sarah Jack discuss events around Friday, June 17, 1692, noting that a day after Roger Toothaker’s death, Boston leaders ordered a colony-wide Thanksgiving for July 14 to celebrate the defense of Wells, Maine, and the May 14 arrival of Governor William Phips and Increase Mather after lobbying in London for a new charter. They highlight the disconnect between official celebrations and the realities of war, a bad economy, and the Salem witch trials, with five people under death sentence for witchcraft as of July 14 and dozens more jailed without any feast. They also note Phips held a personal celebratory feast for ship carpenters, and explain that in colonial New England Thanksgiving was an irregular, specially declared observance rather than an annual holiday.00:00 Daily Introduction00:08 Boston Declares Thanksgiving00:37 Trials and Death Sentences01:12 Phips Throws a Party01:27 What Thanksgiving Meant

In today's Salem Witch Trials Daily, we look into the June 16, 1692 death of Roger Toothaker in the Boston jail. He was the 4th person to die from the Salem Witch Trials and the 3rd who died in jail, following Sarah Good's infant child and Sarah Osburn. (Bridget Bishop had just been hanged June 10th)Learn about Roger's life and family and their roles in the witch-hunt.

June 14, 1692: The Burroughs Children After Salem’s InjusticeWe take you to Tuesday, June 14, 1692, as George Burroughs’ third wife, Mary, leaves Wells, Maine with their baby, possibly before the siege ends on June 12, abandoning Burroughs’ seven children from his first two marriages to fend for themselves in a war zone. With their family property in abandoned Falmouth rendered worthless by conflict, the children’s plight is later captured in a September 1710 petition by son Charles Burroughs seeking restitution for their father’s execution, describing the scattered, helpless children, a stepmother unable to care for them all, and an estate largely lost and expended. Despite estimating losses far beyond, the seven children ultimately receive only 50 pounds to share, raising haunting questions about justice, restitution, and reparations in the aftermath of the Salem Witch Trials.00:00 Daily Introduction00:09 Mary Burroughs Flees Wells00:28 Children Left in War00:40 1710 Petition Evidence01:13 Restitution and Losses01:47 Reparations Reflection

June 13, 1692: Salem Lulls, Wells Attacked, and Goody Miller Slips AwayWe track a rare quiet day in the Salem witch trials as the Court of Oyer and Terminer sits between sessions and accusations taper off, with no new arrests after Ann Dolliver’s June 6 arrest until at least July 1, when a complaint targets Candy and her mistress, Margaret Hawkes. Our attention shifts north to Wells, Maine, where soldiers assess damage from repeated French and Wabanaki attacks and discover the body of a high-ranking French officer, Lieutenant General the Sieur de La Broquerie. In Boston, Governor Sir William Phips orders Major Samuel Appleton to send Essex County troops to reinforce Piscataqua and halts Massachusetts shipping until French threats at sea subside. In Fairfield, Connecticut, Katherine Branch accuses Goody Miller—who escapes to Bedford, New York, beyond Connecticut’s reach.00:00 Daily Introduction00:12 Salem Trials Lull00:35 Wells Maine Aftermath00:52 Phips Mobilizes Defense01:21 Fairfield Spectral Accusation01:40 Goody Miller Escapes01:42 Border Politics Wrap Up

Siege of Wells, Maine (June 12, 1692): French and Wabanaki Attack the English GarrisonWe’re on the front lines of the siege of Wells, Maine on Sunday, June 12, 1692, as French and Wabanaki forces march into town, form ranks, and unleash a coordinated volley at the English garrison houses—only to meet steady return fire that forces a withdrawal. The attackers try a fiery gamble, floating a raft of combustibles toward the sloops at the creek, but the tide betrays them; a final volley kills one Englishman before they turn on cattle across the river. Gunfire continues well after dark, keeping everyone on edge. We also unpack the bigger stakes: the long struggle for North America between English New England and French New France, and the Wabanaki Confederacy’s fight to survive and hold their land amid battles for resources and wealth.00:00 June 12th Update00:13 Siege of Wells00:30 Raft Attack Fails00:51 Nightfall Gunfire00:57 Why This Battle01:09 French English Rivalry01:44 Wabanaki Stakes

June 11, 1692: New Essex Justices Sworn as Wells, Maine Faces Siege in King William’s WarWe track the Salem Witch Trials and the wider New England crisis on Saturday, June 11, 1692. In Boston, John Higginson Jr., son of Salem’s senior minister, and Dudley Bradstreet, son of former Governor Simon Bradstreet, are sworn in as justices of the peace for Essex County. Far to the east, French and Wabanaki forces lay siege to Wells, Maine, where accused witch George Burroughs had once served as minister. Captain James Converse and 15 soldiers repel two assaults on the garrison houses, while sailors extinguish fires from flaming arrows aimed at sloops in the creek. As Wells braces through a sleepless night, we connect the attack to King William’s War (1687–1696) and the destruction of Maine settlements, including Falmouth (now Portland).00:00 Daily Introduction00:13 New Essex Justices00:29 Siege of Wells Maine01:00 King William's War Context01:19 Burroughs and the Frontier

On June 10, 1692 Bridget Bishop became the first to be executed in the Salem Witch Trials when she was hanged at Proctor’s Ledge in Salem. While Boston’s General Court carried on and Governor Sir William Phips appointed a committee to revise Massachusetts laws, fear rippled across the region—from Wells, Maine, where Captain James Converse guarded supply sloops after cattle returned bloodied, to Salem, where Sheriff George Corwin led Bishop from jail to the hanging site. A crowd gathered, the afflicted reported spectral attacks, and Beverly minister John Hale recorded Quaker Thomas Maule’s harsh condemnation. With a slow strangling noose and blood finally shed, the witch-hunt crossed a point of no return, putting the remaining accused on notice.00:00 Welcome to the Series00:10 Midsummer in 169200:18 Boston Court Business00:29 Tension in Wells Maine00:50 Bridget Bishop Taken01:07 Procter's Ledge Execution01:21 A Crowd and Specters01:37 How the Hanging Worked01:54 John Hale and Thomas Maule02:11 No Turning Back

• Salem Witch Trials History YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCliis4vjMIUgg3wcA0pXeYQ/

• ⁠Salem Witch Trials Daily Hub: https://aboutsalem.com/salem-witch-trials-daily/⁠

• ⁠The Thing About the Salem Witch Trials: https://aboutsalem.com⁠

• ⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts: https://aboutwitchhunts.com⁠

• ⁠Mary Beth Norton, In the Devil’s Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692: https://bookshop.org/a/90227/9780375706905⁠

• Bernard Rosenthal, ed., Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt: https://bookshop.org/a/90227/9781107689619⁠

• ⁠Emerson W. Baker, A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience: 

• https://bookshop.org/a/90227/9780190627805⁠

• ⁠Marilynne K. Roach, The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege: https://bookshop.org/a/90227/9781589791329⁠

• High Quality Scans of Original Court Documents - Peabody Essex Museum Salem Witch Trials Collection: https://pem.quartexcollections.com/collections/salem-witch-trials-collection

June 9, 1692: Giles Cory’s Specter at the Lecture

We take you straight into Salem on Thursday, June 9, 1692, where later testimony claims Giles Cory’s specter showed up at the lecture held the day before Bridget Bishop was hanged. Mary Walcott and Elizabeth Woodwell—identified as a 33-year-old married woman—report seeing the apparition, a reminder that the “afflicted” in the Salem Witch Trials weren’t limited to young girls, teens, or the unmarried. Salem Witch Trials Daily brings a quick, focused hit of primary-source-driven history, spotlighting spectral evidence, witness accounts, and the tense religious atmosphere surrounding Bridget Bishop’s execution. Chapters: Opening & date stamp (00:00); Specter at the lecture (00:10); Who saw it—Mary Walcott and Elizabeth Woodwell (00:25); Rethinking the profile of the afflicted (00:45).

00:00 Daily Introduction

00:14 Giles Cory Specter

00:30 Afflicted Not Just Girls

• Salem Witch Trials History YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCliis4vjMIUgg3wcA0pXeYQ/

• ⁠Salem Witch Trials Daily Hub: https://aboutsalem.com/salem-witch-trials-daily/⁠

• ⁠The Thing About the Salem Witch Trials: https://aboutsalem.com⁠

• ⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts: https://aboutwitchhunts.com⁠

• ⁠Mary Beth Norton, In the Devil’s Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692: https://bookshop.org/a/90227/9780375706905⁠

• Bernard Rosenthal, ed., Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt: https://bookshop.org/a/90227/9781107689619⁠

• ⁠Emerson W. Baker, A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience: 

• https://bookshop.org/a/90227/9780190627805⁠

• ⁠Marilynne K. Roach, The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege: https://bookshop.org/a/90227/9781589791329⁠

• High Quality Scans of Original Court Documents - Peabody Essex Museum Salem Witch Trials Collection: https://pem.quartexcollections.com/collections/salem-witch-trials-collection

Show Notes

June 8, 1692. The day the legal machinery of colonial Massachusetts shifted from courtroom accusations to state-sanctioned execution. A newly formed provincial government has convened in Boston, and the first death warrant has been signed. Beyond the courtroom, terrifying spectral testimonies are mounting, and a prominent justice has just walked away from the bench in protest. The bureaucratic trap has snapped shut on its first victim.

Our focus centers on the terrifying turning point where words became lethal. We trace the exact moment the legal system formalized its deadliest phase, revealing the unique, chilling distinction of Bridget Bishop's sentence and the immediate institutional fracture that threatened to tear the court apart from within.

• 00:00 – Voices from the Grave

• Uncover the unsettling June testimony where spectral apparitions allegedly named their killer.

• We explore the specific grievances of ghosts demanding justice from beyond the grave.

• 01:00 – The Signing of the Death Warrant

• The newly convened general court takes formal, lethal action in Boston.

• We dissect the exact, devastating charges of witchcraft brought against Bridget Bishop.

• Chief Justice William Stoughton issues a strict deadline for the colony's first hanging.

• 02:00 – A Dangerous Precedent and Judicial Revolt

• Discover why Bridget Bishop’s upcoming execution stands entirely alone in the history of these trials.

• A sudden, high-profile resignation shakes the Court of Oyer and Terminer to its core.

• Access our exclusive deep-dive playlists and bonus content to uncover the full story.

Ready to dig deeper into the cold realities of 1692? Follow the links in our show notes to explore our curated Bridget Bishop playlist on YouTube and our latest feature from The Thing About the Salem Witch Trials.

Keywords: Salem Witch Trials, Bridget Bishop execution, Court of Oyer and Terminer, 1692 legal system, Chief Justice William Stoughton, Martha Cory spectral evidence, Nathaniel Saltonstall resignation, colonial true crime podcast.

• Bridget Bishop YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz33kJfelxI&list=PLIz3vKHO9eBoz5tcU6y14FQ6WRAVFyTUo

• Bridget Bishop: The First Person Executed in the Salem Witch Trials: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bridget-bishop-the-first-person-executed-in-the/id1812826945?i=1000771514762

• Bridget Bishop's Trial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHWulGtwyfc

• Men Accuse Bridget Bishop of Invading their Rooms at Night: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2cyMF86vzc

• Giles Cory, Abigail Hobbs, Mary Warren, and Bridget Bishop are Questioned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hhcPlF-SEY

• Bridget Bishop was an Afterthought when 3 other High Profile Witchcraft Suspects were Arrested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-smJW7SFF0

• Bridget Bishop and Mary Warren Accused of Witchcraft: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCrx2LVAOPs

• Bridget Bishop Day Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOocStbIocM

• Bridget Bishop’s Death Warrant Video: https://youtu.be/ZyBMGcrDRc0

• Salem Witch Trials History YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCliis4vjMIUgg3wcA0pXeYQ/

• ⁠Salem Witch Trials Daily Hub: https://aboutsalem.com/salem-witch-trials-daily/⁠

• ⁠The Thing About the Salem Witch Trials: https://aboutsalem.com⁠

• ⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts: https://aboutwitchhunts.com⁠

• ⁠Mary Beth Norton, In the Devil’s Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692: https://bookshop.org/a/90227/9780375706905⁠

• Bernard Rosenthal, ed., Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt: https://bookshop.org/a/90227/9781107689619⁠

• ⁠Emerson W. Baker, A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience: 

• https://bookshop.org/a/90227/9780190627805⁠

• ⁠Marilynne K. Roach, The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege: https://bookshop.org/a/90227/9781589791329⁠

• High Quality Scans of Original Court Documents - Peabody Essex Museum Salem Witch Trials Collection: https://pem.quartexcollections.com/collections/salem-witch-trials-collection