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

June 7, 1692: Job Tookey’s Second Examination and John Allen’s Deposition Against Susannah MartinWe’re back with Salem Witch Trials Daily as we drop into Tuesday, June 7, 1692, where Job Tookey endures a second examination marked by the afflicted collapsing at his gaze and the touch test seemingly “working” once he touches their hands and wrists. Mary Warren, Susannah Sheldon, Elizabeth Booth Jr., and Mary Walcott escalate the spectacle with claims of poppets, pins, and a courtroom filled with ghosts in winding sheets—naming Gamaliel Hawkins, Andrew Woodbury, Trask’s child, and others crying for vengeance. Meanwhile, Magistrate Robert Pike records John Allen’s deposition against Susannah Martin, centering on an old dispute over hauling staves and a chilling aftermath: oxen said to run “diabolically” into the sea, leaving 13 lost.

June 6, 1692: Mary Ireson and Ann Dolliver Questioned at Beadle’s TavernWe head to Salem on Monday, June 6, 1692, where justices Bartholomew Gedney, John Hathorne, and Jonathan Corwin interrogate two accused women at Thomas Beadle’s tavern, guided by records kept by Simon Willard—who had also testified that George Burroughs possessed devil-given, preternatural strength. Mary Ireson faces the classic “touch test,” claims of spectral torment, and accusations of the devil’s book, while being urged to confess. The day escalates with a warrant for Ann Higginson Dolliver, the deserted daughter of Rev. John Higginson Sr., whose own brother refuses to sign. We follow accusations of poppets, nocturnal wanderings, dead-child vengeance, and courtroom claims that the devil stands present—an intense window into Salem Witch Trials examinations, afflicted girls’ testimony, and witchcraft evidence.00:00 Daily Introduction00:13 Willard Against Burroughs01:07 Mary Ireson Examined02:05 Devil In The Courtroom02:54 Ann Dolliver Arrested04:09 Ann Faces Accusers04:52 Poppets And Touch Test05:43 Devil Appears Again

Cotton Mather’s “Good Men Described” and a Quiet Day in SalemWe take you to June 5, 1692, a rare calm Sunday in Salem: the Court of Oyer and Terminer is not in session, and there are no reported afflictions from witch specters. Our focus shifts to Boston, where Governor Phips attends services at the North Church and Cotton Mather delivers his sermon “Good Men Described,” warning that people might sell their souls for “money or frolic” and equating rebellion with the sin of witchcraft. We connect Mather’s call to aspire to sainthood, imitate angels, and resist “following a multitude in the doing of evil” to the growing momentum of accusations during the Salem Witch Trials.00:00 Quiet Sunday in Salem00:18 Salem Witch Trials Daily Intro00:23 Cotton Mather Sermon in Boston00:42 Warning Against Following the Crowd

June 4, 1692: Mary Ireson Arrest Warrant and Job Tookey ExaminedWe track the Salem Witch Trials on Saturday, June 4, 1692, as magistrates John Hathorne, Jonathan Corwin, and Bartholomew Gedney record accusations against Mary Ireson of Lynn for allegedly afflicting multiple Salem Village girls, leading to a warrant for her arrest and delivery to Thomas Beadle’s tavern. We follow constable Henry Collins as he takes Ireson into custody, and we also examine witness accounts tying Mary Warren’s fits to claims about the devil’s book and threats attributed to Mary Toothaker and Ireson. Our timeline then moves to Beverly with the examination of Job Tookey, reconstructed through testimony from afflicted witnesses and neighbors who allege he boasted of raising the devil, admitted to murder, and sought a leading role among witches—claims that trigger further reported afflictions and corroborating statements.00:00 Daily Introduction00:13 Warrant for Mary Ireson01:04 Mary Warren Fit Testimony01:52 Job Tookey Examined02:52 More Witness Statements03:23 Devil Talk and Ringleader Claim03:43 Afflicted Response and Wrap Up

Grand Jury Indicts Rebecca Nurse and John Willard | Salem Witch Trials Daily (June 3, 1692)We head inside the Salem Court of Oyer and Terminer on June 3, 1692, as the grand jury—led again by foreman John Ruck—hears spectral testimony and older depositions against Rebecca Nurse and John Willard, with no physical evidence presented. Our focus is the turning point as Nurse is charged on four counts for allegedly afflicting Ann Putnam Jr., Mary Walcott, Elizabeth Hubbard, and Abigail Williams, while a handful of witnesses speak up for her before the jury returns billa vera on every count. Then the pressure shifts to Willard: accusations from multiple afflicted, “touch test” and Lord’s Prayer claims, and links to the Wilkins family case drive indictments on several affliction charges, with one count rejected. We also track surprising defense testimony for Elizabeth How, new spectral allegations against John Procter, and fresh arrests of Elizabeth Fosdick and Elizabeth Paine.00:00 Grand Jury Opens01:16 Rebecca Nurse Accusations04:49 Defense for Nurse05:54 Nurse Indicted06:27 Willard Evidence List09:17 Willard Folk Tests11:26 Willard Indictments12:22 Ministers Defend How13:44 More Arrests Reports

Bridget Bishop on Trial: The Court of Oyer and Terminer Opens in Salem (June 2, 1692)The new Court of Oyer and Terminer opens at the Salem Town House as we follow Bridget Bishop through the first full force of Salem Witch Trials justice—oaths sworn by William Stoughton, Thomas Newton, and Stephen Sewall, preliminary actions in other accused witches’ cases, and a startling jailhouse body search for “witches’ teats” on Bridget Bishop, Rebecca Nurse, and Elizabeth Procter. We trace Bishop’s arraignment and five-count indictment for afflicting Mercy Lewis, Abigail Williams, Elizabeth Hubbard, Ann Putnam Jr., and likely Mary Walcott, then move into vivid witness claims: spectral attacks, poppets, a cursed pig, and a bizarre “monkey” creature offer drawn from demonology-fueled fear. The day ends with a guilty verdict and a second search where marks seem to vanish—raising sharp questions about evidence, credibility, and the machinery of the Salem witchcraft trials.00:00 Bridget Bishop On Trial00:31 Court Convenes First Time01:45 Jailhouse Body Searches03:26 Indictments And Arraignment05:34 Witness Stories Begin06:03 Louder And The Creature08:09 Shattuck Family Accusations09:50 Poppets And Bewitched Sow10:54 More Depositions And Doubts12:01 Guilty Verdict And Reexamination12:42 Rebecca Nurse Petition Wrap Up

June 1, 1692: Spectral “General Meeting,” Perley Testimony vs. Elizabeth How, and Trials on the Brink

Salem is at a breaking point on June 1, 1692, with the Court of Oyer and Terminer about to open and overcrowded Massachusetts jails feeding a steady transfer of witchcraft suspects from Boston to Salem. We follow magistrates John Hathorne and Jonathan Corwin as they question Abigail and Deliverance Hobbs, while Mary Warren describes a noisy parade of specters—George Burroughs, Rebecca Nurse, Elizabeth Procter, and others—offering a grisly “sweet bread and wine” feast at Mr. Parris’ house. Tension spikes with detailed testimony from Ruth and Samuel Perley against Elizabeth How, including years of alleged affliction, a child’s death, and strange livestock events. Confessions and counter-accusations collide as Sarah Churchill’s devil’s book claims are challenged as coerced, and jailed defendants push back by calling the accusers fraudulent—while summons go out for witnesses against Rebecca Nurse and John Willard on the eve of the first trials.

00:00 Trials About to Begin

01:21 Hobbs Hearing Specters

03:11 Perley Case Against How

06:09 Confessions And Poppets

07:19 Accusers Called Out

08:46 Jailhouse Pushback

10:13 Summons For Tomorrow

10:54 Wrap Up And Anniversary