Salem Witch Trials Daily

Arrests in Haverhill, Hannah Bromage’s Examination, and Mary Toothaker’s Confession (July 30, 1692)We follow the Salem Witch Trials on Saturday, July 30, 1692, as constable William Starling arrests Mary Green and Hannah Bromage in Haverhill and the Salem justices question Bromage and Mary Toothaker. During Bromage’s examination, afflicted accusers Ann Putnam Jr. and Mary Walcott fall into fits and claim to see her specter, while Mary Bridges Sr. and Mary Lacey Jr. also accuse her of tormenting Ann. Toothaker, widow of Roger Toothaker, describes nightmares of King William’s War, admits serving the devil for nearly two years, and details spectral travel, the devil’s “tawny man” form, and marking the devil’s book on birch bark, naming multiple alleged witches and claiming George Burroughs preached at a Salem Village meeting. After hearings, suspects are jailed in Ipswich, witnesses are summoned against Martha Carrier, and Elizabeth Cary escapes from Cambridge jail with help arranged by Nathaniel Cary and John Willard.00:00 Daily Introduction00:08 Arrests in Haverhill00:27 Bromage Examination01:57 Toothaker Confession03:32 Witch Meetings Named05:02 Jail Transfer05:25 Court Summons Issued05:48 Elizabeth Cary Escape

John Willard’s Specter and the Wilkins Family Testimony | July 29, 1692We track the Salem Witch Trials on Friday, July 29, 1692, as John Willard’s specter is said to afflict Rebecca Wilkins Jr., leading to her August 4 testimony that she saw Willard in the corner, heard him threaten to harm her, and was immediately afflicted. We also connect the accusations to fraught family ties: Willard had married Margaret Wilkins (sister to Rebecca’s father, Henry), making him Rebecca’s uncle, even as she testified against him. The story intersects with the death of Rebecca’s brother Daniel Wilkins on May 16, 1692, after he was believed afflicted by Willard’s shape. We also follow Mary Bridges Sr.’s July 30 testimony suggesting she was examined on the 29th and had confessed to afflicting Elizabeth Ballard, though no examination record survives.00:00 Welcome and Hosts00:06 Willard Afflicts Rebecca00:25 Family Ties and Testimony00:35 Daniel Wilkins Death00:46 Mary Bridges Examination01:03 Missing Court Record

July 28, 1692: Andover & Haverhill Arrest Warrants and a Husband’s DefenseWe race through the Salem Witch Trials timeline on Thursday, July 28, 1692, as Salem justices issue new arrest warrants and the panic spreads across Essex County. In Andover, Constable John Ballard apprehends Mary Bridges Sr. on charges of afflicting Timothy Swan and others—raising the stark detail that Ballard, brother-in-law of Elizabeth Ballard who died the day before, is arresting accused witches immediately after the loss. Warrants also target Mary Green and Hannah Bromage for allegedly afflicting Timothy Swan, Mary Walcott, Ann Putnam, and more, with Constable William Starling making the arrests in Haverhill. We also spotlight Captain Thomas Bradbury’s moving testimony defending his jailed wife, Mary, emphasizing their 55-year marriage, her industrious life raising eleven children and four grandchildren, and her age and weakness limiting her ability to speak for herself.00:00 Welcome and Hosts00:05 Warrant for Mary Bridges00:21 Ballard Connection00:37 Arrests in Haverhill00:53 Bradbury Defends Wife

Andover’s Turning Point: Elizabeth Ballard’s Death and the Wardwell PanicWe trace the pivotal day in the Salem Witch Trials—Wednesday, July 27, 1692—when Elizabeth Phelps Ballard dies in Andover, cementing fears of lethal witchcraft and triggering the Andover witch hunt. Our focus is the tragic chain reaction around Samuel Wardwell, a local fortune teller whose anxiety and attempt to preempt suspicion inadvertently plants the idea of bewitchment in Joseph Ballard’s mind, leading to the unprecedented decision to bring Salem Village’s afflicted girls to Andover. Their judgment fuels accusations that ultimately sweep up 45 residents and devastate the Wardwell household, ending with Samuel’s hanging on September 22, 1692. We also follow spectral testimony involving Ann Pudeator and note Governor William Phips commissioning Anthony Checkley to prosecute offenders in Boston.00:00 Daily Introduction00:09 Ballard Illness Sparks Fear00:53 Wardwell Anxiety Spreads01:38 Afflicted Girls Arrive01:58 Andover Hunt Snowballs02:23 Wardwell Trial Fallout02:53 Pudeator Spectral Sighting03:27 Phips Names Prosecutor

July 26, 1692: Court of Oyer and Terminer Funds, a New Attorney, and Spectral AttacksWe race through July 26, 1692, as the Salem Witch Trials machinery accelerates: Governor Phips and the Massachusetts council authorize 40 pounds to pay court clerk Stephen Sewell for Court of Oyer and Terminer expenses and appoint Anthony Checkley as their majesty’s attorney, replacing Thomas Newton. Our story then shifts to Salem, where Stephen Sewall drafts a summons compelling James Greenslit to testify against George Burroughs under threat of a 100‑pound forfeiture, delivered by Deputy Sheriff George Herrick for the August 2 session. The day’s tension deepens in Andover and Rowley with chilling spectral accusations—Mary Bradbury’s specter allegedly tormenting Timothy Swan, and Mary Daniel describing attacks by the specters of Margaret Scott and Goodwife Jackson, followed by fits, muteness, and visions of multiple women.00:00 Welcome and Hosts00:05 Court Funding and Attorney00:33 Summons Against Burroughs00:51 Andover Specter Attack01:01 Mary Daniel Deposition01:29 Aftermath and Ongoing Fits

Gloucester Apparitions and the Benham Witchcraft Case (July 25, 1692)We chase fresh supernatural fear from Gloucester to Rowley to New Haven: in Gloucester, Ebenezer Babson’s gun repeatedly misfires as three strange men appear on a rocky lookout, then walk past him and vanish, leading minister John Emerson (as quoted by Cotton Mather) to conclude the figures were devilish illusions. In Rowley, 19-year-old Mary Daniel falls ill and reports an angry female specter that beats and pinches her, warning her to keep quiet. In New Haven, Connecticut justices hear the witchcraft case against Winifred Benham of Wallingford and order her and witnesses back in November, amid local tensions involving her husband Joseph’s threats and earlier rumors. We also trace how later accusations leaned on spectral evidence and maleficium claims rather than proven deaths.00:00 Daily Introduction00:09 Gloucester Woods Mystery00:58 Devilish Illusions Explained01:18 Rowley Spectral Assault01:41 Winifred Benham in Court02:08 Wallingford Rumors and Threats02:29 Dismissal and Return in 169703:13 Spectral Evidence and Maleficium

A Baptism Amid Panic: Abigail Way and Life in Salem VillageWe take you straight to Salem Village on Sunday, July 24, 1692, when minister Samuel Parris baptized six-month-old Abigail Way, daughter of church members William and Persis Way, revealing how ordinary life persisted during the Salem Witch Trials. We connect the Way family to the crisis—William’s role on the coroner’s jury for the inquest into Daniel Wilkins’ death and his brother Aaron’s testimony against Rebecca Nurse—while exploring the striking contrast between daily work and constant court activity. We also question the timing of Abigail’s baptism at six months old given reported afflictions of infants, including the death of John Putnam Jr.’s two-month-old daughter, and note that Abigail’s January birth coincided with the onset of Betty and Abigail’s afflictions.00:00 Show Introduction00:06 Baptism During Panic00:28 Life Goes On00:43 Work Amid Hearings01:02 Infant Afflictions Context01:18 Timing and Conclusion

Martha Emerson Examined as John Procter Pleads from Jail (July 23, 1692)We follow the Salem Witch Trials on July 23, 1692 as justices examine Martha Emerson, daughter of Roger and Mary Toothaker and niece of Martha Carrier, over allegations of afflicting Mary Warren and Mary Lacey Jr. Testimony and courtroom fits surround Emerson’s glances and touch, and Warren claims Emerson’s specter described riding Matthew Herriman with an enchanted bridle as Herriman recounts a strange night and Emerson’s early visit for fire. Emerson admits a urine test and briefly implicates the specters of Martha Carrier and Mary Green of Haverhill, describing a pig familiar, then retracts and is jailed for six months. From prison, John Procter petitions Boston ministers including Increase Mather, alleging coerced confessions, torture of Carrier’s sons and his own son William, and urging trial changes that authorities do not make.00:00 Daily Introduction00:09 Martha Emerson Examined00:53 Spectral Evidence Escalates01:49 Coerced Confession Claims02:39 Sent Back to Jail02:53 Procter Petition From Jail04:04 Torture and False Confessions05:43 Ignored Warnings⁠Shop our curated selection of witch trial books⁠⁠: https://bookshop.org/shop/endwitchhuntsEnd Witch Hunts nonprofit⁠⁠: https://endwitchhunts.orgThe Thing About Witch Hunts⁠⁠: https://aboutwitchhunts.comThe Thing About the Salem Witch Trials https://aboutsalem.com

Salem Witch Trials Daily: The Carrier Brothers’ Confessions and a Petition for Mary Bradbury (July 22, 1692)We race back into the Salem courtroom on July 22, 1692 as Richard and 14-year-old Andrew Carrier face a relentless witchcraft examination alongside the Laceys—complete with claims of spectral attacks, accusations tied to Timothy Swan’s burning and torment, and shifting stories about who wielded the supernatural “pipe.” A fresh arrest warrant targets Martha Emerson, with orders to search for poppets, and the constable reports seizing her in Haverhill. Under harsh restraint and intense pressure, Richard pivots from denial to a detailed confession featuring the devil’s book, witch meetings in Samuel Parris’ meadow, and a widening list of alleged participants—while Andrew follows with his own account of signing for five years’ service. We close on a striking note of resistance: 115 neighbors submit a powerful petition defending Mary Bradbury’s character and godliness.00:00 Daily Introduction00:24 Warrant for Emerson00:54 Carriers Examined01:27 Laceys Accusations03:08 Afflicted Torments03:36 Richard Confesses04:58 Witch Meetings Named06:55 Andrew Confession08:57 Bradbury Defense PetitionShop our curated selection of witch trial booksEnd Witch Hunts nonprofitThe Thing About Witch HuntsThe Thing About the Salem Witch Trials

Three Generations Accused: Ann Foster and the Mary Laceys’ Confessions (Salem Witch Trials, July 21, 1692)We follow the July 21, 1692 examinations that pull three generations—Ann Foster, Mary Lacey Sr., and newly arrested teen Mary Lacey Jr.—into the center of the Salem witchcraft crisis after an Andover search turns up suspicious bundles and Mary Lacey Jr. is accused of harming Elizabeth Ballard. In front of Salem’s justices of the peace, the touch test, fits, and leading questions drive a shifting confession that names meetings in Salem Village, devil’s baptism at Falls River, flights by pole, communion of brown bread and red wine, a mist that hides witches, and the devil’s book signed in red ink or blood. The Laceys implicate Richard and Andrew Carrier, elevate Martha Carrier as “queen in hell” with George Burroughs as king, describe poppets and spectral harm, and prompt warrants for the Carriers—based on a record later preserved through Governor Thomas Hutchinson’s manuscripts and an 1870 publication.00:00 Three Generations Accused00:27 Arrest and Search01:30 Ann Foster Questioned02:59 Touch Test Confession03:53 Devil’s Visits and Flight07:12 Salem Meeting Details09:24 Book Signing Contradictions10:24 Carrier Family Accusations12:39 Tears and Repentance16:57 Warrants and SourcesShop our curated selection of witch trial books: https://bookshop.org/shop/endwitchhuntsEnd Witch Hunts nonprofit: https://endwitchhunts.orgThe Thing About Witch Hunts: https://aboutwitchhunts.comThe Thing About the Salem Witch Trials: https://aboutsalem.com