We’re in Salem Village on Thursday, April 14, 1692, where spectral appearances are treated as proof of a diabolical pact. We dig into Mercy Lewis’s September 9 deposition accusing Giles Cory, describing his specter as unnaturally strong, tormenting her, pressuring her to sign the Devil’s book, and beating her nearly to the point of breaking her back—leading her to declare him a “dreadful wizard,” even while he sits in prison. We also draw from Abigail Williams’s May 31 testimony against Martha Cory, claiming Martha’s apparition hauled, pinched, and tempted her to sign the Devil’s book and that she saw her at the Devil’s sacrament. We question how Abigail keeps appearing at these alleged devil gatherings while remaining an “afflicted” witness and the pastor’s niece.00:00 Welcome and Hosts00:04 Spectral Evidence Explained00:30 Mercy Lewis vs Giles Cory01:02 Abigail Williams vs Martha Cory01:28 Why Abigail Sees Sabbaths

Our day begins with Samuel Parris trying to write as Marshal George Herrick arrives to inquire about John Procter, only for the room to erupt in interruptions as John Indian, Abigail Williams, and Mary Walcott repeatedly cry out that Procter is present—seen in the marshal’s lap, on a dog’s back, and alongside Elizabeth Procter and Sarah Cloyce—while fits escalate so violently that several men struggle to restrain John Indian. Parris forces John Indian and Abigail out to keep working, but Mary’s calm knitting gives way to sudden claims of pinching and choking, and she names a widening circle of alleged tormentors, including Rebecca Nurse, Martha Cory, and Dorothy Good. As accusations flare, those named are transferred from Salem to the Boston jail, while Rowley’s Frances Wycomb points to Margaret Scott, setting a grim course toward September.00:00 Welcome and Date00:15 Parris Notes Procter01:15 Fits and Apparitions01:56 Walcott Accusations Escalate02:21 Prison Transfers to Boston02:38 Rowley Suspect Emerges02:52 Outcome and Execution

We’re back in Salem on Wednesday, April 13, 1692, pulling today’s report straight from sworn testimony and depositions. Abigail Williams’s records place Martha Cory, Elizabeth Procter, and Rebecca Nurse among the specters said to torment her—dragging, pinching, choking, and pressuring her to sign the Devil’s book, with lurid details like Procter nearly pulling her bowels out and Nurse urging her toward the fire, plus a claim of seeing Nurse at a witches’ sabbath beside a man in a high-crowned hat. Ann Putnam Jr. adds fresh accusations against Giles Cory and Abigail Hobbs for beating, biting, choking, and coercion to sign. The stakes turn personal as John Putnam Jr. recounts his two-month-old daughter’s violent fits, a doctor’s conclusion of an “evil hand,” and a prolonged, cruel death.00:00 Welcome and Date00:14 Sources and Records00:24 Abigail Williams Afflictions00:57 Spectral Attacks Described01:30 Ann Putnam Jr Targeted01:49 Putnam Infant Falls Ill02:46 Tragic Death Account

Grievously Tormented: April 11, 1692 and the Procters’ ExaminationWe dive into the raw testimony surrounding April 11, 1692, when accusations against Elizabeth and John Procter—and Sarah Cloyce—ignited a courtroom spectacle of “most grievous” torment. Witnesses and ministers report the afflicted collapsing into trances, choking, biting, pinching, and being pressured to sign the devil’s book, while observers swear the fits escalated the moment the Procters were examined. Depositions from the Putnams, Parris, and Ingersoll paint a scene where spectral assaults spread across the room, even shaping how onlookers interpreted a single gesture as supernatural proof. We also follow the drama beyond the hearing: a violent ride home with John Indian’s fits and a chilling claim of Elizabeth Procter’s specter traveling alongside Mary Walcott on the road back to the village.00:00 Secret Word Challenge00:22 April 11 Context00:39 Elizabeth Procter Accusations01:34 Afflicted Reactions in Court04:01 More Depositions Against Procter04:32 John Procter Targeted06:52 Joint Deposition Details08:09 Aftermath and Odd Incidents08:47 Wrap Up and M and Ms

We follow the Salem crisis as it surges from village drama into colony-level spectacle: John Indian reports being bitten and pinched by Sarah Good’s specter, Mercy Lewis wavers after naming Sarah Cloyce, and then the focus snaps to April 11 when the Governor’s Council packs the Salem Town meetinghouse for the examinations of Sarah Cloyce and Elizabeth Procter. With Danforth and leading assistants present and Samuel Parris recording, accusations escalate fast—devil’s books, choking, a “white man,” and a reported witches’ sacrament with roughly 40 participants. Fits erupt on cue as the afflicted clash with the accused, and the spotlight widens to John Procter as a “wizard,” setting a deadly chain in motion. The day ends with arrests and removal to Salem Town jail—just part of what’s still to come.00:00 Daily Intro and Date00:13 April 10 Incidents01:08 April 11 Hearing Begins02:08 John Indian Accusations03:07 Afflicted Girls Testify03:38 Witches Sabbath Revealed04:48 Cloyce Faints and Chaos05:10 Elizabeth Procter Examined06:59 John Procter Implicated07:28 Spectral Tactics Explained08:32 Testimony and Prayer Test09:16 Arrests and Wrap Up

In this episode, we move beyond the fictionalized drama of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible to uncover the real Elizabeth Procter. Born into a family already shadowed by witchcraft accusations, Elizabeth faced the full weight of the 1692 panic. We trace her journey from a high-profile examination in front of the colony's top officials to her harrowing months in prison.

• The "Inheritance" of Suspicion: How Elizabeth’s grandmother, Ann Burt, influenced the community’s perception of her long before the trials began.
  

• The High-Stakes Examination: Details of the April 11th hearing where Elizabeth stood her ground against the afflicted girls and the highest court in Massachusetts.
  

• A Life-Saving Pregnancy: The legal reason Elizabeth survived the gallows while her husband, John, did not.
  

• The Fight for Restitution: Elizabeth's post-trial battle to reclaim her legal personhood and property after being declared "dead in the eyes of the law".
  

• Fact vs. Fiction: We debunk common myths regarding the Procter family's ages and relationships that were popularized by 20th-century drama.
  

"I know nothing of it, no more than the child unborn."

Tune in to hear how one woman’s fierce determination allowed her to dismantle an unjust legal system and reclaim her life.

What You’ll LearnFeatured Quotes

We track a pivotal shift on Friday, April 8, 1692, when Salem’s usual rush to warrants pauses and the Governor’s Council of Assistants decides to investigate the accusations themselves. After Jonathan Walcott and Nathaniel Ingersoll’s April 4 complaint against Sarah Cloyce and Elizabeth Proctor sat without action, Salem magistrates John Hathorne and Jonathan Corwin issue warrants only once the council schedules an April 11 hearing, ordering Marshal George Herrick to bring both women to the larger Salem Town meetinghouse—moving proceedings out of Salem Village. Deputy Governor Thomas Danforth travels with key assistants, marking the first major Boston government move in the witch-hunt and a sharp contrast to his portrayal in The Crucible. We also question where the “panic” was, arguing authorities sought careful felony prosecutions rather than haste.00:00 Welcome and Date00:21 Complaint and Delay00:51 Council Steps In01:03 Warrants and Venue Shift01:39 Danforth and the Assistants02:55 Why So Little Panic03:06 Accusations Timeline04:31 Slow but Serious Justice04:48 Closing ThoughtsLinks

Examination of Sarah Cloyse and Elizabeth Procter

A Brief and True Narrative by Deodat Lawson

Sign the petition to exonerate Massachusetts witch trial victims

Find My Massachusetts Legislators

The Thing About Witch Hunts / About Salem YouTube channel

⁠Salem Witch Trials Daily Hub

⁠The Thing About Salem

⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts

⁠Mary Beth Norton, In the Devil’s Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692

Bernard Rosenthal, ed., Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt

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

⁠Marilynne K. Roach, The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege

High Quality Scans of Original Court Documents - Peabody Essex Museum Salem Witch Trials Collection

We revisit April 7, 1692, when Benjamin Gould reportedly experienced another wave of spectral visitations—an account he later shared during the April 11 examinations of Sarah Cloyce and Elizabeth Procter. We explore the striking list of alleged specters said to appear in his room, including Martha and Giles Cory, Elizabeth and John Procter, Sarah Cloyce, Rebecca Nurse, and the surprising inclusion of Rachel Griggs. We dig into why this is the only known moment Rachel Griggs is ever linked to spectral activity, how nothing ultimately came of the claim, and what her connection to physician William Griggs and afflicted Elizabeth Hubbard may suggest about the wider Salem story.

00:00 Welcome and Hosts

00:11 Gould Sees Specters

00:45 Rachel Griggs Mention

00:53 No Charges Filed

01:01 Doctor Griggs Context

Examination of Sarah Cloyse and Elizabeth Procter

A Brief and True Narrative by Deodat Lawson:

Sign the petition to exonerate Massachusetts witch trial victims

Find My Massachusetts Legislators

The Thing About Witch Hunts / About Salem YouTube channel

⁠Salem Witch Trials Daily Hub

⁠The Thing About Salem

⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts

⁠Mary Beth Norton, In the Devil’s Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692

Bernard Rosenthal, ed., Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt

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

⁠Marilynne K. Roach, The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege

High Quality Scans of Original Court Documents - Peabody Essex Museum Salem Witch Trials Collection

April 6, 1692: Pinches, Apparitions, and Deodat Lawson’s First Published AccountIn this episode of Salem Witch Trials Daily, we take you to Wednesday, April 6, 1692, as reports of pinching and spectral torment continue to ripple through Salem Village. We discuss an April 19 deposition in which farmer Benjamin Gould says Martha and Giles Cory appeared at his bedside and he felt two pinches as they left, along with accounts that Abigail Williams was pinched by John Proctor’s shape and that Ann Putnam Sr. and Jr. remained afflicted. We also share the conclusion of Minister Deodat Lawson’s A Brief and True Narrative, newly finished and soon to be published, highlighting his detailed “remarks” about the afflicted and the accused—including the witches’ book, mutual “curing,” apparitions in the meetinghouse, the witch cake, and claims about the accused gathering in company—while exploring why Lawson’s report matters as an early surviving published description of events.00:00 Welcome and Date00:15 Corys Visit and Pinches00:51 Spectral Attacks Spread01:08 Lawson Narrative Begins01:32 Afflicted Persons Remarks03:04 Prayer and Signing Book03:36 Accused Persons Remarks03:43 Witch Cake and Examinations04:17 Satanic Muster and Rituals05:05 Keeble Statutes Criteria06:02 Why Lawson Report Matters06:33 Closing Thoughts

Links

A Brief and True Narrative by Deodat Lawson: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A49794.0001.001/1:3?rgn=div1;view=fulltext

Sign the petition to exonerate Massachusetts witch trial victims: https://change.org/witchtrials

Find My Massachusetts Legislators: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator

The Thing About Witch Hunts / About Salem YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCliis4vjMIUgg3wcA0pXeYQ/

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

⁠The Thing About Salem: 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 the Original Court Documents - Peabody Essex Museum Salem Witch Trials Collection: https://pem.quartexcollections.com/collections/salem-witch-trials-collection

The latest updates from the Salem Witch Trials. We check in on Salem Village, where a committee purchases land for a future school building, and head to Boston, where former Salem Village minister Deodat Lawson returns home after his stay and finishes writing his account of events, with a pamphlet expected soon. We also report from the Boston Jail, where keeper John Arnold buys two blankets for an infant confined with her mother, witchcraft suspect Sarah Good. Join us again tomorrow as we continue following the unfolding Salem Witch Trials day by day.

00:00 April 5 1692 Update

00:13 Salem School Land

00:18 Lawson Returns Boston

00:38 Blankets at Boston Jail

00:51 Wrap Up and Tomorrow

A Brief and True Narrative by Deodat Lawson

Sign the petition to exonerate Massachusetts witch trial victims

Find My Massachusetts Legislators

The Thing About Witch Hunts / About Salem YouTube channel

⁠Salem Witch Trials Daily Hub

⁠The Thing About Salem

⁠The Thing About Witch Hunts

⁠Mary Beth Norton, In the Devil’s Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692

Bernard Rosenthal, ed., Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt

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

⁠Marilynne K. Roach, The Salem Witch Trials: A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community Under Siege

High Quality Scans of the Original Court Documents - Peabody Essex Museum Salem Witch Trials Collection